Around the Green

Denton Comes From Behind to Win Lanny Wadkins

PROSPER, Texas – Austin’s Matthew Denton came from behind to win the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship after a second consecutive 3-under 69 Tuesday afternoon at Gentle Creek Country C lub.

Houston’s Zoe Slaughter captured the Girls 12-18 division after carding a 2-under-par 142 tournament total. Carrollton’s Greg Seo was victorious in the Boys 14 & Under division, winning by two shots.

Gentle Creek Country Club hosted the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the fifth consecutive year. The D.A. Weibring designed golf course winds through the new residential neighborhoods of Prosper. The Boys 15-18 division played the golf course at 7,044 yards, while the Boys 14 & Under division played 6,496 yards and all girls played 5,948 yards.

Denton, 16, birdied the par-5 second hole to get off to a good start, but an ensuing double bogey on the difficult, 456-yard par-4 fourth brought him back to 1-over for the day. He carded two more birdies against a bogey on his front nine to get back to even-par. His closing loop is where the birdies started pouring in. He had four birdies in his final six holes to secure a two shot victory for his first of his career.

Frisco’s Jensen Rogenes fired a final round 4-under 68, including an eagle on the closing par-5 18^th hole, to jump into second place. Samuel Kim, the leader after Monday’s first round just couldn’t get anything going and closed with a 1-over 73 that dropped him back to third place. Garrett Martin and Caleb Hicks both shot 3-under 69s to jump into a tie for fourth place Tuesday afternoon. Drake Davidson also finished tied for fourth place after a 1-over 73.

In the Girls 12-18 division, Slaughter, currently second on the LJT Girls Player of the Year Points List, started off her final round hot. She birdied the par-5 second hole, and followed it up with two more birdies on the front side before closing her nine with a double-bogey on the scenic par-3, ninth. She righted the ship before making a few bogeys coming home, but by that time, it was all but over.

Kingwood’s Elise Parel finished one shot back of Slaughter after carding a final round 1-under-par 71. Playing in the group in front of Slaughter, she birdied three of her final four holes trying to play catch up. All she could do was watch the last hole, one in which Slaughter made a par to claim her first LJT victory.

Madigan Murray finished in third place, seven shots back of Slaughter. Haley Vargas and Taylor Mieras finished tied for fourth place.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Seo won his first Legends Junior Tour event. He finished two strokes ahead of Evan Kugle. Jake Bendetti rounded out the top three.

The Legends Junior Tour will head to Wolfdancer Golf Club August 14-15 for the George Hannon Junior Invitational, the final event of the summer on the LJT schedule.

For more information on the Lanny Wadkins JC or the Legends Junior Tour, please visit www.TXGA.org. For full final round results, click here.