Around the Green

Dossey, Lane and Borow Lead 20th Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship

DALLAS – Luke Dossey, Jacob Borow and Gaven Lane stayed focused on one thing around Lakewood Country Club: patience. Despite a steady rain throughout the round, they share a four-shot lead at the 20^th Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship heading into Thursday’s final round.
 
Dossey, who won the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship in 2017, carded an even-par 71. He made birdies on holes one and three to begin his back nine of play and reach 6-under for the tournament. He carded a few bogeys coming in, but stayed focused throughout the tough conditions.
 
“Before every golf shot I just did a really good job of just breathing and calming myself down because I knew the whole day was going to be a mental grind,” Dossey said.
 
He showed the same mental toughness in 2017. Dossey battled down the stretch to shoot a 2-under 34 on his closing nine to win the championship by two strokes. That year, his brother was on the bag. This week, a good friend and former Vandegrift High School teammate, Luke Jasinski, is caddying for the 2020 Baylor University signee. The duo seems to resemble the same teamwork as the Dossey boys two years ago.
 
“The first year I won was with Cooper on the bag,” Dossey said. “This year I got my best friend on my bag and it’d be a really cool moment.”
 
Dossey tees it up Thursday with a chance to join three-time champion Jordan Spieth and two-time champion Ryan Baca as the only players to win multiple Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship titles.
 
Lane began Round 2 right where he left off on Tuesday. The 2023 Oklahoma State University commit birdied the par-3 12^th and par-4 18^th to go out in 2-under 34. He continued his run with birdies on the par-4 first and par-4 third. Lane quickly held a three-shot advantage at 7-under par.
 
The rain picked up as he played the par-3 fourth. Lane made bogey and followed it with two more bogeys coming home on the par-4 sixth and par-4 eighth.
 
“You know it’s tough it just kept on raining you just got to stay focused,” Lane said. “You got to play one shot at a time and just hope for the best.”
 
The 14-year-old high school freshman tied for second behind Pierceson Coody last year. He looks to stick to his game plan Thursday and give himself a chance down the stretch.
 
“I hope for better weather and to play the best I can,” Lane said.
 
Borow of Lake Jackson fired a 3-under-par 68 in Round 1. He followed it with a steady 1-under-par 70 Wednesday to join the leaders at 4-under. But his week didn’t look like the rest of the field. Borow was in Florida until late Monday night.
 
He was playing in the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Florida. The 17-year-old carded rounds of 74-70 to finish at 2-under par. Although he failed to qualify for the U.S. Open, he and his dad caught a late-night flight to make his early morning tee time on Tuesday.
 
“Jacob told me ‘I want to go win this thing,’” said Borow’s father, Doug.  
 
Randall Fojtasek of Dallas followed his opening round 67 with a 4-over-par 75. He sits alone in fourth at even par. Matthew Griggs of Prosper is alone in fifth and five shots back after a 2-under-par 69.
 
The field was cut following Round 2 to 38 players. They will tee it up in the final round starting Thursday at 8 a.m. For more information on the 20^th Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, click here.