SC Junior Golf Association’s major fund-raising event returns after 2-year hiatus

Like many operations that are emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, the South Carolina Junior Golf Association is hiring these days. But unlike companies striving to regain pre-pandemic levels, the SCJGA is expanding.

“We’re going to be very busy around here before long,” said Justin Fleming, the organization’s senior director.

That increase in activity is typical of the SCJGA, formed in 1990 and “on the grow” since. The brainchild of Happ Lathrop, now the S.C. Golf Association’s executive director emeritus, the focus on young golfers blossomed beyond expectation.

“After high school tournaments ended in May, the kids mostly put the clubs in the garage; they had very few places to play (competitively),” Lathrop remembered. “They’re going to develop only in competition, and that’s what we wanted to provide.”

The results have been strong. SCJGA “alumni” have won 49 PGA Tour tournaments, including three majors and two FedEx Cups, and three LPGA Tour tournaments. Achievements include four USGA championships, two NCAA individual champions and Clemson’s 2003 NCAA team championship team composed entirely of players who found their games in the SCJGA.

“Pretty amazing,” Lathrop said. “But the program is a lot more than those who became highly skilled players. Players who discovered golf in SCJGA programs found a game for a lifetime.”

Joe Quick, the S.C. Junior Golf Foundation’s director of development, notes the organization will surpass $1 million in scholarship dollars awarded to youth in the state this year. Funds are poured into developmental programs such as First Team and summer camp grants.

“The reach of impact is about 72,000 through various grants and programs,” Quick said. “During non-pandemic years, the foundation contributes more than $300,000 annually in grants and scholarships.”

Lathrop bought in Paul Rouillard to head the initial junior program and, he said, “We exceeded our five-year plan in three years.”

Chris Miller and now Fleming have followed in leading the initiative and this year’s addition — a developmental program called the Players Series — calls for more personnel.

“We had so many entries in our major tournaments that we were turning kids away, and we had to find a way for them to play,” Fleming said. “The Players Series is like the PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour in that players get the opportunity to develop their games in competition.”

Programs like these require finances, and a fund-raising idea that’s now called the Columbia Golf Ball emerged.

“We were talking about what we could do and (Charlie) Roundtree said, ‘Let’s have a party. Everybody likes a party,’ ” Lathrop recalled.

That’s what they did, and like the Junior Golf Association, the results have been impressive. After missing two years due to the pandemic restrictions, the 19th edition of the Columbia Golf Ball is scheduled for April 7 at the USC Alumni Center.

“We’re seeing guys who played in the junior events in the early days competing in (SCGA) events now,” said Biff Lathrop, who succeeded his dad as executive director.

“Guys like Dustin (Johnson), Lucas (Glover), Jonathan (Byrd), Kevin (Kisner) and the others succeed at the highest level. But you have others playing in our tournaments and still more just playing on weekends. That’s the impact in large part of the SCJGA.”

At least one national publication agrees: Golf Digest once named the South Carolina junior program the nation’s best, and, judging from growth and the demand for participation, nothing has changed.

For ticket and sponsorship information at the Columbia Golf Ball, call the SCGA at 803-732-9311

SCJGA ‘alumni’ superlatives

Achievements of players who developed their games in the South Carolina Junior Golf Association program, which formed in 1990:

▪ PGA Tour Tournament Wins (49): Dustin Johnson 24, Bill Haas 6, Jonathan Byrd 5, Lucas Glover 4, Kevin Kisner 4, D.J. Trahan 2, Scott Brown 1, Wesley Bryan 1, Tommy Gainey 1, Ben Martin 1.

▪ LPGA Tour Tournament Wins (3): Austin Ernst 3

▪ FedEx Cup Champions (2): Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson

▪ Men’s Major Professional Championships (3): Dustin Johnson 2 (U.S. Open, Masters), Lucas Glover (U.S. Open)

▪ U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion (1): Jensen Castle

▪ U.S. Public Links Champions (2): Corbin Mills, D.J. Trahan

▪ U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Champion (1): Todd White (with partner Nathan Smith)

▪ NCAA Individual Champions (2): Charles Warren (men), Austin Ernst (women)

▪ NCAA Team Champion (1): Clemson 2003 (with all players SCJGA alumni)

▪ U.S. Walker Cup Team Members (7): Jonathan Byrd, Lucas Glover, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson, Matt Hendrix, D.J. Trahan, Todd White

▪ U.S. Curtis Cup Team Members (3): Jensen Castle, Austin Ernst, Lauren Stephenson

Chip shots

All-American Ryan Hall earned the individual title and South Carolina’s men captured the team championship at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate at Aiken’s Palmetto GC. Jack Wall placed second and Rafe Reynolds tied for fourth for the Gamecocks, who won their second tourney of the season. . . . Colby Patton and Zack Gordon shared first place in individual competition, leading Clemson’s men to a 16-stroke victory in the Wake Forest Invitational at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The Tigers led wire to wire in presenting first-year head coach Jordan Byrd his first tourney win. . . . Zach Herold (Lexington) combined with Sam Jackson (West Columbia) to win the SCGA’s Partners Championship at the Windermere Club and Spring Valley CC. . . . Ben James (Milford, Connecticut) won the boys’ title and Katie Cranston (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) earned the girls’ championship in the Dustin Johnson world Junior Golf tourney at the TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet. . . . The Georgia team defeated the South Carolina squad 33-25 in the Peach-Palmetto women’s team matches at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms.