Around the Green

Frizzell's 65 Vaults Him to Victory at Lanny Wadkins JC

PROSPER – Henry Frizzell of Frisco executed an almost flawless round Tuesday afternoon to win the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship. His bogey-free 7-under 65 propelled him up to the top of the leaderboard for his first Legends Junior Tour Victory.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Driftwood’s Grant Yerger came from behind to win after a final round 1-under 71. McKinney’s Amari Smith captured her first LJT victory in the Girls 12-18 Division after an even-par 72 Tuesday afternoon at Gentle Creek Country Club

Located in Prosper, a suburb of Dallas, Gentle Creek hosted the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the fifth straight year. The D.A. Weibring designed course meanders through the upscale residential neighborhoods. The course features intriguing elevation changes, picturesque water hazards and large, undulating greens that challenged all 120 players in this year’s field.

Standing on the first tee after his tee shot, Frizzell had his hands in the air, puzzled by what had just happened. He topped his first tee shot and was left with 270 yards in on the 407-yard par-4. He hit 3-wood and got up-and-down for par. That par save was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

He was able to get his round going after a birdie at the third hole. He closed his opening nine with three birdies in the last four holes to go out in 4-under 32. That stellar play continued and he birdied three in a row on the back nine, holes 13-15 and made 3 pars coming home. That 65 allowed him to shoot up the leaderboard eight spots after the first round to the top.

Frizzell won the Boys 15-18 division by two shots. His nearest competitor was Trophy Club’s David Harrison at 6-under 138 tournament total. Jase Summy, Thomas Bockholt III, and Alex Kopenhaver finished tied for third place, three shots back of Frizzell. In all, 14 players finished at even-par or better for the tournament.

In the Boys 14 & Under division, Yerger played consistently all day, except for back-to-back bogeys on the sixth and seventh holes, his only two of the day. He followed those blemishes up with an immediate birdie on the eighth hole and had a bogey-free back nine including two other birdies. His 1-under 71 was just good enough for him to lift the trophy Tuesday.

Dallas’ Ben Delarosa finished in second place, just one shot back of Yerger. He shot a 1-over 73 in his final round. Frisco’s Will Livermore and first-round leader, Tanner Wardlaw, finished tied for third, five shots back of Yerger.

This was Amari Smith’s first Legends Junior Tour event, and she came away victorious at the Lanny Wadkins JC. She was in third place and trailed by two shots heading into Tuesday’s round, but a consistent even-par 72 got her to the top. Her clutch birdies on holes 15, 17, and 18 gave her a one-shot victory.

Frisco’s Gabbi Bentancourt, was one of the leaders after the first round, bogeyed her final hole and allowed Smith to jump ahead of her. Bentancourt finished solo second place at 2-over 146 for the tournament. Houston’s Zoe Slaughter finished in third place after a 1-under 71 Tuesday.

The Legends Junior Tour would like to thank Gentle Creek Country club, its members and staff for hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship. The Legends Junior Tour summer schedule wraps up Monday and Tuesday, August 13-14 at UT Golf Club for the George Hannon Junior Invitational.

For final results, click here.