Fickes Takes Championship

Each player that took exit 51 off of I-20 came through the Charlie Rountree, Jr. Junior Golf Intersection on their way to the Country Club of Lexington.  Very fitting as the tournament trophy is also named for the “Father of Junior Golf” in South Carolina.  The 55th SCGA Junior Championship had  Josh Fickes holding the Charlie Rountree Trophy after finishing the 54 hole championship at six under par 210.

It was a breezy and brutally hot day in the midlands of the Sandlapper state with temperatures hitting the upper 90’s.  Fickes went into the day with a two shot lead over his nearest competitor.  By the time the final group made the turn, Justin Hood of St. Matthews had narrowed the margin to one after posting a two under 34 on the front nine.  Fickes then made bogey on the par four 10th and a double-bogey on the difficult par three 11th enabling Hood to take a one shot lead after he also bogeyed eleven.  

Fickes regained the lead on the par four 13th hole after making birdie and Hood posting a bogey and extended it to two after Hood posted bogey on the fourteenth.  Hood made up a stroke on 15 and then birdied the long par three 17th to pull even at five under par coming into 18.  Fickes knocked it to 10 feet and Hood even closer.  “I liked the angle and knew it would come down to putting this week,” Fickes commented.  He was absolutely right as he sank the birdie while Hood’s putt slid just under the hole.  That put Fickes at six under par and claimed him the title of the 2013 South Carolina Junior Championship.

It should be noted that Jamie Wilson of Mt. Pleasant followed up an opening round of two over 74 with rounds of 68-69 and finishing one back at five under 211.

The boys 13-14 bracket has Sumter’s Christan Salzer as Champion.  Salzer started the day with a five shot lead and the only younger player under par after 36 holes. A final round 75 through the tough blustery conditions still gave the young man a four stroke margin of victory over Harrison Corbin of Inman.

The low eight scores of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 38th Annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Team Matches.  Those players include Fickes, Hood, Wilson as well as Alex Handy, Zach McLain, Michael McKee, RJ Keur and Winn Taylor.  Taylor made the eighth and final spot after a two hole playoff.

For the sixth consecutive year The Heritage Classic Foundation has signed on as presenting sponsor of the South Carolina Junior Championship to continue 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 raised close to $25 million for charity 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