The heat and the pressure ballooned Thursday during the final round of the Columbia County Junior Golf Championship.

So did the scores.

But Hamilton Harbin remained steady, shooting 2-under-par 70 to win the 16-18 age group of the tournament.

Harbin and Martin Manning, who shot 69, were the only two players in their age group to break par.

James Williams, who led after the first round, faded with a second-round 78.

"I knew I wouldn't have to come back a lot," said Harbin, who began the day three shots back after a first-round 73. "It was kind of fun to push myself."

Manning's 69 vaulted him into a third-place tie with Kelby Burton.

But there wouldn't be many other moves in the right direction. Cameron Spears followed a first-round 71 with 74 to finish second, two shots behind Harbin. Spears said he figured he'd need a round of even-par or better to win.

"I knew I had a chance at it," Spears said. "My putting was not well."

Spears was playing in a group that included Williams. Williams said he struggled on the greens, burning the edges of the cup and lipping out more than one attempt.

Harbin's putts were falling, he said, hence the disparity.

"He hits the ball good," Williams said. "If you drop putts -- that's what he did -- anybody who can make putts is going to score well."

Spears said the higher scores Thursday could have been a result of different tee times. Spears and some of the other leaders were among the first to tee off Wednesday. They played later in the day Thursday, when temperatures were higher.

But he wasn't taking away from Harbin, whom he called a good friend.

"He's a good player," Spears said. "He doesn't miss many shots."

The 13-15 age group finished in similar fashion. Austin Vick, who led after a first-round 65, withdrew as expected after the opening round and played in a Georgia State Golf Association sectional qualifier at Forest Hills Golf Club.

His absence left Davis Parker and Cody Shafer tied to start the day after matching shooting 68 on Wednesday.

Parker said he learned while warming up before his round that Vick wouldn't make it. He then went out and shot a final-round 71 to edge Shafer by a shot.

"I just went out there and played par," Parker said.

It eluded him on his final hole.

After a birdie at the eighth gave Parker a two-shot lead, he hit his tee shot through the fairway on the ninth and was forced to take a drop and a penalty shot. From there, he punched out, hit into a greenside bunker and made bogey.

Shafer couldn't capitalize.

"I just hit the ball like crap," Shafer said after his round of 72. "I just played as good I could."

Alex Dye, who started the day 3-under and one shot back, shot 79 to finish well off the pace.

But after the trophies were handed out to the top three finishers, Dye won his own hardware in a raffle drawing -- a King Cobra 5-wood.