Historic weekend at Darlington: Watson and Weiss claim Southern 500 Golf titles
Jon Weiss Jr. (center) proudly displays his trophy after winning the 62nd Southern 500 Golf Invitational at the Darlington Country Club (DCC). He is joined by Timmy Huntley (DCC Owner), Jon Weiss Sr., Jim Vernon (DCC General Manager) and Josh Harris (Darlington Raceway President).
Diane Watson of Bishopville won the Women’s Division at the Darlington Country Club’s (DCC) 62nd Annual Southern 500 Golf Invitational. She stands with Jim Vernon, General Manager of DCC.
History and heroics shared the spotlight this past weekend at Darlington Country Club, where the 62nd Southern 500 Golf Invitational crowned two champions and, for the first time in tournament history, welcomed a women’s division to the field.
The milestone began Friday, Aug. 28, as competitors squared off in 18 holes of stroke play to determine the inaugural women’s champion. When the scorecards were tallied, Diane Watson of Bishopville and Lora Ledbetter of Hartsville stood deadlocked at the top of the leaderboard, forcing a one-hole playoff. Watson prevailed in the sudden-death showdown, etching her name into the record books as the first women’s champion in the event’s 62-year history.
On the men’s side, defending champion Jon Weiss Jr. of Florence delivered a performance for the ages. Trailing Jamie Stanley of Darlington entering the final round, Weiss stormed back on Sunday with a blistering nine-under-par 63, matching the course record and seizing control of the tournament down the stretch. His closing surge propelled him to a three-day total of 19-under par, three strokes clear of Stanley, and secured his second consecutive Southern 500 title.
Nearly 140 golfers from across South Carolina, the Southeast and beyond descended on Darlington for the three-day showcase, which served as a centerpiece event in the club’s ongoing Centennial Celebration. Beyond the trophies and record-tying rounds, the tournament continued its long-standing tradition of giving back, with proceeds supporting the Friends of Southern 500 Junior Golf, a nonprofit dedicated to growing the game among our area’s youngest players.
With a new champion crowned in the women’s division and a repeat winner permanently cementing his place among the tournament’s elite, the 62nd Southern 500 Golf Invitational will be remembered as one of the event’s most significant chapters yet.