Around the Green

Lee, Weibel, and Jones Lead Season-Opening Winter Classic

DALLAS – Mission’s Jun Min Lee carded a 3-under-par 69 in the opening round of the Legends Junior Tour’s Winter Classic Saturday afternoon. Dallas’ own Hudson Weibel leads the Boys 14 & Under division after an even-par 72 at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course. Dallas’ Hailey Jones carded a 4-under-par 68 and leads by one shot heading into Sunday’s final round.

This is the ninth consecutive year Dallas Athletic Club has hosted the Winter Classic, all nine on Jack Nicklaus’ signature Blue Course. The Winter Classic is the first event on the LJT schedule for the third season in a row. The Boys 15-18 division is playing the par-72 course at 6,779 yards, the Boys 14 & Under at 6,160 yards and the Girls 12-18 division at 5,812 yards.

Lee, who won his first event in the Boys 15-18 division at the 2016 North Texas Classic, started out 4-under through his first four holes, No’s 10-13, and played consistently the rest of the way. His four birdies and an eagle offset the three bogeys he had. He looks to complete the wire-to-wire victory Sunday afternoon.

His lead is slim though. Spring’s Zakary Jones and DAC member Holden Wisener carded rounds of 2-under 70. Both players look to get off to a hot start in 2017, looking for their first victory on the LJT. Luke Dossey, Caden Honea, and Samuel Kim sit in a tie for fourth place with even-par 72s.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Weibel will look to capture his first LJT victory. His even-par 72 leads by four shots heading into Sunday. He fired a 4-under 32 on the front nine, including three straight birdies, but faltered coming down the stretch.

He leads by four shots over Frisco’s Minas Manias. Manias is playing in his first Legends Junior Tour event. Dallas Hankamer sits in third place after a 5-over 77. Connor Adams and Alex Kopenhaver are tied for fourth place.  In the Girls 12-18 division,
Jones, the back-to-back LJT Girls Player of the Year, was even-par through the opening nine holes, carding two birdies and two bogeys. She started her back nine with a birdie on the short, 481-yard, par-5 10^th hole and never looked back. She added three more birdies on No’s. 12, 13 and 16. As defending champion of the Winter Classic and playing on her home course, Jones will try to repeat Sunday afternoon.

She leads by one shot over Richardson’s Libby Winans, who carded a 3-under-par 69. Winans will try to catch Jones on Sunday and grab her first LJT title. Austin’s Kaylee Vesely sits in third place, five shots back of Jones after a 1-over 73. Chandler Rosholt sits in fourth place, and Winans’ younger sister Meagan sits in fifth place.

Sunday’s final round for the Winter Classic is scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM off the first and 10^th tees. For more information on the Winter Classic or the Legends Junior Tour, please visit www.TXGA.org. 

For first round results, click here.