You can’t blame Blake Kelly if he had a feeling of deja vu as the Woodruff High School grad was in a playoff for the second straight year at the Spartanburg County Junior Championship.

“I was praying pretty hard when the playoff started,” said Kelly. “It helped me be calm because I knew I wasn’t playing good and I was going to have to grind it out,” he said.

Kelly, Walker Ingram and Creighton Rentz started the final round all tied for the lead.

Kelly gave up his share of the lead with a bogey on the first hole. While Rentz struggled on the front nine to drop off the lead.

Ingram built his lead over Kelly to two shots midway through the back nine, before Kelly was able to catch up.

The future North Greenville University golfer birdied the 16th hole, while Ingram bogeyed the same hole.

The two shot swing evened the score between the leaders with two holes to play.

The two golfers each finished with a birdie and a bogey to both shoot a 73 and force the playoff.

“I didn’t play great on the back, but I didn’t make any bad mistakes. I was locked in on this year and not thinking about last year,’” he said.

Last year Kelly lost on the first playoff hole when he couldn’t convert a short putt to extend the playoff.

This year, Kelly won the championship on the third playoff hole (#18) with a birdie putt twice as long as the one he missed last year.

“I played better last year, but God had a plan for me and I was able to win today and I am thankful,” said the new Spartanburg County Junior Champion.

Last spring Kelly was a member of the Wolverine team to win the AAA state championship.

The 2023 Woodruff grad is pleased to have won a pair of championships before he ages out of the Junior ranking,

“Winning the state (AAA title) was great, but that was as a team. I’ve been trying to win this tournament on my own for a couple of years and I’m really happy I got it done,” he said.

After the top two spots William McCraw was third with first round co-lead Rentz in fourth and Lawson Miller finishing fifth.

In the girls championship Poppy Dawson made up a five stroke deficit in the final round to edge out Arley Jennings for the girls championship.

Dawson shot a final round 83 to pull ahead for the win, Addison Cox was third in a small field at the Country Club of Spartanburg.

The boys and girls each had age group competition for younger golfers.

In the boys 10-year old division Kingston Linder shot identical rounds of 73 to finish two shots in front of McLean Fulmer with Moses Zikusooka coming in third.

Jake Hames finished a shot in front of Davis Callicutt to win the boys 7-year old title.

Emma Bullman won the girls 7-10 year old division.

Complete tournament scores are at https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/95208507260545790