Late Drama at the Carolinas Am

Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

I’m 2 cups of coffee and 1.5 hours of Open coverage deep as I type this intro! Scoring conditions are good this morning at Royal Portrush, as those in the early-late wave seem to be on the right side of the draw. Looks like it could be a wet weekend in Northern Ireland, but I have a feeling it won’t detract from the viewing experience in my dry living room.

This week’s headline comes from the Carolinas Am, where a tight contest between 2 Mid-Ams went down to the final hole. We also have news of more urban golf development in Charlotte - feels like we’re starting to manifest headlines here at 2DP…

Enjoy the coffee golf and today’s newsletter!

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Chandler Mulkey Birdies Final Hole to Secure 111th Carolinas Amateur

Two players separated from the field at last week’s Carolinas Amateur at Pinehurst No. 7. As the contenders arrived at the par 5 18th, which the CGA streamed live, South Carolina’s Chandler Mulkey and six-time CGA champion Davis Womble were tied at -13. Both players elected to lay up and approach the green with short wedge shots, but after Womble settled for a par (nearly chipping in from just off the green), Mulkey walked in his birdie putt to secure a 1-shot victory and punch his ticket to next month’s U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club.

Minor upset: Womble has done a lot of winning in the last few years, but Mulkey is no slouch. The long-time caddie at Kiawah Island won back-to-back SCGA Public Links Championships in 2023 and 2024 and finished top 10 in the 2024 SCGA Amateur.

Mid-Ams represent: Fun to see a couple players in their 30s squaring off in an event traditionally dominated by college stars. Mulkey is the oldest Carolinas Amateur champion since Scott Harvey in 2021.

Thoughts and prayers: It doesn’t seem like weather was too much of a factor at Pinehurst No. 7 outside of some wet conditions and the need for preferred lies, but that was not the case for all Pinehurst-area courses. Extensive flooding caused damage across Moore County, including to golf courses like Longleaf and Country Club of North Carolina. Thoughts and prayers by those effected by the storm.

Full scoring?: Hole-by-hole results here

LOCAL RECS

New Urban Driving Range Proposed in Charlotte’s Wesley Heights Neighborhood

RangeWorks, a new driving range concept catering to core golfers, submitted a rezoning proposal to the city earlier this year as it looks to open its debut location in Wesley Heights. The proposed site is a 1.5 acre parking lot just off West Morehead, offering easy access from I-77 and views of the Uptown skyline.

Despite the similarities (i.e. proposed double-decker range, outdoor concept with tall nets), the outfit is positioning itself as “not TopGolf,” emphasizing their focus on golf practice and improvement over food and beverage offerings.

Off-course competition: We’ve called for more and higher quality golf facilities closer to center-city Charlotte, and it seems like someone is listening! All of a sudden we have Tap In coming to LoSo and both Rangworks and X-Golf West Charlotte set to open in Wesley Heights. I’m intrigued to see how demand for these various models gets divided up across the competitors.

My two cents: I actually think foregoing the temptation to cater to the golf-curious and focus on creating a serious practice facility close to town makes a lot of sense, but I’m not 100% sold on this format just yet. The location and proposed facility both seem like they would require serious investment, which makes me wonder how long the owners will be able to be selective about their revenue streams.

STORIES TO TRACK

29 Advance to Charlotte City Am at July 15th Qualifier: The cut again fell at 74 (+3) at Pine Island Country Club, with 7 players shooting under par and Paul Fitzgerald earning medalist honors with a 65 (-6). The field is now set for the tournament’s first round, which will take place on August 22nd at Raintree Country Club.

• Full scoring: Use GGID EGA2HT

Amateurs Lead Entering Final Round of Carolinas Open: 4 non-pros sit atop the board after 2 days of competition at Cedarwood Country Club. Colin Salema, rising sophomore at Clemson, leads the way at -9 after making his first career hole-in-one earlier this week.

-3 Qualifies for U.S. Amateur at Eagle Point: 14 players secured spots in our national amateur championship on Monday with scores of 69 (-3) or better. Tennessee’s Jackson Herrington led the way at 65 (-7) after making back-to-back eagles on holes 6 and 7.

• Venues matter: Hard to imagine a better local and final qualifying path for the U.S. Amateur than that on offer in North Carolina this year. Mid Pines → Eagle Point is pretty strong - fingers crossed we can lock in this slate for the near future.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Our presenting sponsor, Twilight Golf Club, is hosting the 2025 Twilight Open on July 29th at Reynolds Park Golf Course in Winston-Salem! The festivities begin at ~5 PM, and registration includes food, drinks, and all the golf you can play until the sun goes down. Super unique event focused on building community and raising money for the First Tee - Central Carolina. Register here!

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