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Azallion Back to Defend Anderson Boys' Title
The 10th Jimmy Anderson Boys' Invitational kicks off the 2018 Carolinas Golf Association’s boys’ championship season at Jacksonville Country Club in Jacksonville, N.C. on April 14-15.
Related: Invitational Home Site | Starting Times | Scoring
This year marks the tenth time the tournament has been hosted by Jacksonville Country Club. Eight past champions have gone on to play Division I college golf including two-time champion Andrew Decker (N.C. State); Connor Lewis (Radford); Thomas Walsh (Virginia); Patrick Cover (UNC-Wilmington) and Christian Salzer (N.C. State). 2017 champion Danny Azallion has verbally committed to play at Virginia Tech.
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Defending champion Danny Azallion of Hilton Head Island, S.C. (SCJGA photo) |
This annual junior tournament was started by the alumni of the Jacksonville Country Club junior golf program in 2009 to honor their longtime teacher and friend Mr. Jimmy Anderson. Jimmy Anderson was the head golf professional at Jacksonville Country Club for over 25 years. Each Saturday morning, he conducted a junior golf clinic to help spread the game of golf to the next generation. During his tenure at Jacksonville CC, he taught many juniors including Mallory Miller, the 1987 N.C. Junior Champion and numerous future collegiate and golf professionals. Not only did he teach the game of golf, but was always there with a helpful word of encouragement to any young golfer. The tournament began as a boys and girls tournament, but due to the success of the event, the girls have been given their own tournament that is conducted each fall in October.
The Jimmy Anderson Boys' Invitational is a 36-hole stroke play competition. Entry is open to any male amateur golfer 13 to 18 years of age of April 15, 2018, who is a legal resident of NC or SC, who has not started college (class of 2018 and higher) and who has current USGA handicap of 15.0 or lower.
Here are players to watch at this year’s Jimmy Anderson Boys’ Invitational:
Danny Azallion of Hilton Head Island, S.C. Azallion, a high school junior, won the 2017 Anderson Boys' Invitational along with the SCJGA Jimmy Self Invitational and the Harvey Brock Orange Jacket. Azallion is ranked #13 in S.C. and has verbally committed to play college golf at Virginia Tech.
Chris Kim of Cary, N.C. Kim, a high school junior, finished as the runner-up in the 2017 Anderson Boys' Invitational. Kim also finished fourth in the Keith Hill High School Kickoff, tied for tenth in the Joe Cheves Junior Invitational and was medalist in the NC 4A Mid-East regional. Kim is ranked #7 in NC.
Holden Grigg of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Grigg, a high school junior, won the SC 4A Independent High School Championship in 2017 and the CPGA Junior Championship along with finishing third in the CPGA Charles Tilghman Junior. Grigg is ranked #8 on the SCJGA rankings.
Brandon Einstein of Clemmons, N.C. In March, Einstein won the TYGA Archdale-Trinity Chamber Junior and the Keith Hills High School Kickoff and tied for second in the Palmetto High School Championship. The high school junior has committed to play college golf at High Point University and is ranked #11 in NC.
Garrett Cooper of Cowpens, S.C. Cooper, a high school junior, reached the quarter-finals of the 2017 SC Junior Match Play, finished third in the SCJGA Player's Championship, fourth in the Phil Wallace Junior, sixth in the Carolinas Junior Boys' and in ninth place in the CPGA Charles Tilghman Junior. Cooper is ranked #10 on the SCJGA boys' rankings.
Jack Massei of Cary, N.C. Massei, a high school senior, was the 2015 NC Junior Champion and was the medalist in last summer's US Junior Amateur qualifier. Massei finished in third place in the 2017 Anderson Boys' Invitational. Massei will begin his college golf career at East Carolina this August and is ranked #14 in NC.
Grayson Wotnosky of Wake Forest, N.C. Wotnosky, a home schooled sophomore, won the 2017 Donald Ross Junior at Pinehurst CC, finished second in the SCJGA Sea Pines Junior Heritage and the TYGA Bojangles Junior Open and in fifth place in the Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship. Wotnosky is ranked #28 on the NC boys' rankings.
Keegan Vaugh of Myrtle Beach, S.C. A high school sophomore, Vaugh reached the quarter-finals in the 2017 SC Junior Match Play Championship, tied for third place in the Myrtle Beach Junior and tied for fifth in the Patriot Wescott Plantation High School tournament. Vaugh is ranked #23 on the April SC boys' rankings.
Pierce Robinson of Kings Mountain, N.C. Robinson, a high school junior who is ranked #15 in NC, won the 2017 TYGA Bojangles Junior Open and the 2017 TYGA Tournament of Champions. Robinson also finished second in the Carmel Junior, third in the Fazio Junior Masters, third in the Metro Junior and the Henry Transou Junior.