Knaffle breaks through with Charles Tilghman Junior title

Even at just 14 years old, consistently finishing near the top of leaderboards in the bigger high school and junior tournaments in the Carolinas without being able to garner a victory was beginning to wear a bit on Smith Knaffle.

The Murrells Inlet resident and freshman at St. James High finally tasted satisfaction Sunday that supersedes all the previous disappointments, and now has a glass vase that can be the centerpiece of her trophy case.

Knaffle shot a 3-under-par 68 in Sunday’s final round for a 3-under 139 total to defeat both first-round leader Gracyn Burgess of Lexington and Jodee Tindal of Rock Hill by seven shots in the 26th annual Charles Tilghman CPGA Junior Championship at the Surf Golf and Beach Club.

“It’s very frustrating, and that’s an understatement. It’s hard to keep coming in the top five and top 10 and you never really get the win, so I’m glad it worked out this time,” Knaffle said. “Winning’s a great feeling; it’s really cool. You know, you won. There’s nothing better.”

Knaffle has been competing in notable tournaments for about the past three years, and has won some smaller high school tournaments and a couple Hurricane Junior Golf Tour events.

“Nothing really exciting,” Knaffle said. “This is my first really big tournament to win. It’s really, really cool and super exciting.”

Christian Salzer of Sumter, a 17-year-old N.C. State signee who in June won the South Carolina Junior Championship at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, won the Tilghman boys title by four shots with an impressive 9-under 133.

Knaffle’s 68 Sunday featured two bogeys and five birdies, including a birdie on her opening par-4 10th hole en route to a 2-under 33 on the front nine. She birdied two of her first three holes after making the turn and bogeyed her 16th hole of the day. “It was just a good day,” Knaffle said. “I’ve been working on my swing for the past eight months. I’ve played decent but I haven’t really shot the scores I’ve wanted to shoot. Even today there was stuff I could have improved on. But overall, with the weather the last six holes and me being able to keep it together and make it through, it was awesome.”

Weather became a factor later in the round as a sunny, pleasant day turned cooler and windy with a steady light rain. She played the final six holes 1-over par – one-putting for par a few times.

“I sort of knew I was in a good position with what I was doing,” Knaffle said. “I felt good about my game, I was hitting it good, putting good, I just felt it was going to work out. I kept thinking and working hard and taking one shot at a time.

“I don’t really find myself to crack under pressure. I like to fight and rise to the occasion. I knew one day this was going to be the situation so I’m glad it all worked out.”

The Tilghman is one of the few junior events that allow parents to caddie, and Knaffle had her father, International Club of Myrtle Beach superintendent Jim Knaffle, as her looper for the two rounds.

“He’s normally a big help. He’s supportive and he’s just a good person to have there to help me through,” Knaffle said. “This is the one of the few tournaments he can caddie for me my whole year, so of course I’ve got to let him caddie. We had fun.”

Upcoming, Knaffle has the Carolinas-Georgia Junior Girls Championship in January, hopes to qualify for the inaugural Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship at the TPC Myrtle Beach from Feb. 13-15 either by meeting established criteria or through a local qualifying tournament, then has the Can-Am Junior Team Matches at Wachesaw Plantation in March.

While Knaffle had to come from behind in the final round, Salzer only had to protect a four-shot lead Sunday that he built with a 7-under 64 in the first round. He won by four over recent George Holliday Memorial Junior Championship winner Blake Taylor of Atkinson, N.C.

“Today I played kind of up and down, not really my best, but it was good enough,” Salzer said. “I didn’t have pressure on me like that.”

Salzer made seven birdies without a bogey Saturday on a layout set up to about 6,500 yards, and had six birdies and four bogeys Sunday. He was in control of the tournament before making three-putt bogeys on the eighth, ninth and 11th holes, but he chipped in for birdie on the 10th hole following a wayward drive.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t have to putt on No. 10,” Salzer joked. “That kind of got it going again.” He birdied holes 13 and 15 down the stretch.

The senior at the private Wilson Hall School in Sumter signed with N.C. State in November and wears a red shirt in final rounds to reflect his college of choice. “I’ve been doing that pretty much every tournament now, wearing red the final day,” Salzer said. “Even if I’m not in contention I just pack red.”

Though he says the red shirt is not an homage to Tiger Woods, Salzer credits the Tiger Woods video game with inspiring him to play golf.

“When I was younger I’d copy Tiger and go full out with a black hat, black pants and red shirt, and I’d wear all Nike, but now it’s more the ’Pack,” he said. “I’m a huge Tiger fan. Without his video game, actually, I wouldn’t even be playing golf. Growing up me and my dad [Randy] would sit on the couch playing that.”

Since winning the S.C. Junior, Salzer won a qualifier at Orangeburg Country Club for the prestigious Big I National Championship in Kansas and finished eighth in the tournament, qualified for the U.S. Junior and recorded top-five finishes in the Orange Jacket Classic in Pickens, Fall Challenge in Cheraw and the junior Players Championship at Hartsville Country Club.

Salzer also had his father, who retired from the Air Force after 20 years, on the bag. “I had a little extra motivation because it’s probably my dad’s last junior tournament caddying for me so I really wanted to play well for him and I got it done,” Salzer said.

This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Knaffle breaks through with Charles Tilghman Junior title."