The victorious South Carolina team
(SCGA Photo)

Team SC needed only two and a half points to win the matches following their substantial lead from the first day. Holden Grigg (Myrtle Beach, SC) couldn’t get the job done as he lost his match to Owen Burden (Atlanta, GA) 2&1. However, the matches were sealed shortly after the first match when the SC juniors tore off four consecutive wins. Walker Jones (Sumter, SC) defeated Beck Burnette (Blairsville, GA) 2Up and Rock Hill’s Zachary Reulad took down Suwanee’s Takafumi Shimoji 1Up. Jacob Bridgeman (Inman, SC) continued his hot play and won 5&4 over Matthew Giesler (Marietta, GA). Zack Gordon (Gaffney, SC) has also been playing well and showed some moxie making birdies on holes 11 thru 14, including a 22 foot putt on the par-3 14th hole to close his match early.

The Georgians put on a late charge with wins from Davis Kirk (Dalton, GA) and Grant Sutliff (Suwanee, GA) over Harry Renolds and Levi Moody, both of Greenville. It should be noted, this is Sutliff’s third time playing in these matches while still eligible for a fourth heading into 2018. The final match of 2017 witnessed Ryan Marter (Colmbia, SC) win his second match of the weekend, this time over Brandon Cho (Suwanee, GA) 2&1.

Upon piling up five more points on Saturday to go with six from the first round, team South Carolina claimed the win 11-5, their first since the 2009 matches at The Reserve Golf Club at Lake Keowee in Sunset, SC. The 2018 matches will be held at The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia. Those teams will be selected if they finish in the top eight at each state's Junior Championship.

Forty-two years ago, Pete Cox of the Georgia State Golf Association and Charles Rountree, Jr. of the South Carolina Golf Association formalized the idea of the GA - SC team matches. The winning team has their victory inscribed on the beautiful Rountree - Cox trophy that was donated by the Rountree family. Every junior golfer that has participated in the 42-year-old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates. The Georgia teams have produced 24 victories as compared to the now 14 for the SC teams and four ties. Last year’s event held at Idle Hour Golf Club in Macon, GA saw the Georgia squad make another comeback and even up the Sandlappers on the final day for the fourth consecutive tie when contested in the state of Georgia.

View results for SC-GA Junior Team Matches