Fort Mill golfer Carter Smith sits tied for fourth place heading into Thursday’s final round of the 68th SCGA Junior Championship Presented by the Heritage Classic Foundation, with the championship’s concluding 18 holes set to begin at 8 a.m. at the Country Club of Spartanburg.
Smith posted rounds of 73 and 68 for a two day total of 141, sitting one under par and three shots behind tournament leader Erik Erlenkeuser of Anderson, who leads at seven under par after rounds of 69 and 66.
The championship, hosted in Spartanburg on Wednesday, June 17, drew competitors from across South Carolina in one of the most prestigious junior golf events in the state. Players from Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Lancaster, Clover, and Indian Land are all positioned to compete when the field completes play Thursday morning.
Lancaster’s Steele Posts One Of The Field’s Best Opening Rounds
Lancaster’s Banks Steele enters the final round tied for ninth at two over par with a two day total of 144. Steele opened with a 67, one of the lowest first round scores in the entire field, before a second round 77 brought his 36 hole total to 144. His opening round placed him among the sharpest starters in the championship.
Rock Hill’s Douglas McMaster also sits tied for ninth at two over par after posting rounds of 71 and 73 for a matching 144 total. McMaster, a class of 2027 player, was consistent across both days and enters Thursday within striking distance of the top of the leaderboard.
Clover And Fort Mill Players Find Their Footing
Clover’s Kyle Leary is tied for 16th at three over par, having opened with a 76 before bouncing back with a second round 69, one of the stronger scores posted on day two.
Connor Mills of Fort Mill sits tied for 27th at five over par with rounds of 75 and 72. Oliver Lapointe, also of Fort Mill, is tied for 49th at nine over par after rounds of 74 and 77.
Three additional Fort Mill players completed 36 holes and will tee off in Thursday’s final round. Baker Tolentino and Ethan Rand are tied for 62nd at 11 over par. Tolentino posted rounds of 77 and 76, while Rand shot 74 in round one and 79 in round two. Indian Land’s Julius Lorimer is also at 11 over par after rounds of 77 and 76.
Among those who did not advance through the full field were Fort Mill’s Walker Highfield and Morgan Bayko, along with Indian Land’s Hudson Noll and Rock Hill’s Griffin Golightly.
The final round of the 68th SCGA Junior Championship begins Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Country Club of Spartanburg.
