Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Foster, Sudberry and Ballis Win LJT Spring Preview
Leaderboard:
1. Reed Foster, McKinney, TX – 138
T2. Zachary Kingsland, Austin, TX – 144
T2. Shaheen Momin, Sugar Land, TX – 144
T2. Damin Strydom, Kingwood, TX – 144
T2. Holden Webb, Shreveport, LA – 144
Girls 12-18 Division
1. *Sky Sudberry, The Woodlands, TX – 149
T2. Carly Whittington, Kinder, LA – 149
T2. Emma McMyler, San Antonio, TX – 149
4. Maggie Ni, Cypress, TX – 151
5. Sora Kim, Houston, TX – 155
Boys 14 & Under Division
1. Bowen Ballis, Shenandoah, TX – 142
2. Ben Delarosa, Dallas, TX – 147
T3. Grant Yerger, Driftwood, TX – 150
T3. Nathan Marion, San Antonio, TX – 150
T5. Kevin Mu, Austin, TX – 151
T5. Andrew Petruzzelli, Dallas, TX – 151
*Won in Playoff
Golf Course: Quail Valley’s El Dorado Golf Course is hosting the Spring Preview for the first time in the tournament’s 14-year history. The par-71 is playing to 6,689 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,266 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,865 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division. The course maneuvers its way through the residential areas of Missouri City and is littered with penalty areas around the course.
Weather: The weather took a turn for the worse on Sunday, as the winds picked up and the clouds littered the sky. There was a steady drizzle in the morning that went away around noon. The winds didn’t stop all day however, blowing around 15 miles per hour with gusts upwards of 25 mph.
The Winners: Foster picked up his first win in the Boys 15-18 Division following consecutive rounds of 2-under, making eight birdies in two days and an eagle. The eagle came on the final hole of the tournament, the par-5 18th, which plays to 540 yards in the division. Sudberry’s win in the Girls 12-18 Division is her first and came after three players finished tied for first at 149 overall. Sudberry made five straight pars and survived the sudden-death playoff to win the division. Ballis won his first Boys 14 & Under Division title by five strokes after posting consecutive rounds of even-par 71. He made birdie on holes two and four but dropped shots on the par-4 third and the par-5 seventh. He turned at even-par and finished with nine straight pars for a solid 71 in steady winds.
The Field: Four players tied for second in the Boys 15-18 Division behind Foster. Austin’s Zachary Kingsland, Sugar Land’s Shaheen Momin, Kingwood’s Damin Strydom and Shreveport’s Holden Webb all finished at 144 overall. Carly Whittington of Kinder, La. and Emma McMyler of San Antonio were in the playoff against Sudberry in the Girls 12-18 Division. McMyler dropped out after the first playoff hole, while Whittington and Sudberry traded pars until the par-4 fifth, which is 347 yards and has water surrounding the green. Whittington missed her par putt to fall back into a tie for second. Cypress’ Maggie Ni finished fourth in the division, while Houston’s Sora Kim finished fifth. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Ben Delarosa finished runner-up at 5-over 147. Delarosa made three birdies in the final round and four total for both days. Driftwood’s Grant Yerger finished tied for third with San Antonio’s Nathan Marion, while Kevin Mu of Austin and Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas finished tied for fifth in the Boys 14 & Under Division.
What’s Next: The Legends Junior Tour heads to McKinney for the Texas Cup Invitational on March 11-13 at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club’s Dye Course. The 84-player boys field will compete over 54 holes of stroke play competition in the first Major Tournament of the season for the Boys 15-18 Division.
About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The Tour operates as part of the TGA and its foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. The Tour is home to such prestigious events such as the Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Cup Invitational, Texas Girls’ Invitational and Texas Junior Amateur.
More Info: For more information on the Spring Preview, you can visit the tournament homepage here. To see all the scores from Sunday’s action at Quail Valley, click here.
