Girls golf shines as Bishops, Horses highlight largest Charleston Classic field
Eight years ago, the Charleston Classic Invitational was built around a simple idea: Give girls a golf tournament that felt like a big deal.
This year, there wasn’t enough room for everyone who wanted in.
“We had 20 teams competing for the team title, and three teams entered individual players for a total of 110 players. This was our largest field yet,” said tournament director Terese Dynjan, who is also the girls golf coach at Bishop England.
The golfers, made up of a field of both grade school and high school students, descended on RiverTowne Country Club on Aug. 31.
“From day one, our goal was to put on a golf tournament with good statewide competition but to also have all the bells and whistles so the girls felt special and wanted to come back,” Dynjan said. “We have exceeded our goal.”
While Wando High School finished atop the leaderboard with a team score of 330, Philip Simmons and Hilton Head Island both shot 344, with the Iron Horses taking second place on a low individual score tiebreaker.
That low-score tiebreaker belonged to Daniel Island's Eloise Fetzer, who recently earned a trip to the Drive, Chip and Putt finals at Augusta National next year. John Paul II Catholic School's Sofie Hannagan won the individual title.
“Individual winner was Sofie Hannagan from John Paul II with an impressive 2-under 70. Runner-up title went to Phillip Simmons, Eloise Fetzer with an even par 72,” Dynjan said.
Bishop England, which co-hosted the event, had one of its strongest showings in the tournament’s eight-year history.
“Bishop England had our best finish in a number of years, placing fifth,” Dynjan said. “Bishop England has some impressive young players. Eighth-graders Giada Mills and Emerson Rhoads led the team with scores of 77 and 80.”
The other co-host, Palmetto Christian Academy, finished 15th, with senior Audrey Bright leading the Eagles with a 92.
Sponsors provided breakfast, lunch, T-shirts, golf balls, awards, and snow cones, while proceeds helped both Bishop England and Palmetto Christian cover uniforms, travel, hotels, team banquets, and other season expenses.
Dynjan credited the coaches, parents, and sponsors with making it possible.
“It is a lot of work but worth it in the end when the girls have a great day. They thank us for having them, and coaches tell us this is their favorite tournament and look forward to it year after year,” she said. “We hope it showcases the talent in girls golf in South Carolina. There are a lot of great players with a lot of talent.”