triangle.com | Home

Michael McGowan of Southern Pines is the boys player of the year chosen by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association. The girls award goes to Courtney Gunter of Matthews.

Here's the news from the Tarheel Youth Golf Association, as sent by the Carolinas Golf Association in a news release:

Courtney Gunter and Michael McGowan named N.C. Junior Players of the Year
N.C. junior golf’s best to be honored by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association

West End, NC—Courtney Gunter, 17, from Matthews and Michael McGowan, 18, of Southern Pines have been named the 2008 N.C. Junior Players of the Year by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association. The N.C. Junior Player of the Year award recognizes one girl and one boy who have had the most successful year in junior golf events at the local, state, regional and national levels.

Gunter, a high school senior at Porter Ridge High School, finished in the top 10 in eight out of 15 junior events which included her third straight N.C. High School 1A/2A/3A title where she finished 10 shot ahead of the nearest competitor. In May, Gunter was the medalist in the Rex Hospital Pro-Junior and continued her success finishing in second place in the AJGA Betsy Rawls Girls’ Championship and then advanced to the quarter-finals in the US Junior Girls’ Championship. In August, Gunter finished in seventh place in the Trusted Choice Big I National tournament along with tying for second in the AJGA Golf Pride Junior. Gunter’s tournament scoring average for the year was 74.58 and her tournament scoring differential was -0.28. Gunter has signed to play collegiate golf for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

McGowan, a high school senior at The O’Neil School, placed in the top 10 eleven times in 16 junior tournaments over the past 12 months. McGowan had two victories in 2008 that included the Pine Needles Junior Invitational and a Winternational Junior Series at Pinehurst event over Thanksgiving weekend. McGowan finished tied for second place in the 2A N.C. Independent School championship. In the US Junior Amateur championship, McGowan reached match play for the second consecutive year. In August, McGowan finished in third place in the AJGA Golf Pride Junior. McGowan finished the year with a 72.58 tournament stroke average and a tournament scoring differential of -0.08. McGowan is the son of Pat McGowan, the 1978 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and grandson of the legendary Peggy Kirk Bell. McGowan as also signed to play collegiate golf for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Player of the Year awards were determined by a combination of each player’s tournament scoring differential and the total points earned in the TYGA NC rankings events from December 1, 2007 through November 30, 2008. These outstanding juniors along with the 2008 All-State Girls’ and Boys’ teams will be honored at the N.C. Junior Golf Night Awards.

If you're a golfer, one of the greatest things about living in North Carolina is having year-round golf on legendary golf courses. Another great thing for golfers is the proliferation of golf leagues - golfers of all ages and skill levels can find competition virtually year-round, too.

Pinehurst Resort's Winternational Junior Series provides tournament play for high school-age competitors, including many from the Triangle. Steve Johnson of Raleigh took the Junior/Senior Boys championship of the tournament held Dec. 6-7. Cary's Andrew Fowler was the runner-up in the Freshman/Sophomore Boys Division, losing in a playoff to Concord's Trev Cone. Albemarle's Sarah Almond won her third straight Girls Division title. (COMPLETE RESULTS ARE BELOW.)

As baseball clinics go, George Whitfield's annual gathering for youth and high school players and coaches stands out with its longevity and its lengthy list of visiting instructors. (Check out the list below.)

The 37th edition of the annual event will take place Jan. 10 at Goldsboro High School, bringing in a variety of area college and high school coaches plus major league and minor league players and staff. 

Putting together the program looks like an organizational feat itself. And the potential instruction for young players and their coaches looks like a home run.

Whitfield is a former N.C. High School Athletic Association board member and
a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame.