Parrott Holds on For Playoff Win

Greer, SC – A great afternoon of Junior Golf echoed just below the Blue Ridge Mountains at Willow Creek Golf Club Thursday at the 56th SCGA Junior Championship.  Jack Parrott of Columbia pulled out the victory in a sudden death playoff over Christian Salzer of Sumter to win the overall title of SC Junior Champion.  Trent Phillips of Inman, captured the Boys 13-14 Division – also in a sudden death playoff – over Harry Reynolds of Greenville.

It was an up and down day across the board at the SCGA Junior.  The afore mentioned Salzer played a spectacular game with nines of 33-33 for a bogey free total of six under 66 and three-day total of 210. He turned in his score card and watched.  Soon after there was a four–person tie between Salzer, first round leader Bryson Nimmer, Christian Baliker of Simpsonville and Parrott.  As this final group arrived on 17, it was anyone’s to win.  Parrott had a misstep and made double while par was made by both Nimmer and Baliker.  Coming into the final hole it felt like a three man race at this point.  However, Baliker made bogey, Nimmer tripped up with a double.  Parrott had a chip-in eagle to bring him back to six under and a tie at the end of regulation with Salzer.  In a sudden death playoff starting on hole 18, Parrott’s short game once again prevailed when he got up and down for birdie out of the greenside bunker.   When asked about the day, Parrott replied, “I’ve been playing really good golf but today was a struggle.  I made it to nine or 10 under but then made bogey-bogey-bogey and was struggling.  That eagle on 18 was just insane!”

The younger age bracket had a similar feel throughout the day with a three-man tie at four over par for multiple holes.  However the herd thinned out and as the dust settled, Harry Reynolds and regining 4A High School Champion Trent Phillips were tied at two over par 218.  Trent’s day was highlighted when he made four birdies in five holes after he made the turn.  As the two came into the 18th, Phillips made birdie to win the younger division.  “I knew I wouldn’t lose if I just made birdie,” he commented.  “I might tie, but not lose.”

In addition to the divisional and overall playoffs, there was a playoff for the final three places and first alternate for the Georgia-South Carolina Team Matches field of eight.  Tied at four under par 212 was Connor Bruns of Duncan, Jamie Wilson of Mt. Pleasant, Zach Bishop of Travelers Rest and Bryson Nimmer of Bluffton.  The playoff was conducted on the par four tenth hole.  Bruns, Wilson and Bishop all made par while Nimmer missed a six footer to make bogey and become the first alternate while the other will head to Georgia in July to take on the top eight finishers from the Georgia State Junior Championship.

The low eight scores of the tournament include Parrott, Salzer, Trace Crowe of Bluffton, Jordan Warnock of Roebuck, Balkier, Bruns, Wilson and Bishop who automatically qualify for the 39th Annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Team Matches.  They will be played July 25-26 at Ansley Golf Club – Settindown Creek in Roswell, Georgia. These coveted Matches are the longest running interstate matches in the country.  

Also, for the seventh consecutive year, The Heritage Classic Foundation was presenting sponsor of the South Carolina Junior Championship and continued their strong support of junior programs in SC.  The Heritage Classic Foundation is the general sponsor of the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing and The Players Amateur and has contributed over $27 million to local charities since its inception in 1986.  The Heritage Classic Foundation has a long history of supporting junior golf programs in SC. They have been the title sponsor of the South Carolina Junior Golf Association Rankings for the past 10 years.

Final Results