Around the Green

Lee, Smith Lead Alamo Shootout After 6-under 66s

SAN ANTONIO – Mission’s Jun Min Lee and San Angelo’s Jansen Smith both shot a stellar 6-under-par 66 Monday afternoon at Briggs Ranch Golf Club to lead the Boys 15-18 division at the Alamo Shootout. The duo lead by one over Corpus Christi’s Billy Teichman.

Dallas’ Hailey Jones, two-time defending Girls LJT Player of the Year, and Montgomery’s Iliana Stowers are tied atop the Girls 12-18 division after a pair of 1-over-par 73s. San Antonio native, Patrick Kahanek leads the Boys 14 & Under division after an even-par 72.

The Legends Junior Tour is conducting the Alamo Shootout for the first time since 2011 when it was held at historic Brackenridge Golf Course.  This year’s event is being held at Briggs Ranch Golf Club, one of the top private courses in the San Antonio Area. The Tom Fazio designed Briggs Ranch is nestled in the heart of the hill country, winding through the rolling hills some 20 miles from downtown San Antonio.

The players are treated to spectacular view of the city and surrounding areas, while also trying to focus their short game on the difficult, but perfect bent grass green complexes. The perfect weather conditions – upper 80’s with minimal wind – allowed for ideal scores.

Lee, currently second on the 2017 LJT Player of the Year Points List, carded seven birdies and an eagle in his round. His eagle came on the short par-4, 14^th hole, and capped off a stellar start, 5-under-par through his first five holes (he started on the tenth hole). He settled down and then had a double-bogey at the difficult 413-yard second hole.  He had two closing birdies though, on the eighth and ninth holes, his 17^th and 18^th of the day.

Smith started on the 442-yard, par 4 first hole, and promptly was 1-under through one. He played mistake free in his round, carding five more birdies and no bogeys. He had three birdies in a five-hole stretch in the middle of his round to get him to 5-under through 12 holes. He birdied the par-3 17^th to get his sixth and final birdie of the day.

Lee and Smith only lead by one shot heading into Tuesday over Teichman. The 2017 James A. Ragan champion, Teichman started on No. 10 and closed his front nine with four straight birdies. Granbury’s Tucker Allen, current LJT Player of the Year Points List leader sits in 4^th place, just two shots back of the leaders. Riley Griffin, Austin Chung, Hunter McDonough, and William Moll are all three shots back and tied for fifth.

In the Girls 12-18 division, Stowers played consistently, carding three birdies against four bogeys. She had back-to-back birdies on the par-5 11^th hole and the long par-4 12^th. Jones, started out 2-under through her first 13 holes, but a double bogey on the short, par-4 14^th put her back at even for her round. She had one more closing bogey on the par-3 17^th hole.

Stowers and Jones lead by two strokes over Temple’s Julia Garcia and Austin’s Lauren Hinkle heading into Tuesday’s final round. Both carded 3-over 75s Monday afternoon. Cedar Park’s Caylnne Rosholt sits in solo fifth after a 5-over-par 77 in Monday’s opening round.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Kahanek, leads by one stroke over Matthew Spaulding after an even-par 72. He carded three birdies and three bogeys. When he made a mistake, a bogey, he immediately followed it up with a birdie all three times. He played the four par-3s 2-under par on the day.

Matthew Spaulding, who won the James A. Ragan Memorial in February, sits in second place heading into Sunday. His brother Andrew Spaulding is tied with Braeden Hoyt for third place at 2-over-par 72. Jack Watson and Shaheen Momin are tied for fifth place.

Tuesday’s final round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 AM off the first and 10^th tees. For more information on the Alamo Shootout
or Legends Junior Tour, please visit www.TXGA.org.

For full first round results, click here.