Georgia’s Johnson shoots 68 to take Palmetto State Open lead

Casey Johnson of Martinez, Ga., shot a 4-under-par 68 to take a one-shot lead through two rounds in the Palmetto State Open at River Hills Golf & Country Club with a 9-under 135.

First round leader Chris Wolfe of Niceville, Fla., is part of a three-way tie for second at 136 with George Bryan of Chapin, Dustin Korte of Metropolis, Ill., and Ryan Martin of Prestonsburg, Ken. Cory Martin of North Myrtle Beach shot a 72 Thursday and is tied for seventh at 139.

Eight of the 12 players who made the cut to Friday’s final round of the Swing Thought Tour event are within four shots of the lead. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m.

Tyler Johnson of Knoxville, Tenn., shot a 2-over 73 Thursday to win the American Junior Golf Association’s Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy Junior Championship with an even-par 213 at Barefoot Resort’s Norman Course.

In the girls division, Caroline Curtis of Richmond, Va., shot a 72 to win by two strokes over both Kathleen Sumner of Charleston and Gabriela Coello of Winter Garden, Fla., via Venezuela with a 7-over 220. Curtis is a rising high school freshman who also captured the AJGA’s 2014 Preseason Junior at The Foundry.

Johnson, 17, took a two-stroke lead into the final round and held on for his first AJGA victory. Joshua Grenville-Wood of Peachtree City, Ga., finished second at 1-over 214. The tournament featured 78 players from 13 states and nine countries.

Coastal Carolina University rising junior Ryan Carpenter of Aiken shot a 4-under-par 68 and is the clubhouse leader in the first round of the South Carolina Amateur at Greenville Country Club’s Chanticleer Course.

Half of the field completed the opening round Thursday before inclement weather suspended play until Friday. Trent Phillips of Inman was also at 4 under through nine holes, and Thomas Todd III and Nick Eberhardt of Lake Wylie shot 69s.

Carpenter was tied second in the S.C. Am last year after the first round at the Reserve Club in Pawleys Island and finished in a tie for eighth prior to his sophomore year at CCU. The South Aiken High grad transferred from College of Charleston after his freshman year and played in nine of CCU's 11 events last season, recording just one top-25 finish and ending with a 75.4 scoring average that was fourth on the team.

The entry deadline is Sunday for the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s 36-hole Major Championship from Aug. 15-16 at True Blue Golf Club. Entry fee is $199 for members and $244 for non-members. Visit www.hjgt.org, call tour headquarters at 904-379-2697 or email info@hjgt.org.

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Georgia’s Johnson shoots 68 to take Palmetto State Open lead."