Columbia’s William Harwood survived a final-round shootout to edge Easley’s Sawyer Mills by one shot for the 87th S.C. Golf Association Amateur Championship last weekend at Dataw Island Club’s Cotton Dike Course.
Harwood began the final round with a four-shot lead but needed a two-shot swing late in the round to regain the lead and sunk a testy six-foot putt on the 72nd hole to finish at 16-under-par and claim the Billy Lewis Trophy, joining a prestigious list of past champions that includes PGA Tour winners Lucas Glover, Bill Haas, and D.J. Trahan.
“Being from South Carolina all my life and looking at the names on the trophy, it’s really special,” Harwood said. “With not getting off to the start I wanted to this summer, I came to this tournament wanting to make some noise.”
Beaufort’s Matt O’Quinn tied for seventh at 3-under-par after carding a final-round 68. Other northern Beaufort County residents in the field included Rob Simmons (28th), Patrick Mitchell (T-39th), Keaton Butler (MC), Tommy Holloway (MC), Matthew Campbell (MC), Chris Jones (MC), Turner Wegener (MC), Mark Everson (MC), and Steven Dietz (MC).
