By Jed Blackwell Associate Editor/Publisher

Groves Williams got by with a little help from his friends.

Williams had a couple of buddies caddy for him in the Greenville County Junior Amateur at Holly Tree, with Sam Gilmer making the loop on Monday and Harrison Beck finishing up on Tuesday.

“Sam’s a non-golfer, which was kind of fun,” Williams said with a laugh.

There was some strategy to taking a caddie other than just walking along with friends.

“It’s less work,” he said. “It’s definitely less hot.”

It seemed to work. Williams fired a two-day score of even par 144 to win the tournament.

He finished five strokes ahead of Henry Hall, with Evan Eassy in third, Cody Harrison fourth and Connor Rose fifth.

Williams said he thought he played well both days.

“I hit the ball well, but I couldn’t make many putts,” he said. “I got a couple of putts to fall when I needed to.”

On the hole that served as the sparkplug for his first round, he didn’t have to make one at all. After his tee shot on the par-four 14^th, Williams had an 80-yard pitch left.

“I hit a 58-degree wedge, and I hit it past the pin and it spun in,” he said. “That definitely got the attitude feeling a little better.”

That came on the heels of a birdie at 13, and got Williams to one under on the day. He added a birdie at 18, his ninth hole of the first round, and shot even on the front with a bogey at 6 and a birdie at 9. The hot streak in the middle of his first nine helped set the tone.

“It was kind of unexpected, but it definitely helped out,” Williams said of the run. “It definitely helped my emotions.”

The second round started as a bit of a slog, as Williams made four bogeys and a birdie in the first six holes. But, he bounced back on the back nine, making birdie on 13 and birdieing the 18^th hole for the second day in a row to finish at even par.

“That was very nice,” he said. “I love par-5s, they’re my favorite holes on the golf course.”

Williams said he’s had a good summer on the course.

“It’s been a little up and down, but that’s how golf is,” he said.

Dawson Szabo shot a total of six over to win the boys’ 13-14 division, while Thomas DeMint won the boys’ 10-12 division at one-under. Wilson Brasington won the boys’ 7-9 division at one over.

Londyn Rath won the girls’ 13-18 division at 12 over par. Remy Reynolds finished second, with Anaston Bell third, Aubree Clements fourth, and Addison Parker fifth. Spencer Kate Harvey won the girls’ 10-12 division.