Around the Green

Vesely's Stellar 5-under 67 Leads Girls 12-18 division at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

PROSPER, Texas – Austin’s Kaylee Vesely leads the Girls 12-18 division after a stellar 5-under-par 67 Monday afternoon at the Legends Junior Tour’s Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship at Gentle Creek Country Club

San Antonio’s Justin Abshire carded five birdies en route to a 4-under-par 68 in Monday’s first round to lead the Boys 15-18 division. Two players, Colleyville’s Bryce McCracken and Temple’s Dallas Hankamer, are tied for the lead in the Boys 14 & Under division after carding 1-over-par 73’s in their opening round.

Conducted by the Legends Junior Tour, the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship is being hosted by Gentle Creek Country Club for the fourth consecutive year. The D.A. Weibring designed par-72 golf course is playing 6,994 yards for the Boys 15-18 division, 6,397 yards for the Boys 14 & Under division and 5,840 yard for all girls.

Vesely had an impressive eight birdies in her opening round. Her lone blemish on the day, a triple bogey on the difficult par-4 fourth hole was the only thing that stood in the way of a nearly perfect round. She had four birdies on the front nine, including three in a row on holes six through eight. She then poured in four more birdies on the back nine for an impressive 4-under 32 coming home.

Vesely, holds a slim two-stroke lead over Southlake’s Stephanie Lee. Lee started off her round almost as good as possible, making birdies on three of the first four holes. She had a double-bogey at the difficult par-4 12^th hole, but followed it up with back-to-back birdies on the 13^th and 14^th holes. She birdied her final hole of the day to get to 3-under-par 69 heading into Tuesday’s final round.

Dallas’ Hailey Jones, two-time defending Texas State Junior Champion, sits in third place at 2-under 70, three shots back of Vesely. Carrollton’s Serena Shah sits in fourth place after an even-par 72.

Abshire, 17, played in the penultimate group in the Boys 15-18 division, starting his round at 10:39 am. He started out steady, making par on his first three holes, then caught fire, making birdies on three of his next four, including the 456-yard, par-4 fourth hole. He carded his lone bogey of the day on the par-3 11^th, but righted the ship with two birdies coming down the stretch on the 15^th and 18^th holes.

His 4-under 68 leads the Boys 15-18 division by two shots over San Angelo’s Jeffrey Maciejewski and Frisco’s Blake Parnell. Both players recorded birdies on the first hole, but their rounds were different after that. Maciejewski carded four birdies against two bogeys for his 2-under 70, while Parnell recorded a bogey-free round to get to his 70.

Five players sit at even-par 72, tied for fourth place after the first round, including Chris Berzina, who had the shot of the day. Playing in the first group of the day, off at 7:30 am, Berzina hit a 7-iron from 170 yards and aced the par-3 fifth hole. It was the first hole-in-one he’s ever recorded.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, McCracken carded three bogeys in his first 10 holes, but quickly went the other way with back-to-back birdies on the 11^th and 12^th holes. He made par the rest of the way to sign for his 1-over 73. On the other hand, Hankamer birdied the par-5 second hole, but stumbled to close out his front nine, going 4-over on holes six through eight. His
back nine was much better, carding three birdies in a five-hole stretch.

The pair sit one shot ahead of Plano’s Davis Fritz. Fritz double-bogeyed his final hole for his 2-over 74. McKinney’s Alex Kopenhaver sits alone in fourth place after a 5-over-par 77 in the opening round.

Tee times for Tuesday’s final round of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship are scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the first tee. For more information on the tournament, or the Legends Junior tour, please visit www.TXGA.org.

For full first round results, click here.