Jackson Taylor Wins Carolinas Young Amateur
PINEHURST, N.C. - Jackson Taylor did not use his holiday vacation to take a break from golf as the Davidson junior won the third-annual Carolinas Young Amateur on the second playoff hole Wednesday at Pinewild Country Club.
Taylor fired a five-under-par 67 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round Tuesday, but finished the second-and-final round with a one-over 73 to fall into to a tie with Jack Fields at 140. Taylor, a Wilmington, N.C. native, prevailed though on the second playoff hole to claim the championship.
"I did not get off to a good start, but I played well on the back side and made a 20-footer on the last hole to get into the playoff," commented Taylor.
The tournament was open 18-24 year olds who have finished high school and are legal residents of North or South Carolina. It was played on the par-72, 7,043-yard Pinewild course.
Taylor was not the only Wildcat to use his holiday vacation as an opportunity to get more golf in. Freshman Samuel Echiksoncompeted in the 80th Annual Dixie Amateur Championship Dec. 17-21 at Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla and finished with a three-under par 213.
Davidson will begin the fall golf season Feb. 21-22 at the Wexford Invitational in Florence, S.C.
Hoadley's third-place finish leads UNCG at Carolinas Young Amateur
PINEHURST, N.C. - UNCG sophomore Robert Hoadley posted a third-place finish at the Carolinas Young Amateur, a two-day tournament conducted on the Magnolia Course at Pinewild Country Club on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hoadley finished with a one-under-par 143, posting a 72 on Tuesday and following that up with a 71 on Wednesday. The Southern Pines, N.C., native finished two shots behind Davidson sophomore Jackson Taylor and Jack Fields, who both shot 140. Taylor won on the second playoff hole to take the Carolinas Young Amateur title.
Redshirt junior Kyle Sonday was the Spartans' second-highest finisher, as he tied for 26th with a 153 (77-76). Sophomore Matt Younts tied for 39th with a 157 (77-80), while freshman Alex Simmons tied for 59th at 162 (85-77).
The Carolinas Young Amateur, conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association, is open to amateur golfers between the ages of 18 and 24.
The Spartans open the spring portion of their schedule at the Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 20-22.
AGATE
Top 10 individuals: 1. *Jackson Taylor, Wilmington, N.C., 67-73-140; 2. Jack Fields, Southern Pines, N.C., 69-71-140; 3. Robert Hoadley, Southern Pines, N.C., 72-71-143; T4. Jordan Walor, Wake Forest, N.C., 75-69-144; T4. David Watkins, Hamlet, N.C., 72-72-144; T4. John Varol, Weddington, N.C.; 75-69-144; 7. Ryan Nagy, Raleigh, N.C., 70-75-145; T8. Preston Dembowiak, Summerfield, N.C., 75-71-146; T8. Bo Andrews, Raleigh, N.C., 72-74-146; 10. Adam Stephenson, Greenville, N.C., 74-73-147.
* winner on second playoff hole
Other UNCG finishers: T26. Kyle Sonday, Cary, N.C., 77-76-153; T39. Matt Younts, Stokesdale, N.C., 77-80-157; T59. Alex Simmons, Lenoir, N.C., 85-77-162;