Huntersville's Harrell shows he belongs

Huntersville’s Logan Harrell went into the U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship this week with the goal of winning.

He didn’t quite reach that but Harrell’s run to the semifinals still brought plenty of satisfaction.

“My goal was to win and my other goal was to play well. I exceeded the second part because I played about as well as I ever have,” said Harrell, a rising senior at Hopewell High.

Harrell was eliminated in the semifinals Friday afternoon 1-up by his 15-year old friend Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Tex.

In the quarterfinals Friday morning at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., Harrell defeated Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Cal., 2-up.

Against Spieth in the afternoon, Harrell found himself 4-down after six holes but four birdies in a five-hole stretch allowed him to pull even with five holes remaining before Spieth pulled away again.

Harrell, who plays at Cowans Ford Country Club and will attend the University of South Carolina, had a top-10 finish in the prestigious Foot-Joy Invitational AJGA event earlier this summer and reached the round of 16 in the Carolinas Amateur.

“I proved I can play with the best of them,” Harrell said.