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Griggs Outlasts Holbrook in 4-Hole Playoff at Winter Classic

DALLAS – Prosper’s Matthew Griggs won the first event of the 2018 Legends Junior Tour season Sunday afternoon. He outlasted Jake Holbrook of Granbury in a four-hole playoff.

Lubbock’s Logan Vargas had a wire-to-wire victory in the Boys 14 & Under division for his first LJT victory of his young career. Austin’s Kaylee Vesely won by the slimmest of margins over Dallas Athletic Club’s own Hailey Jones in the Girls 12-18 division.

Through several rain showers and an inclement weather delay that lasted nearly an hour and a half, Griggs and Holbrook carded two of the lowest rounds of the day, a 2-under 70 for Holbrook and a 1-under 71 for Griggs. The two finished their round tied atop the leaderboard at 1-over 145.

The playoff started with pars for the pair on the first hole. They did the same on the second, then both bogeyed the third playoff hole. On the fourth playoff hole, Holbrook hit a great chip for his third shot to 6 feet. He missed the putt and that allowed Griggs to two-putt from just inside of 6 feet for the victory.

First-round leader David Harrison of Trophy Club and Shayler Dance of Dallas finished tied for third place, two back of Griggs at 3-over 147. Austin’s Thomas Bockholt III and Hunter Bott finished in a tie for fifth place at 5-over 149.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Logan Vargas carded the lowest round of the tournament in that division with an even-par 72 Sunday afternoon. He started out with a bogey on his first hole, the par-5 10th hole, but followed it up with a birdie on the par-5 13th. He started his back nine with birdies on the first and second holes before getting a third on the difficult par-4 fifth hole, his 14th of the day. He played steady through the rain coming in with four straight pars.

He finished seven shots ahead of the field. Austin’s Keaton Vo finished in second place after a final round 72. Spring’s Matthew Spaulding finished in third place at 11-over 155 and in third place.

In Girls 12-18 division, Kaylee Vesely came from behind to win by one stroke. She had an up-and-down day, carding four bogeys, a double-bogey and five birdies. Her 1-over 73 was just enough to edge out Jones, who carded an even-par 72.

Jones, the reigning three-time LJT Girls Player of the Year, finished in second place, while Plano’s Melena Barrientos finished in third place, two shots back of Vesely. She carded a final-round even-par 72 as well.

The Legends Junior Tour’s second event of the 2018 will be at Corpus Christi Country Club for the fourth annual James A. Ragan Memorial February 18-19.

For more information on the Winter Classic or the Legends Junior Tour, please visit www.TXGA.org.

For final round results, click here.