- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 398,396
- Reaction score
- 43
Mar. 20—GRANITEVILLE — Jackson Byrd knows his game is good enough to win the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.
He has the speed and strength to create scoring opportunities. He has the experience, both at Sage Valley and on the international stage, to get the job done at the highest level. He has the pedigree, coming from one of the state's foremost golfing families.
All he has left to do is win a gold jacket.
That's the goal this week for Byrd, a Clemson-bound senior making his third and final appearance at the Junior Invitational. He was confident in his game leading up to the tournament, and he backed that up in the first round with a 1-under 71.
"It's my third time here, so I feel like kind of a veteran," he said. "I feel pretty comfortable this week. I've just been trying to get ready physically and then mentally, today, kind of get ready for the round. I feel like my game's good enough to win, so just trying to get into a good headspace and enjoy the week."
Byrd, ranked fourth in the American Junior Golf Association's Rolex Junior rankings, picked up a marquee win back in October at the PING Invitational that was his best finish since a tie for third at the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic back in June.
Before that? A tie for sixth at last year's Junior Invitational.
His scoring average at Sage Valley coming into the week was 72.5, a number inflated by a couple of loose rounds in his 2023 debut. Last year he shot par or better in all three rounds, and he started this year's edition ready to continue that trajectory.
"I think I'm hitting it really good off the tee. I hit it pretty far and straight, so I feel like I'm going to try and rely on that," he said. "I feel like my ball-striking is pretty good, so just dial in the speeds of the greens and give myself some looks and try not to make any dumb mistakes and see what I can do."
He avoided those mistakes in round one, making just two bogeys on a tough scoring day before beginning Thursday's second round in attack mode at a rain-softened Sage Valley.
A senior at Frederica Academy on St. Simons Island, Georgia, Byrd is no stranger to the Aiken area. He's played well in the past at the Southern Cross at Palmetto Golf Club, most notably finishing in a tie for sixth back in 2022. His father Jonathan is the only player to have won the Southern Cross three times, doing so consecutively from 1994-96 before embarking on a pro career that included five PGA Tour victories, and his uncle — and future coach — Jordan last week led Clemson to the team title at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate.
A win this week, though, against the best field in junior golf would give Jackson some big-time family bragging rights.
"This is a great spot. It's definitely my favorite junior event I've played in, so just trying to soak it all in one more time," he said. "I'm going to school close to here, so it's kind of cool. It's just a special week."
In addition to individual success, he's been chosen for several teams to compete in national and international events — like the Wyndham Cup near Charleston, the Toyota Cup in Japan, the Junior Ryder Cup in Italy and the Junior Presidents Cup in Canada. Team golf is a part of the game he enjoys, and he's looking forward to continuing it at the collegiate level.
"I think probably just having a team of guys around you that want the best for you and are practicing with you," he said. "Golf can kind of be lonely sometimes when you're practicing by yourself, so that's the biggest thing. Just having a group of friends and a group of guys that you can practice with and grow with outside of the golf course. Definitely the team aspect."
That will have to wait for the fall, though. This week is about competing against — and trying to beat — the best of the best, even with this being one of the few stops on the junior golf circuit where the players stay on site and get to relax and be friends as soon as they step off the course.
"When you're preparing for a round or preparing for a practice round, it's kind of more serious but you're still with your buddies and you're having fun," Byrd explained. "Then after the round you can kind of let loose. We're obviously staying together — our whole cabin this week has played the Junior Presidents Cup. We know each other really well. We're all Americans. It's pretty special to know these guys really well and get to spend a week with them, so that's awesome."
Continue reading...
He has the speed and strength to create scoring opportunities. He has the experience, both at Sage Valley and on the international stage, to get the job done at the highest level. He has the pedigree, coming from one of the state's foremost golfing families.
All he has left to do is win a gold jacket.
That's the goal this week for Byrd, a Clemson-bound senior making his third and final appearance at the Junior Invitational. He was confident in his game leading up to the tournament, and he backed that up in the first round with a 1-under 71.
"It's my third time here, so I feel like kind of a veteran," he said. "I feel pretty comfortable this week. I've just been trying to get ready physically and then mentally, today, kind of get ready for the round. I feel like my game's good enough to win, so just trying to get into a good headspace and enjoy the week."
Byrd, ranked fourth in the American Junior Golf Association's Rolex Junior rankings, picked up a marquee win back in October at the PING Invitational that was his best finish since a tie for third at the RLX Ralph Lauren Junior Classic back in June.
Before that? A tie for sixth at last year's Junior Invitational.
His scoring average at Sage Valley coming into the week was 72.5, a number inflated by a couple of loose rounds in his 2023 debut. Last year he shot par or better in all three rounds, and he started this year's edition ready to continue that trajectory.
"I think I'm hitting it really good off the tee. I hit it pretty far and straight, so I feel like I'm going to try and rely on that," he said. "I feel like my ball-striking is pretty good, so just dial in the speeds of the greens and give myself some looks and try not to make any dumb mistakes and see what I can do."
He avoided those mistakes in round one, making just two bogeys on a tough scoring day before beginning Thursday's second round in attack mode at a rain-softened Sage Valley.
A senior at Frederica Academy on St. Simons Island, Georgia, Byrd is no stranger to the Aiken area. He's played well in the past at the Southern Cross at Palmetto Golf Club, most notably finishing in a tie for sixth back in 2022. His father Jonathan is the only player to have won the Southern Cross three times, doing so consecutively from 1994-96 before embarking on a pro career that included five PGA Tour victories, and his uncle — and future coach — Jordan last week led Clemson to the team title at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate.
A win this week, though, against the best field in junior golf would give Jackson some big-time family bragging rights.
"This is a great spot. It's definitely my favorite junior event I've played in, so just trying to soak it all in one more time," he said. "I'm going to school close to here, so it's kind of cool. It's just a special week."
In addition to individual success, he's been chosen for several teams to compete in national and international events — like the Wyndham Cup near Charleston, the Toyota Cup in Japan, the Junior Ryder Cup in Italy and the Junior Presidents Cup in Canada. Team golf is a part of the game he enjoys, and he's looking forward to continuing it at the collegiate level.
"I think probably just having a team of guys around you that want the best for you and are practicing with you," he said. "Golf can kind of be lonely sometimes when you're practicing by yourself, so that's the biggest thing. Just having a group of friends and a group of guys that you can practice with and grow with outside of the golf course. Definitely the team aspect."
That will have to wait for the fall, though. This week is about competing against — and trying to beat — the best of the best, even with this being one of the few stops on the junior golf circuit where the players stay on site and get to relax and be friends as soon as they step off the course.
"When you're preparing for a round or preparing for a practice round, it's kind of more serious but you're still with your buddies and you're having fun," Byrd explained. "Then after the round you can kind of let loose. We're obviously staying together — our whole cabin this week has played the Junior Presidents Cup. We know each other really well. We're all Americans. It's pretty special to know these guys really well and get to spend a week with them, so that's awesome."
Continue reading...
