Connor Carter repeats as City-Am champ

ASHEBORO — This time, there was no looking over his shoulder late in the final round of the Asheboro City-Am golf tournament.

There was no having to ride an incredible late-round streak to capture the individual title. There was no wondering what the rest of a very talented group of golfers were shooting.

For defending champion Connor Carter, that’s what happens when you play a very steady three rounds of golf.

Carter, a 2023 graduate of Eastern Randolph High School who just completed his junior year at Catawba, cruised to the 2026 City-Am championship in the tournament played at the Asheboro Country Club, the Asheboro Municipal Golf Course and at Pinewood Country Club. 

Carter finished the three-day event with an 11-under-par 202 to best second-place finisher JD Bass, who finished with a 4-under-par 209.

Carter was steady throughout the three days, taking a four-shot lead into the final round at Pinewood, where he works on the Maintenance team, and despite a few thoughts creeping into the back of his mind concerning Bass, who won three straight titles from 2021-2023, Carter really had nothing to worry about.

“Patience,” is what Carter said he learned as he prepared to defend his title. “Patience in learning, getting over the hump last year. Last year, I was saying I just wanted my name on (the trophy) once and I saw it was on it and it was like, now go out and get another. I think a lot of people had belief in me. For me, personally, my game is in a really good place.”

Carter, who was ranked 150th among all Division II golfers this past collegiate season, finished with one eagle, 13 birdies, 36 pars and just four bogeys in the 54-hole event.

“It feels great, it’s an honor,” Carter said of winning the title for a second straight time. “Chuck Welch, the tournament is for his dad (Steve) and it’s an honor to represent the great people who are on the Board who work hard and how everyone comes together. I’m honored to be the champion.”

Carter, who won the Shootout on Thursday, may have broken a “curse” when he became first player to win the Shootout and the tournament in the same season.

“I got out there at the country club and the first thing my dad told me … At the Shootout, everyone is so happy and there are a lot of familiar faces and everyone is having a good time and that first round he comes up and says ‘Good luck winning this week,’ ” Carter said. “Talk was no one had ever won the Shootout and the tournament in the same year. I’m playing at the country club and the very second hole got me.”

Carter bogeyed his second hole, but finished with an impressive 3-under-par 68.

“Shoutout to the Asheboro Country Club,” Carter said. “They have worked hard and the conditions were great.”

At Asheboro Municipal, he was cruising at 7-under-par for the round and 10-under for the tournament when he bogeyed holes number 17 and 18.

“I had confidence and faith I could play well at Pinewood,” said Carter, who spent three years as a cart boy there before joining the maintenance crew. “Getting on the first tee, I don’t think there were a lot of nerves.”

There may have been when Carter saw Bass, who was playing in the group in front of Carter’s, birdie the first hole at Pinewood. Bass entered the day eight strokes behind Carter for the lead.

“For me, just make birdies and I had plenty of opportunities,” Bass said. “I did that on the front nine. I shot five-under. But I bogeyed 10, 11 and 12 and any glimmer of hope, that pretty much did it in.”

Carter said he began to feel relaxed with about four holes to go.

“I knew I had to play golf,” he said of his final round. “I didn’t necessarily think I had it won. I didn’t have that mindset. I was going to go out and play safe and if he shot nine-under or 10-under, I’d shake his hand. Then he had those three straight bogeys and I knew I could win it.”

Stephen Spencer finished third in the Championship Flight with a 211, with Rob Elliott, who won the Tony Concutelli Award for the lowest score by a player 55 or older, was fourth with a 213. Kirby Moffitt placed fifth with a 215. The top 10 and qualifying for next year’s Shootout also included Jacob Clodfelter (216), Koby Markham (216), Glendon Mabe (220), Steve Kidd (222) and Pearson Parks (223).

“Personally, it’s a mixed bag, a lot of really good and a lot of really bad,” Bass said of the weekend. “The courses were all in great shape, but I’d three-putt or hit into some bad spots. I’d get some momentum and then give it all back. One step forward and two back.”

Austin Rickard won the First Flight (232), Marc Williams the Second Flight (244), Lane Dalke the third Flight (256) and Chas Welch was the Fourth Flight winner with a 275. Charlie Parks carded a 217 to win the Super Seniors by 16 strokes.