Golf notebook: LPGA honors Berkeley Hall's Dunton

LPGA honors Dunton

The LPGA Teaching and Club Professional membership has named Berkeley Hall's Krista Dunton as Southeast Teacher of the Year. The organization selected its annual section award winners for teachers, professionals and coaches of the year from five sections --Central, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Western.

Dunton is the director of golf instruction at Berkeley Hall. The former LPGA Futures Tour player was also named PGA Carolinas Section Teacher of the Year in 2006 and was listed by Golf Digest as a top teacher in South Carolina in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The Southeast Professional of the Year is Jane Broderick from PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach, Fla. The Southeast Coach of the Year is Kelley Hester from the University of Georgia in Athens.

Dunton and the other section winners will compete for the overall national award to be announced in the coming weeks.

Locals playing for PGA Tour cards

Beaufort's Mark Anderson isn't the only local golfer trying to earn a PGA Tour card. While Anderson hopes to make it through the first stage this week at Florence Country Club, two other locals will tee it up next week at a different qualifier site.

Hilton Head Island's Todd Barranger and Chris Epperson will try to make it through the first stage at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga. The qualifier runs Oct. 27-30.

Roughly the top 25 players plus ties in each tournament advance to the second stage of qualifying, to be played in November. Roughly the top 20 from the second stage advance to the final stage to be played in late November or early December.

The top 25 players plus ties in the final stage earn PGA Tour cards for the following year.

Vilcheck 3rd in NJGC event

Bluffton's Chandler Vilcheck finished third in the National Junior Golf Club event held over the weekend at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C. His first-round score of 73 put him in first place in the 16-19 age group after the first day but his 77 in the second round dropped him to third.

Stamey 41st in eGolf finale

Bluffton's Nathan Stamey earned a check for $2,150 by finishing in 41st place in the eGolf Professional Tour's season-ending Tour Championship over the weekend at Pine Needles and Mid Pines Resorts in Southern Pines, N.C.

Stamey shot a 208, finishing nine strokes behind winner Matt Davidson of Chapel Hill, N.C.

Golfweek honors local courses

Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island was ranked by Golfweek as the second-best golf course in South Carolina in its "Courses You Can Play" list. First place went to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club on Pawley's Island was third, Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach was fourth and Bluffton's May River Course at Palmetto Bluff was fifth.