Hagood Birdies Last Five Holes to Win Southern Junior

ALEXANDER CITY, AL (June 15, 2017) – Finishing with five consecutive birdies, including all three holes in the three-hole aggregate playoff, Ethan Hagood of Birmingham, AL won the Southern Junior at Willow Point Golf & Country Club, taking the Championship title. Kyle Cox of Carrollton, Texas, went into the 18th-Hole with a one-shot lead but Ethan Hagood of Birmingham finished his last two-holes birdie-birdie, pushing the duo into a playoff. Alabama earned the State Team Champion Title with Ethan Hagood (135), Austin Coggin of Vestavia Hills (138), Reed Love of Trussville (140), and J.P. Cave of Mobile (142). The award is determined after the first 36 holes of play and the State Team is comprised of the low four players from the same state Notables: Johnny Bai, the China native, 2016 Southern Junior Champion for the 13-14 age group (no longer a separate Championship), shot a hole-in-one on the par-four, 380-yard 5th-Hole. The Southern Junior, a 54-hole stroke play tournament, is open to male amateurs who have reached their 14th birthday by the start of play and have not yet had their 19th birthday, have a USGA Handicap Index of 12.4 or less and are not members of a college golf team. Hagood’s name will be added to the prestigious Perry Adair Trophy, which is housed at the Southern Golf Association Headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. About the Southern Golf Association: The Southern Golf Association, founded in 1902, is one of the oldest golf organizations and serves member clubs over a 14 state area. Recognized by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Regional Golf Associations as one of the leaders in the promotion of Amateur Golf, SGA championships are selected for inclusion as criteria for selecting players for USGA and State team competitions. Through the years, SGA Champions have been chosen to represent various state golf associations in selected team competitions, including the Walker Cup and World Amateur. The SGA is host to the Southern Junior Championship as well as the Southern Amateur Championship and hosts the international award, the “Amateur of the Month”, to a deserving amateur golfer on a monthly basis.