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Byron Nelson Junior Set For June 28-30

The Legends Junior Tour’s Byron Nelson Junior Championship, the LJT’s first Major Championship of the year, starts on June 28 and continues through June 30. The 54-hole event is returning to Lakewood Country Club for the 15th time. 
 
Byron Nelson won the 1944 Victory Open, which became the Dallas Open and later the Byron Nelson Classic. As one of the most successful tournaments on the PGA Tour, the long and happy association between Lakewood and Nelson continued into the new millennium with the Byron Nelson Junior Classic Invitational.
 
Past champions include three-time winner Jordan Spieth, who won the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open Championship. Spieth won the Byron Nelson Junior Championship from 2008-10. In 2009, he set the Lakewood Country Club course record with a 9-under 62 in the second round. Ryan Baca, Alex Moon, Cody Gribble, Hunter Shattuck, Chandler Phillips are all former winners.
 
“The list of past champions of this event is very impressive,” said Kellen Kubasak, Director of Operations for the LJT. “Several have gone on to succeed at the collegiate, amateur and pro levels. We are looking forward to adding another name to the Byron Nelson Junior Championship trophy.”
 
The 78-player field will play 54 holes of stroke play competition. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the low 30 and ties for the final round. The tournament will be ranked by Golfweek, Junior Golf Scoreboard, and the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Numerous AJGA performance stars will be handed out to the top finishers of the Championship as well.
 
Known as being one of the strongest fields on the LJT schedule, this year’s Byron Nelson Junior Championship is no different. This year’s field consists of the defending Boys 15-18 Player of the Year, Pierceson Coody, who finished runner-up in last year’s championship, and four tournament winners on tour in the Boys 15-18 Division.
 
Thomas Critch won the Winter Classic in January, Turner Hosch won the Spring Preview in February, Brandon Hoff won the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic in March and Crosby Guercio won the Collegiate Preview in March.
 
Shuai Ming Wong and Chad Sewell are both coming off a top-15 finish at the Texas Amateur Championship at Oak Hills Country Club. James Thompson is coming off a tie for 23rd at the Texas Amateur Championship, while Brody Blackmon finished tied for 26th in San Antonio.
 
Opened in 1912, Lakewood is the second-oldest club in Dallas and was designed by Scotland native Thomas Bendelow, who also designed nearby Dallas CC and River Crest CC in Fort Worth. Though the course has seen several renovations since its inception, the designers responsible have stayed true to Bendelow’s original layout.
 
Live scoring will be available throughout the championship. First round play begins Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 a.m. Spectators and media are welcome to attend.