Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

We’re doing what we do best in this week’s newsletter - covering local golf tournament storylines at both ends of the competitive spectrum! From club championships to national titles, we’ve got you covered in today’s 2DP as tournament season continues to creep toward a close. Catch up on the latest action below and have a fantastic Labor Day weekend.

PRESENTED BY

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

City Am Contenders Win Club Championships at Raintree, Pine Lake

Matt Kilgo (Raintree) hits his opening tee shot during the final round of the 2026 Charlotte City Amateur

Matt Kilgo and Charlie May, both of whom finished top 15 at the recent Charlotte City Amateur, won their respective club championships at Raintree and Pine Lake this past weekend.

At Raintree, Kilgo entered the final round tied at -5 with City Am runner-up Scott Hamel and Paul Fitzgerald, who partnered with Hamel at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball earlier this year. During Sunday’s final round, the 2018 North Carolina Mid-Amateur champion pulled away from the pack by making 7 birdies in route to a closing 67 (-5) on RCC’s North Course. Kilgo finished at -10, 2 shots clear of Hamel and 3 shots ahead of Jason Zawtocki. View the final leaderboard on Golf Genius (GGID 2026RMCC, mobile app only).

Charlie May during the first round of the 2026 Charlotte City Amateur at Pine Lake Country Club

There was drama all the way to the finish line at Pine Lake Country Club, as Charlie May nipped Mark Donaldson with a walk-off birdie on the 18th. May entered the day trailing Donaldson by 1 shot but played his final 7 holes in -3 to close with 69 (-2). The 2 contenders arrived at 18 tied and both hit their approach shots into the front greenside bunker. After Donaldson played first and hit his bunker shot close to a front-left pin, May holed out for birdie to snatch the trophy in heroic fashion.

As it did in the recent City Am, the course at Pine Lake played very tough and suppressed scoring despite its modest length. May finished at +1 for 54 holes, meaning no players finished under par. The final leaderboard can be found here (GGID ZKX6Z6).

PRESENTED BY TWILIGHT GOLF CLUB

TGC is a CGA member club that supports equitable access to golf in North Carolina. With an active chapter in Charlotte, it’s a great way to meet other passionate golfers in town and play some competitive golf in a casual setting. Annual dues are $60 per year giving members access to:

A members-only Slack channel.
GHIN Handicap hosting under Twilight Golf Club, a $35 value.
Participation in Twilight Summer League, a season-long event consisting of a series 9-hole matches at courses across the city.
Access to Twilight Golf Club events hosted at great courses across the state, including the annual Club Championship for all chapters (includes Triad and Raleigh chapters).

Want to get involved? Visit the website for more details.

TOURNAMENTS

Local Storylines Abound at Recent USGA Events

Photo Credit: USGA, U.S. Senior Amateur finalists Todd White and Mike Sposa, both of Spartanburg, South Carolina

We’re always crossing our fingers for local storylines at national events and boy did we get our wish this week! 2 USGA championships concluded on Thursday and featured Carolinas contenders all the way to the late stages.

At the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Charlotte’s Emilia Doran shared medalist honors and seemed unbeatable until her semifinal match. After decisive match play wins with final scores of 7&6, 6&4, 3&1, and 7&6, the former Wake Forest star’s run came to an end after a back-and-forward match against eventual runner-up Catherine McEvoy. Doran backed up a quarterfinal appearance in this event last year with another strong showing and seems destined to win this event in the near future. View full scoring.

The U.S. Senior Amatuer final was an all-Spartanburg affair, with decorated players Mike Sposa and Todd White squaring off in the final. This was the second consecutive year these players have met in match play at the Senior Am, with Sposa eliminating White in the round of 64 in 2025.

White won the opening hole of the championship match, but Sposa took the next 2 to grab a lead he would never relinquish. He won the final match 3&2, earning a spot in this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur and next year’s U.S. Senior Open for his performance. View full scoring.

Ick: I’ve just been informed by the latest episode of The Shotgun Start that Mike Sposa made almost $2MM on the PGA TOUR before regaining his amateur status in 2025. Not a great look, but based on Colt Knost’s recent post, it sounds like the USGA is in process of cracking down on these questionable reinstatements.

HOUSEKEEPING

No newsletter next week! My brother is getting married, so I’ll be swapping newsletter writing for rehearsal dinner toast preparation. We’ll be back the week of 9/14 with more local golf news and notes - until then, hit ‘em straight.

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