Hilton Head Island’s Jonathan Griz and Daniel Azallion each finished just outside the top 10 at the prestigious Palmetto Amateur in Aiken this week, posting 72-hole scores of 1-over par to tie for 11th at Palmetto Golf Club.
Griz and Azallion both set themselves up well in the first round with scores of even-par 70 and each carded two rounds under par to remain near the top of a talented field at the end of the week.
Griz, the future Alabama Crimson Tide golfer, kept himself in contention on day 2 with a 1-under 69 before faltering in Friday’s third round and posting a 76. He bounced back strong in the final round with a 4-under 66, matching the low round of the tournament to surge 18 spots on the leaderboard.
Azallion, a former Hilton Head Christian Academy standout now playing at Virginia Tech, stumbled to a 74 in round 2 but steadied himself for the final two rounds, posting a 68 and 69 to finish alongside Griz at 1-over.
Hilton Head’s Max Green started strong with a 69 and was still in strong position after a 71 in round 2, but he failed to make the cut after shooting 78 on Friday.
Englishman John Gough shot a blistering 9-under-par 271 with three rounds in the 60s to win by five shots over Jason Quinlan of Cumming, Georgia. Only two golfers from South Carolina placed ahead of the Hilton Head duo of Griz and Azallion.