GREENWOOD, SC—The Links at Stoney Point played host to fifty-three of the best junior golfers the state of South Carolina has to offer on Saturday, as blue skies and brisk winds greeted the competitors and led to sporadic scoring. The par-72 layout did not yield many birdies on Saturday, as one player finished her round with a score of even-par or better.
Kennedy Gooding (Lexington) played her best golf on the back nine, carding three birdies and only a lone bogey on her way to a two-under par (34). Gooding fought back from a two-over par (38) on her front nine to finish at even-par (72), giving her a one-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round.
A host of experienced players who are no strangers to contending for titles currently sit one stroke behind Gooding’s lead at the halfway point. Thomas D. Todd All Stars Champion Emily Baker (Chapin), 5A State Champion Emily Anne Beiers (Lexington), Morgan Lucas Champion Sydney Roberts (Chesnee), and 3A State Champion Emma Schimpf (Daniel Island) each posted rounds of one-over par (73) on day one. Baker earned “shot of the day” honors when she made a hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth hole on Saturday morning.
Sunday’s final round is set to be an exciting finish with such a crowded leaderboard. An excellent weather forecast should make for exemplary scoring conditions. For the full leaderboard and the final round pairings, please follow the corresponding link below.
CHERAW,SC– Unseasonably warm temperatures and clear skies welcomed players for the first round of the 26th Annual Cheraw Fall Challenge. Zach Phillips (Inman) closed out his round in style with 3 birdies on his last four holes for an opening round of 3 under par. Phillips picking up right where he left off as champion of the Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic leads the boys division. In a close second is Griffin Tarver (Tega Cay) with an opening round of 70, 2 under par. The final round should be nothing short of exciting with Simon Wright (Lancaster), Andrew Swanson (Bluffton), Waymon Thomas (Mt. Pleasant) and Adam Hunt (Columbia) right on their heels at 1 under par.
Tee times begin at 8:30 AM off 1 and 10 at Cheraw State Park for Sunday’s final round. Follow the South Carolina Junior Golf Association on social media (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram) for live updates from the 26th Annual Fall Challenge.
