Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

It’s officially summer here in CLT, which means a week straight of 90+ degree weather and golf tournaments taking place left and right! We’re scrambling to keep up with all of the action in this week’s 2DP - we’ve got U.S. Open qualifying news, CGA tournament updates, and another big win from Charlotte’s hottest four-ball team. Plus, we had a big celebrity sighting in town last week, as one of golf’s biggest names paid us a visit. No, I’m not talking about the DOD King being spotted at Charles T. Myers recently, though that did happen too…

Catch up on all the action in our latest newsletter, and if you’re enjoying what we’re doing here at 2DP, forward this email to a friend!

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Amateur Jackson Ormond, a recent high school graduate and University of Florida commit, shared medalist honors with Korn Ferry Tour player Carl Yuan at U.S. Open Final Qualifying earlier this week at Gaston Country Club. Finishing closely behind the lead duo were Pinehurst’s Jackson Van Paris and former college standouts Cole Hammer (Texas) and Brandon Wu (Stanford).

JVP: Van Paris, a Vanderbilt golf alum and 2-time CGA champion, was the story of the day from a local perspective. He capped off 36 holes of bogey-free golf with a clutch birdie putt on his final hole to finish at -11, locking up 1 of the 5 qualifying spots on offer.

Despite all of his accolades and success at every level of the game, there is nothing more impressive on Van Paris’s resume than holding the course record at the Cradle in Pinehurst - 18!

Low: There were a LOT of birdies at GCC on Monday, which is not terribly surprising given the relatively short setup (~6,900 yards), warm weather, and perfect greens. Hammer shot the round of the day with a 62, and veteran Bill Haas was near the top of the board early after a morning 63.

Close, but no cigar: A few interesting names fell just short of making their way into next weekend’s field. Fan favorite Harry Higgs narrowly missed out and secured the title of the first alternate, while 2025 U.S. Amateur semifinalist and UNC golfer Niall Shiels Donegan finished 3 shots shy at -8.

Motley: This crew of qualifiers is a true example of what makes the U.S. Open great. You have young players on the rise, journeyman looking for a break, and former college stars who have hit some unexpected rough patches. Each of these players is hoping that a week at Shinnecock Hills will propel them into the next phase of their careers. Excited to track this little nucleus next week - should be a fun case study.

Final leaderboard: View full scoring

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:

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

COURSES

CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz was in town last week to help celebrate the opening of “The Nantz” course at Pine Lake Country Club. Nantz, who was born in Charlotte and whose parents were founding members of PLCC, emceed the grand opening event during which a crew of junior golfers were the first to play the new routing.

During the grand opening, Nantz commentated over a loudspeaker as junior players took on a few of the par 3 holes. The event raised $100K for the First Tee - Greater Charlotte and saw 4th-grader Christopher O’Connell make the course’s first ace!

The course itself is a par 3 layout built into the existing Pine Lake routing (think El Camino at Tobacco Road for those familiar), with discrete tee locations marked in the fairways. Perfect for juniors, families, or bonus golf at the end of the day, the Nantz is a fun, creative, and cost-effective way for the club to provide members more value within the footprint of the existing facility. Bravo to all involved for what looked like an awesome event!

STORIES TO TRACK

ECU Team Secures Narrow Victory at Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball: Rising seniors Nicole Nash and Ella Stalvey birdied the 18th to shoot a final round 65 on Wednesday at Forest Oaks Country Club. This clutch finish was enough to lift them to a 1-shot victory over Charlotte’s Connor Macon, who won the 2025 Carolinas Women’s Mid-Am, and Colleen Shepard, who finished runner-up in this event last year with partner Emilia Doran. View full scoring.

Varol, Register Repeat at The Devlin: The Charlotte duo of John Varol and Will Register defended their title at The Devlin, an annual Mid-Am invitational event held at Secession Golf Club. The team shot -20 for 54 holes in a unique format that includes 2 rounds of best-ball and 1 round of combined score, ultimately prevailing on the second playoff hole over Josh Fickes and John Hunter. View full scoring.

-3 Gets Through U.S. Am Locals at Mid Pines: I’m a sucker for anything Mid Pines and love that this qualifier has become an annual tradition! Scores were very good earlier this week in Southern Pines, with 13 players advancing at 69 (-3) or better. Gareth Steyn and Davis DeLille were co-medalists at 66 (-6). View full scoring.

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