WOW! Barrett Josey shoots 62 to win Spartanburg County Junior

By golfclubsc on June 25, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

Barrett Josey received the winners trophy from Kevin Moore of Delany’s the tournament sponsor and Michael Pius of First Tee Upstate. (GolfClub Photo)

If Barrett Josey improved his score by 10 shots in the second round of a weekend club tournament, he probably would have been called a “sandbagger.”

But the Byrnes High School golfer didn’t hear anything like that at the Spartanburg County Junior, instead he only heard “WOW.”

Without a real scoreboard, because of social distancing, most spectators had to check their cell phones to see that Josey had won the tournament by shooting an amazing 10-under par in the final round.

Barrett Josey shot a 10-under par final round to win the Spartanburg County Junior Amateur at The Country Club of Spartanburg.

“I knew I had gotten off to a good start, but there were so many great players in this event I didn’t want to take it easy,” Josey said.

He didn’t.

Josey opened the 36 hole tournament with a solid even par 72 at the Country Club of Spartanburg. His score left him three-shots behind four golfers.

Andrew Gregory, Drew Harrill, Zach Phillips and Trey Howard all shot 69s to open the annual tournament.

Gregory got off to a good start in his second round with 4-birdies in his first six holes. Unfortunately, the Boiling Springs golfer had some problems on the green and closed out his front nine with a pair of bogeys.

None of the other leaders played as well as Gregory. Josey raced past the four to take the tournament lead at the turn.

Josey carded red numbers on eight of his first nine holes. His worst hole on the front nine was a solid par on number 6.

He finished the first nine at 8-under par 27.

Josey was in the process of shooting a career round. Prior to the Spartanburg championship his best round was a 3-under par 69.

Andrew Gregory was a first round co-leader and finished as the runner-up.

Josey made the turn with a solid lead, but had an up and down start to the back nine. He went bogey, birdie, bogey on the first three holes.

“I had something like this happen to me before. In a tournament I had made four-birdies in a row and then made a bogey and I never got it back,” he remembered.

The experience he gained from that situation helped him to keep from repeating it. Instead of letting the bogey get to him, he turned it around.

Josey parred the next two holes before reeling off three straight birdies and another par for his 62.

“I made a couple of bogeys on the back and missed a short eagle putt on 17,” said Josey. “I left a few shots out there,” he said.

While Josey had not threatened the lead in his last two tournaments the Three Pines Country Club golfer had seen enough improvement to believe his game was progressing.

“I had a T-13 at the state junior and a really good final round at Florence (Grant Bennett Junior). My parents have given me great support and they told me it would happen and to just keep working at it,” he said.

Gregory finished in second place while Brasington and Phillips tied for third place. Drew Harrill was fifth while Trey Howard was sixth.

The Spartanburg County Junior has not always had a strong field, but this year’s championship included a larger than usual number of outstanding golfers and that contributed to Josie’s satisfaction with the win.

With the win Josey also earns a spot in the Bobby Chapman Junior this fall. (GolfClub Photo)

“i’m so lucky to be in the best part of the state to play junior golf. I’m so happy to get this win. It was one of my goals this year and now I will get to play in the Bobby Chapman against the best players in the country,” he said.

The Bobby Chapman is the Junior Invitational championship played at The Country Club of Spartanburg in the fall. The tournament has often been considered the best junior invitational in the country.

The Spartanburg County Junior champion receives an invitation to play in the prestigious tournament.

Anika Rana won her second straight Spartanburg County Girls Championship. (GolfClub Photo)

The Spartanburg County Girls championship was won for the second straight year by Anika Rana. The Byrnes High School golfer topped Madison Dixon by a shot for the championship.

Rana shot rounds of 72 and 74 for the win.

Davis Petty played up an age group level and won the boys 10-12 year old division by shooting a two-day 151 total and an 11-shot win in the division.