Hilton Head golfer has strong run at U.S. Junior Amateur championship

Jonathan Griz put together a strong run at this week’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

The Hilton Head Prep standout made it all the way to the quarterfinals before losing Friday to Cohen Trolio, 2 up on Friday at the Country Club of North Carolina.. Griz was ahead for most of the quarterfinal match and was 1 up with six holes left. But Trolio won the 13th hole and took the lead on No. 15. Griz had a chance to tie on No. 18 but Trolio birdied the final hole to seal the match.

“I’m grateful. It was a great week. Played some of the best golf of my life this week, and I learned a lot,” Griz told reporters after. It’s tough to walk away losing in the quarterfinals. It definitely stings because I was right there, I was beating him most of the day, as well. I got to 2-up pretty early. It’s tough.”

Griz made it to the quarterfinals by shooting a 141 in two-day stroke play and earned the No. 12 seed. In match play, he defeated Martin Coucra (5 and 3), Buck Brumlow (2 and 1) and Caleb Surratt (3 and 2). Surratt was the PGA Boys’ Junior and Western Junior champion

The Alabama commit has had a strong year. He qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Club Car Championship in March. He finished third in the Azalea Invitational and tied for seventh in the Terra Cotta Invitational this year.

Griz will play in the U.S. Amateur next month. He made it to the event by earning co-medalist honors with rounds of 71 and 69 in the Buies Creek, N.C., qualifier, for this year’s U.S. Amateur. The U.S. Amateur is Aug. 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.

“Well, I’ve been on the road for a while, so I’ll probably take a day off and try and regroup a little bit, but just keep practicing doing the same things and get ready for Oakmont,” Griz said.