After surrendering his 18-hole lead with a rough second round, Hilton Head Island’s Daniel Azallion roared back to shoot 4-under-par 68 on Wednesday and claim a two-shot win at the 60th annual SCGA Junior Championship presented by the Heritage Classic Foundation.
Azallion led by three shots following an opening 7-under 65 on Monday, but a 75 on Tuesday left him three shots back entering the final round. He regained his first-round form Wednesday, making five birdies and one bogey on Dataw Island’s Cotton Dike Course to overtake 36-hole leader Trey Crenshaw of Lancaster and finish at 8-under for the tournament, two shots clear of Greenville’s Connor Fahey.
“It’s a huge deal when you go back and see who has won this event in the past,” Azallion told the SCGA. “To know the time I have put in, it’s a big accomplishment.”
Past champions include one-time FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas and 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, among other notable golfers.
The win earns Azallion, a Hilton Head Christian Academy standout who has committed to play at Virginia Tech, an invitation into the Sage Valley Junior Invitational, as well as a spot in the Georgia-South Carolina Team Matches, qualifying status for the Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational, and exemptions into The Blade Junior Classic, Beth Daniel Junior Azalea, and The Players Amateur.
“it’s a win that I have worked hard for,” Azallion said. “Coming from behind, two to three shots back, I feel comfortable. I know I can make a run at a title, and now confirming that with the trophy makes me believe it even more.”
Beaufort’s Jerry Runs tied for second in the 13-14 age group, shooting 8-over-par for 54 holes. The 13-year-old finished six shots behind Greenville’s Walker Jennings.