Around the Green

Jansen Smith Leads Texas State Junior Championship

2018 Texas Tech Commit Leads Texas State Junior Championship

HORSESHOE BAY – Jansen Smith of San Angelo hoisted a trophy six days ago after winning the Folds of Honor Junior Championship hosted by Bob Estes in Abilene. His nine-shot victory was defined by a final round 61. After carding back-to-back rounds of 68 at Summit Rock Golf Club, Smith’s competitive rounds below par now totals five straight. He leads the 91st Texas State Junior Championship by two strokes at 8-under par overall.
 
“I found something in my swing a couple weeks ago and been really working on that,” Smith said. “I feel very comfortable with where I’m at right now.”
 
Smith, 17, bogeyed his opening hole in Round 2, but he followed the early dropped shot with birdies on the par-5 second and par-3 third. He bounced back once again on the front nine after a bogey on the par-5 fifth with a birdie on the uphill par-3 sixth.
 
After firing 1-under 35 on his opening loop, Smith continued flawless play on the back side. He played his closing nine holes bogey free highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 14th. He blasted a 5-iron from 220 yards to within eight feet of the hole. He was left with a downhill slider breaking left. Smith confidently brushed in the eagle putt to reach 4-under par and finished with a second straight 68.
 
“The easy part is just kind of having positive shots from the day before and being able to put it in the same spots that you did,” said Smith, a 2018 Texas Tech commit.
 
Smith won the 2017 LJT Alamo Shootout at Briggs Ranch GC in June and qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Texas Star GC July 6. His successful summer continues at the Texas State Junior. He said he would be honored to join the great names on the Texas State Junior Championship trophy.
 
“This is one of my favorite tournaments of the summer,” Smith said. “It would be an honor to be amongst those great players.”
 
Michael Rome of Austin and San Antonio’s John Keefer share second place overall and sit two shots back of the lead. Rome, a rising UT-San Antonio freshman, shot a 4-under 68. Keefer, a 2019 Baylor commit, fired the lowest round of the day. He carded six birdies and an eagle en route to a 6-under-par 66.
 
The 2017 Texas State Junior Championship field was cut to the top-51 players. The final round begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. For more information click here.