Welcome to the Two Down Press golf newsletter!

It’s happened again! Unfortunately, the seemingly small task of getting this newsletter out on time is more challenging than you might think. But hey, it’s Friday and you’ve got your 2DP - not too shabby.

We’ve got a full slate of local golf stories this week, including a notable performance from a Charlottean at last week’s North & South Amateur, a high-profile junior prospect in the mix at the Carolinas Am, and notes from a few prominent local courses. Without further ado, let’s get to the action!

THIS WEEK’S HEADLINE

Mary Miller, a rising junior at Ole Miss, won the 124th Women’s North & South Amateur last weekend in dramatic fashion, but the story of the week for Carolinas golfers came from runner-up Emilia Doran.

Doran, who was an All-American at Wake Forest before deciding to forego professional golf to pursue a career in broadcasting, does not play a ton of tournament golf these days. Her scheduled is packed with travel and work, as she is frequently on the road following the tours and covering the biggest events in the game for Golf Channel and NBC.

Despite her professional obligations, Doran still carves out time for competition and has had some strong showings in the last 18 months. In 2025, she made match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, and won the Donna Andrews Invitational, demonstrating her ability to show up at the biggest events despite her reduced practice time.

Doran finished as the medalist in the stroke play portion of the event to earn the #1 seed in match play. As her steady play continued through the match play portion, it started to seriously look like the 2022 North & South champion might do it again. But in the championship match, she found herself 5 down through 11 holes after some uncharacteristic play on the front 9 of Pinehurst No. 2.

Despite facing an uphill battle, Doran channeled a great mindset and was able to get back in the game.

“Because I was down, I almost felt freed up,” she said of her mentality on the back 9 of the championship match. “I wasn’t nervous because I had nothing to lose. I needed to stay aggressive and make birdies.”

Fast-forward to the 18th tee, and she was only 1 down with the opportunity to tie the match on the final hole. After a drive in the fairway and a great iron shot to a tucked pin, Doran buried a 5-foot, downhill slider to make birdie and force extra holes.

While a 3-putt on the 19th hole saw her fall just short, this was an incredibly impressive and memorable performance from one of our own! Competing against an elite college field as a Mid-Am is one thing, but doing it at the North & South Amatuer, one of the most prestigious events in the Carolinas, on a course like Pinehurst No. 2, is entirely another. Congratulations to Emilia on a great week of golf!

Relive it: The Pinehurst social team captured every shot of the championship match and published a master cut on their YouTube channel! Check it out here to experience the final match in full.

Full scoring: View final leaderboard and match play bracket

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.

TOURNAMENTS

Charlotte’s Aston Lee and VCU golfer Tanner Cadieux are tied atop the leaderboard entering the final round at the Governors Club. The leaders are off at 9:50 Friday morning as they look to capture one of the biggest amateur titles in our region.

Lee, a recent Charlotte Latin School graduate, will be the obvious rooting interest for most 2DP readers. Lee, who is committed to play golf next year at NC State, shot the joint-low round of the tournament in his second round, a 65 that included an eagle and 5 birdies. Both Lee and Cadieux sit at -10 through 3 rounds.

The leaderboard is tightly packed and there are some big names lurking, including Jackson Spires (-7) and defending champion Chandler Mulkey (-4). It’s anyone’s game today in Chapel Hill with 10 players within 3 shots of the lead!

Live scoring: Follow the action here

STORIES TO TRACK

Registration Opens for Rock Hill Invitational Four-Ball: Sign-ups are now live for one of the Charlotte-area’s premier amateur events of the fall season. The Rock Hill Invitational, which is hosted annually on the A.W. Tillinghast layout just over the border in South Carolina, will take place September 26th-27th. Entry fee is $700 per team.

Charlotte Country Club Unveils New Members-Only Logo: As the course prepares to open after its restoration by Andrew Green, CCC announced a new members-only logo to help celebrate the occasion.

Myers Park Preps Fairways for Upcoming Renovation: As I was cutting through the neighborhood the other day on my way to and from an errand, I found myself rubbernecking as I caught a glimpse of a strange hue through the trees along Colony Road! As Charlotte Country Club did last summer, MPCC has gone ahead and started the process of killing off their fairways ahead of their upcoming renovation project, leaving the course in a unique state of color contrast. “Dormant” fairways lined by bright green rough this time of year is a sight to see.

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