Chloe Holder leads after the first round at the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea being played at the Country Club of Charleston. (SCGA Photo)

Chloe Holder ran away with the championship at The Blade Junior last month and after the first round of the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea, it looks like she could do it again.

The Williamston golfer bogeyed the first hole at the Country Club of Charleston, but after that went on to birdie six holes including a tap in birdie on her final hole for an opening round 5-under par 66.

Holder has a 4-shot lead over one of the strongest fields in a Carolinas junior golf tournament this year.

The leader board is filled with golfers who have significant junior championships on their resume’s.

Isabella Rawl, the 2018 South Carolina AAAAA High School champion is second with Savannah Hylton, Adrian Anderson and Katherine Schuster all tied for third at even par.

Schuster from Kill Devil Hills, NC is the defending champion,  Hylton from Hilton Head Island was the runner-up at the WSCGA Amateur and Adrien Anderson from Murrells Inlet  won the WSCGA Junior championship earlier this summer.

While Holder has a four shot lead over second there are nine golfers within three shots of second place with 36 holes left to play.

Gene Zeigler has a 1-shot lead in the boys championship at the Junior Azalea. (SCGA Photo)

The boys leader is Gene Zeigler who owns a 1-shot lead over Charlie Barr from Salisbury, NC.

The future Gamecock golfer from Florence was the runner-up at the SCGA Junior championship.

He shot a 6-under par 65 with eight birdies on his scorecard.

Barr recently finished second in the North Carolina Junior championship. His 5-under 66 included an eagle on the ninth hole.

Three golfers are tied for third place including Jackson Byrd from St. Simons Island, the son of former Clemson All-American and 5-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Byrd.

Also within striking distance of the lead is the recent South Carolina Amateur champion Jonathan Griz from Hilton  Head Island who is tied for seventh at 2-under par.

Twenty-four of the fifty-four boys in the tournament shot par or better in the first round.

Tournament scores are available at https://scjga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/scjga20/event/scjga2017/contest/5/leaderboard.htm