Charleston, S.C. – With a final round full of excitement, the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea presented by Allstate – The Zack Kelly Agency would crown two new champions at the end of a battle in both the girls and boys division. A slight breeze would remain consistent throughout the day at the par-71 Country Club of Charleston, but players would not be bothered as red numbers would again flood the leaderboard.
Beginning the day tied for the lead with Gene Zeigler (Florence, SC), it would take Charlie Kennedy (Richmond, VA) no time to jump ahead after making the turn to the back nine. Kennedy carded a birdie on the par-four 10th hole and follow that with four additional birdies to fire a 31 on the incoming nine and take a two-shot lead over the field. A routine par on the 18th hole would crown Kennedy the 2020 champion. Zeigler fought hard on the back-nine hitting his approach shot to 15 feet on the final hole to sink a birdie putt and secure solo second place. Jackson Byrd (St. Simons Island, GA) and Charlie Barr (Salisbury, NC) would round out the top-three with a three-day total of nine under par.
A back-and-forth duel on the back-nine would be the feature of the girls division as Chloe Holder (Williamston, SC) and Isabella Rawl (Lexington, SC) put on a show. Coming into the 18th tied, it would look like Rawl would ensure the win after knocking her approach shot within inches. However, Holder drained a 20-foot birdie putt to force a sudden-death playoff. Back to the 18th tee the girls went, and a two-putt par is all Rawl would need to become the 2020 champion. Holding back tears, the win would cap off a hard fought summer for Rawl who struggled with injuries the past few months.
The Country Club of Charleston’s world-famous 6,776-yard layout was founded in 1900. The course has played host to many notable championships including the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur, each year’s Azalea Amateur, and the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea. Special thanks to Allstate – The Zack Kelly Agency and all sponsors, staff, and volunteers at the Country Club of Charleston.