Benjamin Griffin of Chapel Hill defeated Elliott Grayson of Shelby, 3 & 2 Thursday afternoon in Charlotte, to advance in golf's 44th N.C. Junior Championship.  Griffin, the 2011 4-A high school champion, was to face Stanhope Johnson Jr. of Greensboro today.

Johnson defeated defending champion Carter Page of Waynesville 5 & 4 in their Thursday morning match.  Johnson, a rising high school senior, then advanced to the semifinals by defeating Tanner Owen of High Point on the 19th hole at Pine Island Country Club.

 Dylan Harris of Southern Pines and Victor Wiggins of Gastonia were in the other semifinal.

In the girls’ division, Emily Brooks of Chapel Hill defeated stroke-play medalist Emily Pagrabs of Wilmington 4 & 3 to reach the quarterfinals.  Brooks was then beaten by Kayla Sciupider of Etowah 6 & 5.

PINEHURST -- Ben Griffin of East Chapel Hill won a dramatic playoff with Greenville Rose's Andrew Decker on Tuesday to take the individual championship in the 75th annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A men’s golf championships at Pinehurst No. 6.

Griffin won it on the second playoff hole, chipping in to save par on a par four, after the two had finished deadlocked in the regulation 36 holes with 137 totals, five under par.

Andrew Klassing of Charlotte Ardrey Kell was third in the individual standings with a 140. Defending champ Grayson Murray of Raleigh Leesville Road was one of three golfers in a tie for fourth at even par 142, but Carter Jenkins of Leesville won on the first playoff hole to take the fourth spot over Murray and Philip Oweida of Charlotte Myers Park.
The championship was held on a par-71 layout set at 6,537 yards or the NCHSAA event.

Leesville Road held on to capture the team championship with a 292 score on Tuesday for a 577 total, four shots ahead of Myers Park. Ardrey Kell was third with a 593, followed by Raleigh Wakefield and Cary Green Hope. Six of the 12 teams in the field broke 600.