Ward Harris leads Round 1 of the Southern Junior at Baton Rouge Country Club.

BATON ROUGE (June 14, 2023) – Round One results of the 51st Southern Junior Championship of the Southern Golf Association hosted by the Baton Rouge Country Club, Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 (7043 yards, par 36-36–72, 72.8/139).
 
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Ward Harris of Vestavia Hills, Alabama fired a four-under 68 to secure the top of the leaderboard. He holds a one-stroke lead over his nearest competition. Harris made five birdies.
 
“[This is] definitely my favorite Southern Junior I’ve played,” Harris said. “[I’ve] got to keep my head down. I can’t win on the first day. The biggest goal is to not shoot yourself out of it.”
 
Zander Grant of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, stands second, carding a three-under 69 to close Round One.
 
Four players posted a 70 (-2) to stand T3:
 
●      Noah Kent of Naples, Fla.
●      Thomas Horne of Fayetteville, N.C.
●      Noah McWilliams of Benton, La.
●      Kale Fontenot of Lafayette, La.
 
Round One Notes:
●      Field average score: 77.41
●      Five eagles posted in Round One
●      314 birdies posted in Round One
●      10 players broke par
●      Easiest Hole: 5
●      Hardest Hole: 17
 
Format
●      54 holes of individual stroke play.
●      The field will be cut to the low 66 players and ties after 36 holes.
●      The lowest score for 54 holes will be the Champion.
●      In the event of a tie for the overall Championship only, a hole-by-hole play-off will be held immediately following play. The playoff holes and their order of play will be determined by the Committee
●      Initial groupings will be for two days; the field will be cut and re-paired by score after the second round for the third round.
 
Eligibility
Entries are open to any male amateur golfer who has a current Handicap Index® not exceeding 4.4 under the World Handicap System as of the close of entries, and has reached his 14th birthday by June 14, 2023, but not his 19th birthday by June 16, 2023. Entrants cannot be a member of a college golf team or have participated in any supervised team activities.

About the Southern Golf Association (SGA)
The Southern Golf Association, founded in 1902, is one of the oldest golf organizations and serves member clubs over a 15-state area. Recognized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Regional Golf Associations as one of the leaders in the promotion of Amateur Golf, SGA championships are selected for inclusion as criteria for selecting players for USGA and State team competitions. Through the years, SGA Champions have been chosen to represent various state golf associations in selected team competitions, including the Walker Cup and World Amateur. The SGA is host to the Southern Junior Championship as well as the Southern Amateur Championship and hosts the international award, the “Amateur of the Month,” to a deserving amateur golfer on a monthly basis.
 
For more information about the Southern Golf Association, visit www.southerngolf.org
   
Media Contact:
Savannah Russo
Manager of Media, Marketing & Communications
Southern Golf Association
205-803-6524
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