Watson Cup returns with SC team winning unique event’s second chapter

Their names are Rowan Sullivan, Adam Hunt, Luke Walmet, Burch Harrison, Tip Price, Major Lenning, Hugh Faulkner, Andrew Gregory and Jerry Bruns — and they combined to ensure that the Watson Cup remained in South Carolina.

The Watson Cup, named in honor of five-time Open champion Tom Watson, pits a team from the South Carolina Junior Golf Association against a squad from the East Lothian/Edinburgh area in Scotland.

The competition, envisioned by Florence attorney Ben Zeigler, is designed to commemorate the connection between the oldest golf club in the world, The Royal Burgess Golf Society, and the point of entry for the first golf equipment in America, the port of Charleston.

The Palmetto State team captured in 2018 inaugural event at Kiawah Island over the Ocean Course and the Watson-designed Cassique, but the coronavirus outbreak forced postponement of the biennial matches until this summer.

“We had a great experience, a ton of fun, really unbelievable,” Stephen Behr, the South Carolina team’s captain, said after returning from Scotland. “The South Carolina Junior Golf Association does such an incredible job, and it’s been an honor for me to be involved with the Watson Cup.”

Behr, whose dad is head professional at Florence Country Cub, grew up in the SCJGA program, won the 2010 South Carolina Juniors, earned all-star golf and academic honors at Clemson and currently ranks among the nation’s best mid-amateurs. He lives in Atlanta and needed to familiarize himself with his team, and, he said, “They impressed me very quickly, both on and off the golf course.”

Hunt, the only player still eligible age-wise from the postponed 2020 matches, joined eight others based of the SCJGA Heritage Foundation Rankings in forming the South Carolina contingent. They had four practice days for a crash course in links golf before four-ball matches at Royal Burgess, foursome matches at Muirfield and singles at Gullane Golf Club’s No. 2 course.

The South Carolina team dominated the first day, leading 8.5-3.5. The Scots did the same in foursomes, leaving the teams tied 12-12 headed into the singles. The Palmetto team finished strong for a 27-24 victory. Welmet, from Mount Pleasant and committed to play at William & Mary, led the squad by earning 8.5 of a possible 9 points.

“Just great competition and a wonderful experience,” said Mark Elam, the SCJGA’s tournament director. “The last day, Gullane, had a lot of short, drivable par-4 and some long par-3s. Not only a great challenge but also great views.”

Behr said Watson, who lent his name to the Cup, provided an eerily accurate prediction of what would unfold in a pre-tournament video played at the opening ceremonies.

“He called what happened,” Behr recounted. “He said the first course was the ‘most Americanized’ and thought our team would do well there. Then, he gave the Scottish team an edge at Muirfield. He was right on target.”

Behr played in the practice rounds with his team to get acquainted and, he said: “They are such a good group. I got to know their playing styles and personalities. You learn a lot about a person on the golf course.”

The South Carolinians encountered the usual challenges of links golf, especially at Muirfield, whose Open Championship winners include Watson, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson.

“The wind blew 40 miles per hour the day we played Muirfield and really challenged our club selections,” Behr said. “On one par-3, about 130 yards into the wind, we were adding 60 yards and hitting six irons.

“Thinking back on everything, everyone had such a great experience. I’ve heard from some of the parent who said their sons had never had as much fun.”

He paused and added, “I just wish there had been a Watson Cup when I was growing up.”

The 2024 Watson Cup will be played in the fall at Yeamans Hall, a Seth Raynor design that dates to 1925, near Charleston.

Chip shots. Harold “Boomer” Martin, whose byline occupied this space for more than 30 years from the 1960s into the 1990s, died at age 91. ... Jay Smith (Florence) fired a 4-under-par 66 to charge from behind and win the Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational at Florence CC. Owen Atkinson (Columbia) captured the tourney 13-14 division, edging Will Ruth (Moore) in a playoff. Connor Wolfe (Blythewood) led the 12-and-under division. ... Calahan Keever (Greenville) took medalist honors in qualifying for the South Carolina Amateur at the CC of South Carolina in Florence. The State Amateur will be played Aug. 4-7 at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach.