MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Matthew Nesmith of North Augusta, S.C., and Katelyn Dambaugh of Goose Creek, S.C., won the boys and girls titles, respectively, at the 42nd Annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament held at the Myrtle Beach National courses in South Carolina, November 25-27.
Nesmith, 17, a junior at North Augusta High opened the tournament with a 7-under 65 on the Myrtle Beach National King's North course and shot even-par the remaining two rounds to claim a four-shot victory over Mark Reilly from Babylon, N.Y., with a three-round score of 7-under 209. Nesmith has verbally committed to the University of South Carolina.
Dambaugh, 16, claimed the girl's championship after finishing runner up in last year's event. Last year, the Goose Creek, S.C., resident gave up a four-shot final round lead to finish in second place. This year, the sophomore at Pinewood Prep in Summerville, S.C., shot a 4-under 68 in the opening round on the Myrtle Beach National West Course to start the event with a five-shot lead. She followed with rounds of even-par 72 on the King's North course and 1-over-par 73 on the SouthCreek course for a 3-under 213 to claim the girl's title by a whopping nine shots over Lauren Grogan of Columbus, Ohio. This past summer, Dambaugh finished runner-up in the 36-hole U.S. Junior Girls Championship in Bradenton, Fla., and also appeared in the U.S. World Amateur.
The George Holliday Memorial Tournament is the third-oldest junior golf tournament in South Carolina and has been named one of the top junior tournaments in America by the Heritage Classic Foundation. The tournament was open to junior golfers up to the age of 18, who competed in three rounds at Myrtle Beach National's SouthCreek, West and King's North courses.
The junior championship is held in memory of George Judson Holliday, III, of Galivants Ferry, S.C., who won many junior level and collegiate tournaments before dying at the age of 22 in November 1967.
More than 10,000 juniors have visited the Myrtle Beach area to participate in this tournament over the years. The event has hosted numerous junior golfers who have achieved success on the professional and the collegiate level including PGA TOUR and LPGA golfers Lucas Glover, D.J. Trahan and Kristy McPherson; former collegiate golfers George Bryan IV (South Carolina), Sam Lyons (Coastal Carolina) and Cimmie Shanan (Furman); and current collegiate players Jacob Burger (Clemson) and Tripp McCallister (Coastal Carolina).
This year, the tournament welcomed participants from 12 states and Canada.
About The Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National (MBN) Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and now management companies in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company was formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, SouthCreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King's North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus' Long Bay, Tom Jackson's River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maples' Willbrook Plantation, Willard Byrd's Litchfield Country Club, Gary Player's Blackmoor Golf Club, Clyde Johnston's Wachesaw Plantation East, and Jeff Brauer, Larry Nelson, Willard Byrd's Wild Wing Plantation and Jack Nicklaus' Pawleys Plantation, all premier Myrtle Beach-area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 400 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shoot-out Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for "The Carolina Couples Classic" and "Just Girls Weekend." For more information, visit MBN.com or call (800) 882-2614.
