Players to Watch at Pinecrest HS Invitational
Southern Pines, N.C. (April 14,2016) -- On Tuesday, April 19th, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club will host the Pinecrest High School Invitational on Pinehurst No. 8. The 18 hole event brings together some the best high school teams and players from the state of N.C.
Teams to watch:
1.Myers Park HS of Charlotte, N.C., has finished in the top three at the NCHSAA 4A Championship for five straight years. With Henry Shimp, Walker Simas, and Will Simmons leading the way Myers Park looks to contend once again this year.
2.Pinecrest HS of Pinehurst, N.C., is the defending North Carolina High School Athletic Association State 4A champion. Pinecrest returns four of the five starters from the state championship team including 4A individual champion Eric Bae.
3.Cannon School of Concord, N.C., is the defending 3A N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association state champion.
Players to watch:
1.Patrick Stephenson of Four Oaks, N.C., a senior at South Johnston HS, has won four junior tournaments since last September. Stephenson is currently ranked #2 in the NC junior boy’s rankings and will play collegiately at East Carolina next year.
2.Blake Taylor of Atkinson, N.C, a senior at Wilmington Christian, recently won the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In 2015 Taylor won four times including the George Holliday Junior, Roy Jones Invitational, TYGA Coastal Plains, and the CPGA Junior Boys Championship. Taylor is currently ranked #3 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
3.Henry Shimp of Charlotte, N.C., a senior at Myers Park HS, won the 2015 Carolinas Junior Boys Championship and finished tied for sixth in the 2015 Carolinas Amateur. Shimp is currently ranked #4 in the NC junior boy’s rankings and will play collegiately at Stanford University next year.
4.Eric Bae of Pinehurst, N.C., a senior at Pinecrest HS, recently won the Keith Hills HS Kickoff and Carolinas-Georgia Junior. In 2015 Bae won the NC 4A State Championship, 3rd Jimmy Creed Junior Boys’ Invitational and qualified for match play in the U.S. Junior Amateur. Bae is currently ranked #5 in the NC junior boy’s rankings and will play collegiately at Wake Forest University next year.
5.Christian Park of Charlotte, N.C., a senior at Providence HS, had eight top ten finishes in 2015 including a win at the Metro Junior Championship. Park is currently ranked #6 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
6.Walker Simas of Charlotte, N.C., a senior at Myers Park HS, won the 2015 Webb Simpson Challenge and PGA Junior Series event at Columbia CC. Simas also finished 2nd at the Jimmy Creed Boys Invitational. Simas is currently ranked #7 in the NC junior boy’s rankings and will play collegiately at Wofford College next year.
7.A.J. Beechler of Pinehurst, N.C., a sophomore at Pinecrest HS, had ten top ten finishes in 2015 including top five finishes at the Jimmy Anderson Boys Invitational and the Carolinas Junior Boys Championship. Beechler is currently ranked #8 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
8.Michael Sanders of Davidson, N.C., a sophomore at Cannon School, won the 2015 AJGA IZOD Championship, and finished third at the NCISAA 3A Championship. Sanders is currently ranked #9 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
9.Jimbo Stanley of Raleigh, N.C., a junior at Broughton HS, is coming off two top ten finishes in his last two high school events. Stanley was consistent in 2015 with eleven top ten finishes in twenty six events. Stanley is currently ranked #12 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
10.Grant Smith of Charlotte, N.C., a freshman at Myers Park HS, has one top five finish already this year after firing a one under, 143, at the North State HS Challenge at the Club at Irish Creek. Smith is currently ranked #35 in the NC junior boy’s rankings.
Others who also look to contend in this year’s Pinecrest Invitational are Jack Brea of Charlotte, N.C., Thomas Eubanks of Charlotte, N.C., Joey Funderburg of Wilmington, N.C., Jessica Spicer of Bahama, N.C., Sarah Spicer of Bahama, N.C., Michael Wicker of Rougemont, N.C., N.C., Ben Woodruff of Huntersville
About the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA)
The Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA), a division of the Carolinas Golf Association, a 501 (c) 3 organization, provides playing opportunities for its members, conducts educational seminars and events, acts as a junior golf informational clearinghouse, provides free USGA handicaps to junior golfers in North Carolina, recruits sponsor clubs that grant junior access to golf facilities in North Carolina, publishes monthly North Carolina junior rankings, and awards Junior Player of the Year and All-State awards to the top juniors in North Carolina. Membership is open to any boy or girl who are legal residents of N.C; are 18 years of age and under; and who have not started college.
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