SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (January 15, 2021) -- North Carolina is home to some of the most talented junior golfers in the country, but only one girl and one boy can be named the North Carolina Junior Players of the Year by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA) and Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).
Kiera Bartholomew of Wake Forest, N.C., and Tyler DeChellis of Clayton, N.C., have earned that honor for 2020, based on outstanding performances at the local, regional and national levels.
Kiera Bartholomew (left) and Tyler DeChellis earned North Carolina Junior Player of the Year honors for 2020.
(Photo Courtesy of Carolinas Golf Association)
Bartholomew is a 16-year-old sophomore at North Raleigh Christian Academy. She moved to North Carolina from New Jersey this year and took junior girls’ golf by storm. Bartholomew finished in the top five in 12 events since June. She earned runner-up honors in six of those events, including the Taylormade TP5 Junior All-Star, PKBGT Tour Championship, the Coastal Carolina Classic, the North Carolina Series at Bermuda Run Country Club and Country Club of Whispering Pines, and the Winternational Series Event No. 3.
Upon learning of her selection, Bartholomew said, “It is an honor to be recognized by the CGA and TYGA as the player of the year. I was really excited to play in CGA tournaments since moving to North Carolina. There are so many talented players that make the tournaments really competitive and fun.”
“I feel truly blessed and thankful that God gave me the opportunity to play on such a great tour. I look forward to competing again this year with all of the other golfers at great courses chosen by the CGA.”
Bartholomew finished the season with a 74.6 scoring average.
Tyler DeChellis, an 18-year-old senior at Clayton High School, had a successful year, claiming third at the TYGA Coastal Plains Junior and Carolinas-Georgia Junior, tying for fourth at the Hope Valley Junior, finishing in fifth at the Carolinas Junior Boys’ and tying for sixth at the Creed Boys’ and Dogwood State Junior.
DeChellis finished in the top 10 at five of the nine CGA and TYGA events he played in 2020. The future East Carolina University Pirate, as of his commitment in November, had an outstanding tournament scoring average of 71.84 this year.
“It means a lot to me to be the North Carolina Junior Player of the Year and it wouldn’t be possible without the CGA and TYGA as well as my mom, dad and family,” DeChellis said. “I remember thinking how impossible it would be to be ranked inside the top 30. Now to win this award is pretty crazy.
“I was disappointed to not win a tournament this year, but this definitely makes up for it. I’ve had a lot of fun over the years playing in junior tournaments with my friends, but I can’t wait for the future.”
The Player of the Year awards were determined by a combination of each player’s tournament scoring differential and the total points earned in the TYGA North Carolina Junior Rankings from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Player of the Year honors are available to juniors who have not yet started college.