Women's Golf Adds Highly-Ranked and Talented Tavia Burgess

MOREHEAD, Ky.-- The 130th-ranked junior golfer in the United States, Tavia Burgess, has signed to continue her golf career and broaden her education at Morehead State.

Burgess is currently a senior at Granite Bay High School in Northern California. The Mather, Calif., native is ranked 130^th in the country by the Junior Golf Scoreboard and ranked 15^th in the 2024 class for California. 

"Tavia Burgess is an impressive student-athlete with a well-rounded game," said head coach Stephanie Barker. "Her ball-striking and proximity to the hole is at an elite level, she knows how to be creative around the green, and she is a true competitor.  I believe Tavia has the opportunity to set records and help our program to even greater heights.  Most impressively, Tavia is a tremendous person with the type of values we admire.  I am honored to be Tavia's college coach and thrilled she will be an integral part of our Eagle family." 

Burgess has been a highly accomplished junior golfer for quite some time, earning multiple titles, runners-up and top-ten finishes throughout the state of California. She is an active participant in local, regional and national events including tournaments hosted by the SCPGA Toyota Tour, the San Diego Junior Golf Association, the Northern California Junior Golf Association, the First Tee, IMG, Kathy Whitworth, and the Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Bell. She helped GBHS win the Northern California Regional this year and will be attempting to help her team win its second straight state title.

In 2022, Burgess won the Peggy Dodds Sacramento City Championship with scores of 75-76, placed second in the California State Championship Qualifier and placed seventh in the First Tee National Championship at Notre Dame with scores of 76-69-78. Burgess was selected to compete in the Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Bell Invitational against top collegiate and junior players where she placed in the top 25 with scores of 75-74-72. She was also instrumental in helping Granite Bay win the 2021-22 California State High School Championship with a score of 72.

For the 2023 season, Burgess qualified for the SCPGA Toyota Tour where she routinely competes against the top junior players in the state.  So far, she has notched two top-ten finishes on the Toyota Tour.  Burgess placed second in the stroke play portion of the 73^rd CA Junior Girls Championship with scores of 74-73 and went on to be a quarter-finalist in match play. She qualified for the 2023 IMG Junior World Championship with a score of one under (71), and was also invited to the prestigious Kathy Whitworth Invitational in Texas.  As a member of the First Tee, she was also selected to compete in the Pure Insurance Championship at Spyglass and Pebble Beach.  

Her lowest competitive round this year is a four-under 68 on the San Diego Junior Tour where she placed second overall.  Most recently, she has advanced as a finalist to the Northern California Regional Championship with a score of 69.