Oct. 29, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina freshman Ben Dietrich has been named an honorable mention Rolex Junior All-American, the American Junior Golf Association announced Tuesday.

A native of Bluffton, S.C., Dietrich earned the honor after having a standout 2012-13 as he reached the semifinals of the Polo Golf Junior Classic and tied for sixth at the Brian Harman Championship in 2013. He also finished tied for 19th at the 2012 Jones Cup Junior Invitational.

Introduced by the AJGA in 1978, the Rolex Junior All-America Teams annually recognize players who have proven to be the world’s premier junior golfers. This year’s selections distinguished themselves through their outstanding play in 114 national events, 100 of which were conducted by the AJGA. The Rolex Junior All-America Teams were determined exclusively through the Polo Golf Rankings as of Oct. 16.

The teams are comprised of 97 junior golfers, ages 13-18, from 24 states, Puerto Rico and seven foreign countries (Bolivia, China, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and Zimbabwe).These standouts will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet, Nov. 24, at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Dietrich has played in two tournaments for the Gamecocks this fall, finishing tied for 33rd at the Rees Jones Invitational and tied for 44th at the Badger Invitational. The Gamecocks will close out their fall schedule on Nov. 3-5 in the Wendy’s Kiawah Classic at Turtle Point Golf Club in Kiawah Island, S.C.