RALEIGH - Carter Jenkins fired a pair of 69s Sunday to win the Rex Hospital Open Junior Invitational and a chance to play with the pros at this week's Nationwide Tour event in Raleigh.
Jenkins, a Leesville Road High School sophomore, finished with a 4-under 138 for a three-stroke victory over last year's winner and high school teammate, Grayson Murray. Jenkins and Murray were the only players in the field to shoot below par Sunday at TPC Wakefield, site of the Rex Hospital Open.
Murray, who plans to play golf at Wake Forest after he graduates high school next year, made history at the 2010 Rex Hospital Open by becoming the second-youngest player ever to make the cut at a Nationwide Tour event. Jenkins was in Murray's gallery last year.
With three bogeys and seven birdies, Sunday marked just the second time Jenkins has shot two straight rounds below 70. The first time happened a week ago when he won the Tarheel Junior Golf Tour Junior Memorial at Pinehurst with a 7-under 135, holding off another Leesville Road teammate, Zach Seabolt, by four strokes. Jenkins, Murray and Seabolt all helped Leesville Road to the NCHSAA 4-A golf championship last month.
With Jenkins' victory Sunday, he earned a chance to tee it up with the likes of Mathew Goggin and Steve Wheatcroft, who sit atop the Nationwide Tour money list this week. Also in the 158-man field are 2010 Rex Hospital Open champion John Riegger and Raleigh favorites Tom Scherrer and Ty Tryon.
"Players love coming to a TPC course, especially here," Scherrer said during a recent news conference. "This is one of the premiere events on the Nationwide Tour."
Tryon, a former teen phenom who turned pro at 16 in 2001, played on the PGA Tour for a year before losing his status in his second season. Since then, he has bounced around on mini tours and the Nationwide Tour. The Rex Hospital Open will be hist first Nationwide event for 2011, playing under a restricted sponsor exemption.
"It's been kind a tough road for me on the PGA Tour," Tryon said. "I know the importance of the Nationwide Tour."
The Top 25 money winners at the end of the Nationwide season earn their PGA Tour card for the following year.
After three pro-ams, the first round starts Thursday.
J. Eric Eckard writes about all things golf on his second golfer blog. You also can follow him on Twitter.
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