SCGA Junior Championship - Final Results

Lexington, SC - Hard rains all day Wednesday forced the 43rd Annual SCGA Junior Championship to be shortened to a 36 hole event. The second and final round was played without the usual cut, as 170 players teed it up.

Joel McAlhaney of Aiken burst to the top of the leaderboard early. With a 73 in the first round, and going off in one of the first groups of the afternoon, McAlhaney went almost unnoticed as he posted a bogey free round of four under par 68. After he posted his score, he changed into his sandals and checked the leaderboard only occasionally.

As the first round leaders dropped back, he hung around the clubhouse waiting for the others to finish. On the course, Kevin Kisner of Aiken made birdie on 7 (his 17th hole) to move into a tie. Meanwhile, first round leader Adam Hart of Blythewood, made consecutive birdies on 15 and 16 to get within two strokes. A bogey at eight and a putt that "lipped out" at 9 left Kisner one stroke behind at the end. Pars by Hart on his final two holes left him in third, two strokes out.

McAlhaney had stated earlier in the day,"My goal coming here was just to finish in the top 8 to make the SC-GA team matches." The Aiken native not only accomplished that goal, but he exceded his own expectations by taking home the championship trophy.

Kellen Altman of Myrtle Beach, one stroke out of the lead at the start of the day, could only manage a  75. He wound up tied for fourth with Tanner Ervin of Mt. Pleasant who finished with a 71. The top eight players will represent the South Carolina Team which this year hosts the Annual South Carolina-Georgia Junior Team Matches. The matches will be held at the Palmetto Club in Aiken on July 20-21.  Other making the team include: Wesley Carter (N. Augusta), Nicky Biershenk (Boling Springs), Zach Martin (Pickens), and Colin Floyd (Loris).

A playoff decided the champion in the 14-15 age division. After 18 holes of competition Brad Satterfield of Spartanburg and Phillip Mollica of Anderson were tied at 150. Both golfers shot a first round 73 followed with a second round 77. However, it was Satterfield who was victorious with his par on the 3rd playoff hole.

In the 12-13 age division, Allen Koon of Bamberg ran away with championship honors while scoring a second round 71. His two day total of 147 was nine strokes better than his nearest competitors.

The event just completed it's 28th year at Lexington and is conducted by the South Carolina Golf Association. Yardage for the 14-17 year olds was 6572 and 6036 for the 12-13 year old bracket. Full results are as follows: