Mia Carles wins third title; Isaiah Adel becomes first boys champion from outside South Carolina

By Stan Olenik Editor-Publishr. The Golf Club

The Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic began as a small tournament designed to give junior golfers one final event before they put away their clubs and returned to school.

In fact, the tournament was originally called the Back to School Classic.

When several other events began using the same name, creating some confusion, the tournament’s founders—many of whom played at Anderson Country Club at the time—decided they needed a name that would not be so easily borrowed.

The Orange Jacket Classic was born.

While the name naturally suggests a Clemson connection, it was not chosen to promote the Tigers. Tournament officials placed an actual orange jacket under glass and used it as a permanent record of the event’s champions.

And no, the winners do not get to wear it.

The tournament also became known for presenting some of the largest trophies in junior golf. In the younger age divisions, there were years when it was difficult to tell whether the trophy or the golfer was taller.

More important than the name, the jacket or the size of the trophies, however, is the list of champions.

Over nearly two decades, the tournament has identified many of the state’s best young golfers before they went on to success in college and professional golf.

The first boys champion was Corbin Mills, who later played at Clemson and won the USGA Amateur Public Links Championship. That victory earned him an invitation to compete in the Masters.

The list of Orange Jacket champions includes PGA Tour players, college All-Americans and many of the Carolinas’ most successful junior golfers. One former champion, Jacob Bridgeman, was selected this year to play for the United States in the Presidents Cup.

After the death of Harvey Brock, the legendary Boscobel club professional and junior instructor, tournament organizers added his name to the event in recognition of his lifelong contribution to junior golf.

The Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic has never been an easy tournament to win. Many outstanding players have won it once, very few have won it twice and only one has claimed the title three times.

Carles completes Orange Jacket hat trick

Mia Carles of Clinton became the tournament’s first three-time champion with her victory in this year’s girls division.

Each of her championships has been more impressive than the one before it.

Carles finished the two-day tournament at 9-under par and won by 10 shots, completing an unprecedented Orange Jacket hat trick.

Adel makes tournament history

While most of the tournament’s players traditionally come from South Carolina, juniors from North Carolina and Georgia have been invited to compete since the event began.

This year, for the first time, the boys Orange Jacket left the Palmetto State.

Isaiah Adel of Raleigh finished regulation tied with 2024 Orange Jacket champion Dawson Szabo, forcing a playoff on Boscobel’s par-5 18th hole.

Both players hit excellent drives. Szabo’s second shot came up short in a greenside bunker, while Adel reached the green and finished 29 feet above the hole.

Szabo’s difficult bunker lie made it almost impossible to get his third shot close. Adel two-putted to win the playoff and became the first golfer from outside South Carolina to have his name placed on the Orange Jacket.

In the Boys 12 & Under Division, Scout Nettles of Mt. Pleasant, SC, delivered a standout performance, firing an even-par 71. Nettles carded a 34 on the front nine and a 37 on the back nine to clinch the division victory. JohnLuke Goding of Greenville, SC, finished close behind with a strong 74 to secure runner-up honors.

In the Girls 10–12 Division, KJ Matthews of Piedmont, SC, captured the title with a twenty-four-over-par 95, carding a 50 on the front nine and a 45 on the back nine. April Bumgardner of Spartanburg, SC, finished as the division’s runner-up.

The Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic once again brought together some of South Carolina’s top junior golfers, showcasing strong play and the bright future of the game at Boscobel Golf Club.

Scores from the 2026 Harvey Brock Orange Jacket Classic https://scjga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/scjga26/event/scjga2622/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Here at SCgolfclub.com we have been covering Junior Golf soince the days when Jacob Bridgeman was a junior champion long before he was selected to play in the Presidents Cup. Get all our posts sent directly to your email