‘Masters of high school golf’: Southern Cross returns, marks 50th edition
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) -The CSRA has a rich golf history, its roots grow deeper with time.
50 years ago, the first Southern Cross was played.
And while the wrinkles usually start to show, this tournament hasn’t had a need for an iron.
Maybe just the ones you can find in your golf bag.
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“When people ask me about the Southern Cross, I always refer to it as kind of like the Masters of high school golf, said Tommy DeGennaro, South Aiken head golf coach.
The tournament invites the best high school golfers around the Palmetto State, expanding even into Georgia.
“When we go to tournaments with South Aiken and other places, everybody asks me, ‘Hey, what do we got to do to get into this tournament? Can you, do you have any sway to get us in?’ ‘I’m saying, Oh, we got to apply just like you do.’ It’s one of those everybody wants to get into and play. I think that’s what makes it last so long,” said DeGennaro.
Because those who usually win tend to be a household name.
“If you take a look at the individual trophy, the names, Kevin Kisner, Jonathan Byrd, Wesley Bryan, just the kids that have won this thing over the years and have won it multiple times, and the things they go on to do. This golf tournament is a testament to the strength of South Carolina junior golf. It always has been, and it feels like the field gets better and better every year,” said Chairman Ryan Orr.
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The tournament is 36 holes over two days. South Aiken, Aiken, North Augusta and Mead Hall all have golfers in the mix.
The last time an area team won was South Aiken in 2013, it was their sixth time winning the event. The T-breds also took home the last local individual champion, Jake Carter, in 2015 and 2016.
The 50th edition of the Southern Cross could mark a first. Jackson Byrd, son of 3-time Cross Champion Jonathan Byrd, is in the field. If he wins, it could mark the first time that a father-son duo has won the tournament.
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