NCHSAA WOMEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS TO START ON MONDAY

CHAPEL HILL–Top golfers from across the state will compete next week in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 30th women’s state golf championships.

For the eighth year in a row, the NCHSAA is offering classified championships as the number of schools competing in the sport has grown. The two-day events will be held on Monday and Tuesday at two different sites. T

he 4-A championship is set for Pinehurst number one, while the 1-A, 2-A and 3-A golfers will compete together at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines.

Players and teams qualified to the state championship from regionals across the state. Rain forced postponement of one of the 1-A/2-A/3-A regionals until Thursday, so the field won’t be set for that event until after that regional is completed.

Raleigh Athens Drive has won the last two state 4-A team championships. Katherine Perry of Athens Drive was the ’09 individual champ with a 144 total, beating defending champion Allison Emrey of Charlotte Ardrey Kell by four shots.

West Henderson broke the two-year hold Cameron Union Pines had on the 1-A/2-A/3-A team title in last year’s championship, beating second-place Salisbury by nine shots. Kayla Scuipider of West Henderson was the individual medalist, three shots ahead of the field, and earlier this month fired a sizzling six-under par 66 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament.

The best three scores for a team, which may have up to five individuals, are counted each day toward the team total. The championships will include a field of 78 golfers in both tournaments.

The first group of players in the 4-A championships will tee off at 8:15 each morning while the 1-A/2-A/3-A event will start at 9 a.m. Players will be paired differently and tee times adjusted for Tuesday’s round, based on Monday’s scores.

The NCHSAA women’s golf championships are presented by Wendy”s.