Around the Green

Maciejewski, Vesely, Hankamer Win Lanny Wadkins JC

PROSPER, Texas – San Angelo’s Jeffrey Maciejewski came out victorious at the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship Tuesday afternoon after posting a 2-under 70 in the final round at Gentle Creek Country Club.

In the Girls 12-18 division Austin’s Kaylee Vesely captured her first Legends Junior Tour victory after posting a final-round 73. Dallas Hankamer of Temple carded a final-round 74 to claim victory in the Boys 14 & Under division Tuesday afternoon.

Conducted by the Legends Junior Tour, the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship was hosted by Gentle Creek Country Club for the fourth consecutive year. The D.A. Weibring designed par-72 golf course played 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.

Maciejewski started his final round off with a bogey on the opening and most difficult hole on the golf course, a 407-yard par-4.
He got that stroke back on the third hole with a birdie and then had six straight pars before opening his back side with a birdie on the par-4 10^th hole. He made two more birdies back-to-back on the 14^th and 15^th holes. He gave one back on his final hole of the day, the par-5 18^th, but by then, the title was all but his.

Maciejewski finished two strokes ahead of Richardson’s Tommy Boone, who carded the low round of the tournament in the Boys 15-18 division with a 5-under 67, and McKinney’s Jake Kuwitzky. Jack Anderson, the Flodder Financial Shootout champion, and Caleb Hicks of Arlington finished tied for fourth at 1-under 143 for the tournament. Andrew Lindberg’s 1-under 71 in the final round vaulted him to sixth place at even-par 144 for the tournament.

Heading into the par-5 18^th hole, Vesely was tied with Dallas’ Hailey Jones atop the Girls 12-18 division leaderboard at 3-under for the tournament. Vesely, hit her third shot just beyond the green and had a downhill chip. Jones hit her approach short into the deep greenside bunker. Jones hit a great bunker shot to seven feet, but Vesely, topped that, holing her chip for a birdie and the win.

Vesely had 15 straight pars to start her round, but a double-bogey on the short par-4 16^th left her tied with Jones. She was able to forget about the rough hole and finish par-birdie to capture her first LJT victory. Jones and Carrollton’s Serena Shah finished tied for second at 2-under-par 142 for the tournament.

Shah carded one of three sub-par rounds  in the Girls 12-18 Division on Tuesday with a 2-under 70. Austin’s Randi Romack carded the low round of the day, a 3-under 69 and finished alone in fourth place.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Hankamer began the round tied with Colleyville’s Bryce McCracken. McCracken birdied two of the first three holes, but then struggled the rest of his front nine, leaving the door open for Hankamer. He made consecutive birdies on holes nine and 10 and never looked back. He had a double-bogey on the par-3 15^th, but that didn’t stop him from being crowned the 2016 champion in the Boys 14 & Under Division.

McCracken finished three shots back of Hankamer for solo second place. McKinney’s Alex Kopenhaver and Plano’s Davis Fritz finished tied for third place with a 7-over 151 tournament total.

For more information on the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship or the Legends Junior Tour, please visit www.TXGA.org.

For final results, click here.