COLUMBIA, SC (June 25, 2021) – The South Carolina Junior Golf Association will host the 70th Grant Bennett Junior Invitational, presented by Advantage Health and Wellness at Florence Country Club, June 28-30, 2021. Starting Monday, 110 players will compete for the 2021 Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational title.
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Headlining the list of notable players in the field is 63rd SCGA Junior Champion, Rowan Sullivan of Charleston. Coming off a victory, Sullivan will look to continue his success and add to his trophy case this week in Florence.
Drew Harrill of Spartanburg earned the title of the 2020 Grant Bennett Junior Invitational and returns to the 2021 field to defend his title.
Joining the list of accomplished junior golfers in the field is local favorite, Gene Zeigler of Florence. Taking home the SCJGA Players Championship in November, as well as the Southern Cross Invitational, Zeigler will look to utilize his home course knowledge to use to his advantage this week at Florence Country Club.
Another local favorite, Pake June of Florence, took the Grant Bennett Junior Invitational title in 2019. June also returns to the 2021 field in hopes of regaining the title.
Two additional players that recently made their marks on junior golf throughout the state are runner-up at the SCGA Junior Championship, Luke Sullivan of Columbia, and 2020 Jimmy Self Invitational champion, Major Lenning of Simpsonville. Sullivan and Lenning look to continue their stellar play throughout the Grant Bennett.
The Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational is the longest running junior golf tournament in South Carolina. Formerly known as the Florence Junior, the tournament was renamed after the famed Grant Bennett back in 2013. Bennett started the Florence Junior in 1952 after his inaugural year as both Head Professional and Course Superintendent in 1951. Bennett coached his high school golf teams to 11 straight state titles, had one of his pupils win the US Junior Championship (Buddy Baker), helped host the 1963 US Junior Championship at Florence Country Club, was co-founder of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association and was a member of multiple Halls of Fame.
