Caleb Surratt, Austin Scott Lead Boys Tournament, Yoko Tai Tops Girls Field at Fifth Annual Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship Presented by Fujikura
Caleb Surratt (Indian Trail, N.C.) and Austin Scott (Charleston, S.C.) each shot 3-under par 69 at TPC Myrtle BeachTPC Myrtle Beach to lead the boys’ tournament after the first round at the Fifth Annual Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship presented by Fujikura.
Yoko Tai (Windermere, Fla.) birdied the first and 18th holes en route to firing a 2-under par 70, good for a one-stroke lead over Adrian Anderson (Murrells Inlet, S.C.) in the girls’ tournament.
[FULL SCOREBOARD: BOYS, GIRLS]
Conditions were cool and increasingly windy as the day wore on, but Surratt and Scott played stellar rounds. Surratt opened the tournament with a double bogey but made six birdies in the final 17 holes.
John Daly II (Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.) leads a group of four golfers who are tied for third after shooting 1-under 71. Six players shot 72, including Maxwell Ford (Peachtree Corners, Ga.), the seventh-ranked junior in America, and Tyler Wilkes (Tampa, Fla.), a University of Florida signee who is ranked eighth.
Tai birdied three of her first four holes and led throughout the opening round.
Lurking two shots back after recording even par 72s are Taylor Roberts (Parkland, Fla.), who will be playing at Florida State in the fall, and Katherine Schuster (Kill Devil Hills, N.C.), a junior who has verbally committed to Clemson.
TPC Myrtle Beach played 6,997 yards from the tips for the boys. The course played 6,055 yards for the girls.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is a 54-hole, college-style event that has quickly grown into one of the top junior events in America.
With Johnson’s support, the tournament provides players a PGA TOUR-like experience, and the opportunity to test themselves against a premier field.
A significant part of the event’s appeal is TPC Myrtle Beach, one of the Grand Strand’s most decorated layouts. TPC Myrtle Beach has hosted the Senior PGA Tour Championship and been ranked among “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” by Golf Digest, making it an ideal venue to test golf’s rising young stars.
The event’s past boys champions are: 2016 – Blake Taylor (East Carolina), 2017 – Trent Phillips (Georgia), 2018 – Brennan and 2019 – Akshay Bhatia. The previous girls winners are: 2016 – Delaney Shah (Louisville), 2017 – Skylar Thompson (Ohio State) and 2017, 2018 – Alex Pano.
The Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship is presented by Fujikura and also sponsored by Adidas, the Dustin Johnson Foundation, Founders Group International, the Dustin Johnson Golf School, PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com and TaylorMade.
Johnson’s involvement with the tournament reflects his long-time commitment to junior golf, particularly in South Carolina, where he grew into one of the world’s best players. Through the Dustin Johnson Foundation, which is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, Johnson has donated more than $500,000 to junior golf, sponsoring numerous events throughout the state and helping cover entry costs for kids who need financial assistance.
