In the Palmetto State not all the top players could sign during the early signing period. Two of the highest ranked and most successful juniors, who made commitments are a year away from officially signing to be a Gamecock or Tiger.           

By Stan Olenik Editor-Publisher, The Golf Club

While high school seniors across the country make their college commitments official this month, two of South Carolina’s brightest young golfers won’t be doing the usual recruiting “hat dance.” Instead, they can enjoy the day knowing their decisions are already made.

Bennett Scaletta of T.L. Hanna and Dawson Szabo of Blue Ridge already know their next destinations — Scaletta will play for Clemson, Szabo for South Carolina. Both are still juniors, with another full year of high-school and junior competition before they can officially sign.

For the state’s golf community, that’s good news. The Palmetto State’s best young players will spend one more season competing head-to-head on home turf before carrying their games — and the Clemson-Carolina rivalry — to the college stage.

A Quiet Rivalry With Statewide Attention

Golf isn’t a sport that encourages trash talk or cheers for missed putts. Rivals settle things with birdies, not boasts. Emotion shows in a well-timed fist pump, never at an opponent — unless it’s the Ryder Cup.

But whenever Szabo and Scaletta appear in the same field, phones light up with the live-scoring app. No matter who’s leading or which parent is watching their own junior, everyone wants to know what those two are doing.

Their matchups have been friendly but fierce, and the contrast in their games makes it fun — Szabo’s fearless closing runs versus Scaletta’s steady precision. Both have represented their schools and the state with class, turning what began as a junior rivalry into something fans will soon follow at the college level.

Defining Moments and Distinct Paths

Their most memorable duel came last summer at the South Carolina Golf Association Junior Championship at Forest Lake. Szabo had a one-shot lead after finishing his final hole. Scaletta, playing in the last group, could tie — and Szabo couldn’t watch.

Head buried in the grass beside the green, he only looked up when the gallery groaned: Scaletta’s birdie putt slid past the cup. Szabo had his championship — a breakthrough win that added a Junior Championship to career defining  wins at The Blade, the Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic, and the Southern Cross.

“It was just the process for me,” Szabo said. “You’re going to make bad swings, that’s golf, but it’s about limiting mistakes and not letting one bad swing affect the rest of the round.”

Scaletta’s résumé is built on relentless consistency — three straight high-school state championships with Hanna, four runner-up finishes in major junior tournaments this season, and the distinction of being the youngest Jay Haas Junior Player of the Year in state history.

“I’ve been a top player in the state since 2023, and the coaches recognized that,” Scaletta said. “Clemson was there from the very start. They believed in me when I was 13, and I wanted to reward their loyalty.”

Commitments Made — Futures Aligned

Scaletta made his verbal commitment to Clemson during a campus visit, playing a practice round with future teammates Tip Price and Jackson Byrd before heading to a football game in Death Valley.

“They told me how much they wanted me at Clemson,” he said. “I told my dad the night before this is probably what I want, and the next day I made it official. I’m ready to be a Tiger.”

Szabo chose South Carolina after narrowing his list late in the summer.

“South Carolina just felt like the right place,” he said. “Coach Bradley is super genuine, and he coaches a lot like Chip Ridley (Szabo’s mentor/advisor) — more about course management and the mental side, not just technique. He lets me play my game and helps me score better.”

The decision created some lighthearted family tension — Szabo’s father is a Clemson graduate.

“He’s having a little bit of a rough time adjusting,” Szabo joked. “But he’s coming around.”

Room to Grow — and One More Season to Share

With commitments in place, both players have put recruiting pressure behind them. Scaletta feels freer to compete without needing to “shoot 68 every time to prove something.” Szabo, meanwhile, is fine-tuning his swing with instructor Tim Cook to meet the speed and strength demands of college golf.

They’ll return to their high-school teams this spring — Szabo leading Blue Ridge, fresh off a team championship, and Scaletta anchoring Hanna in pursuit of a fourth straight crown.

A Rivalry Worth Watching

For South Carolina golf fans, the best part of this signing-day season isn’t who’s signing — it’s who’s waiting one more year. 

Two home-grown stars, one bound for Clemson and one for Carolina, will keep adding chapters to a rivalry that stretches well beyond football.

It’s not Hogan vs. Nelson or Arnie vs. Jack or even Tiger vs. everybody — it’s Clemson vs. Carolina, and soon enough, it will be Scaletta vs. Szabo again. Seeing the two at the next level will be worth the wait.