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Longview Wins 2016 Texas Challenge

AUSTIN – The Texas Challenge was held on Tuesday, August 2, at Harvey Penick Golf Campus in Austin. Teams of two junior girls in two different age divisions, from Winners’ Programs around the state, competed. The Winners’ Program is a golf and grades initiative of the WTGA in partnership with the LPGA and USGA Girls Golf Texas Chapters. The Winners’ Program benefits youth (ages 7-17) and promotes and grows girls' golf in the Lone Star State.

This year's Texas Challenge participants included five teams from San Antonio, Longivew, Waco, Houston and two Austin teams. Each team, made up of two girls in the 11 & under age group and two girls in the 12-17 age group, competed in a 9-hole best ball score for each age division.

The Texas Challenge honors the late Toni Wiesner by awarding The Toni Wiesner Cup to the winning team. Toni Wiesner, a TCU graduate and Fort Worth resident was a long time friend to the WTGA, and was a member of the USGA Junior Girls' golf committee. Toni's many golf achievements include being a five time WTGA State Amateur Champion (1985, 1988, 1989, 1993 and 2003), the 1981 Women's Southern Amateur Champion, the 1997 British Senior Women's Amateur Champion and a three time runner-up of the USGA Senior Women's Amateur. Toni possessed a wonderful determination and competitive spirit and always displayed graciousness, whether in victory or defeat. These qualities make Toni the perfect example for the participants in the WTGA Winners' Program and the Texas Challenge. Toni's solid characteristics and good sportsmanship are qualities not only the junior girls, but all golfers, can look up to and try to emulate.

This year marks the 8th Texas Challenge since it began in 2008. The defending champions, LPGA/USGA Girls’ Golf of Houston team included Bella Fores, Jannel Calixteno, Alexa Vela and Peyton Anderson had a combined score of 63 which ended in a tie with Longview. The East Texas team of Faith Ann Chinn, Kinley Pessel, Connor Howard and Zoe Mayfield won this year’s 2016 Toni Wiesner Cup in a scorecard playoff over Houston. San Antonio came in third place with a combined total of 71. Congratulations to all the teams who participated!

Click here for pictures from the 2016 Texas Challenge.