Event: 69th Carolinas Junior Girls' Championship
Host Site: The WildeWood Club, Columbia, S.C.
Playing Dates: June 17-19, 2025
Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

Related: Championship Home | Results | Photos

By Schella Sprowl, CGA Intern

COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 20, 2025) – Mallory Pitts of Greensboro, N.C., captured the title at the 69th Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship, carding rounds of 72-74-70 to finish at even-par 216 total and clinch the win at The WildeWood Club in Columbia, S.C..

Pitts entered the final round three shots off the lead but delivered a composed and confident performance down the stretch. With her final-round of 2-under 70 (-2), she surged ahead of the field to earn her first Carolinas Golf Association championship victory.

“I kind of just went in knowing that I’ve proved I can play this course well and just needed to do it again,” Pitts said about her mindset heading into the final round. “In the end, it’s not really in my control what place I get. I just wanted to go out there and make confident swings and have fun.”

Pitts credited her consistent play over the final two rounds as the key to her success.

“I was hitting the ball well today. I didn’t make a ton of long putts, but I was hitting it decently close,” she explained. “I also drove two of the par-5s in two (shots), so that helped a little bit. But yeah, my putting was pretty consistent. Everything overall was just consistent.”

The win was especially meaningful for Pitts after falling just short at last week’s North Carolina Women’s Amateur.

“It feels great,” Pitts said. “I didn’t have my best day on the last day of the (North Carolina) Women’s Am, so coming in and shooting two under today really brought me back to the top. That felt good.”

Pitts overcame some challenges early on in the tournament, including course adjustments and the lack of a traditional practice round.

“Around two weeks ago, I played here in an AJGA event, and the greens were definitely a lot different,” she noted. “I didn’t play a practice round before this, so it was a little challenging getting used to them. But I definitely learned after the first two days how to adapt and keep my mind under control, even when I didn’t feel as prepared.”

Jenna Kim of Raleigh, N.C., the two-time defending champion, made a valiant run at a third title with improving scores each round to finish runner-up at 2-over 218 total. Kim rose 11 spots up the leaderboard during Round 2. Her steady climb showed the heart of a champion, but she ultimately fell just short of the three-peat.

Natalia Henderson of Southern Pines, N.C., who led after the first two rounds with scores of 71-73, posted a final-round of 3-over 75 to finish fourth at 3-over 219 total. Despite the tough closing round, Henderson displayed tremendous poise and talent throughout the championship as she held the lead for the majority of the event.

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank the entire staff at WildeWood Club for its hospitality. A special thanks to General Manager and Head Golf Professional Chris Sparrow and Golf Course Superintendent Kyle Matthias.