Around the Green

The Clubs of Kingwood to Host 93rd Texas Junior Amateur

KINGWOOD – The Texas Junior Amateur earned a new name and logo last year as part of the championship’s rebranding. This year, in its 93rd playing, the championship will undergo another change. The Texas Junior Amateur, set for July 22-24, will be held at The Clubs of Kingwood for the first time. 

The prestigious championship has been held at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Summit Rock Golf Course and Slick Rock Golf Course in eight of the past ten years. The Legends Junior Tour, which has conducted the Texas Junior Amateur since 2005, is excited about the move to The Clubs of Kingwood. 

“We look forward to coming to the Houston area for the state’s largest championship,” LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “The courses at The Clubs of Kingwood will be a good test for our golfers.” 

Known for its dedicated involvement in junior golf, The Clubs of Kingwood have embraced the opportunity to host the state’s longest-running junior championship. Director of Golf Steve Hatch says it is an honor to be a part of the history associated with the Texas Junior Amateur. 

“We are very excited to be host to the 93rd Texas Junior Amateur,” Hatch said. “I think this type of event brings our community pride, and we have a strong belief that juniors are the future of golf.” 

The Boys Division will play The Clubs of Kingwood’s Forest Course. The par-72 layout is consistently ranked among the top-50 best courses in Texas. The Forest Course is the most demanding track at The Clubs of Kingwood. It features deep bunkers, narrow fairways and small landing areas on the greens. The signature of the Forest Course is the closing stretch, which begins with the daunting 473-yard 15th hole. The long par-4 features a green surrounded by water and strategic bunkering. Players then face the par-4 16th, par-5 17th and finish on the challenging 455-yard par-4 18th. 

The Girls Division, as well as the Boys and Girls 14 & Under Divisions, will compete on the Island Course. The Joe Finger design is famous from scenes in golf’s iconic film “Tin Cup” as well as the island green on the par-5 18th. The challenging finishing hole features water along the left side as well as a pond in the middle of the fairway. It will be a true test for all three divisions. 

The Texas Junior Amateur has been one of the strongest fields in recent years and produced some great champions. Last year’s winner, Jacob Sosa was five shots back of the lead when he began his final round at Summit Rock Golf Course. He started off with birdies on two of his opening four holes. Sosa carried the momentum throughout his round and carded a final round 5-under-par 67. He posted 8-under for the tournament to win by two strokes. 

In the Girls Division, Austin’s Macy Fox carded six birdies on her back nine in the final round to fire a 7-under-par 65. She posted 11-under for the tournament to hold off the field by two strokes and add her name to the Dorothy Franey-Langkop Trophy.  Jase Summy of Keller won the Boys 14 & Under Division, while Symran Shah of Carrollton won the Girls 14 & Under Division. 

Other past champions of the Texas Junior Amateur include Ben Crenshaw, Jordan Spieth, Jeff Maggert, Scott Verplank, Omar Uresti, Angela Stanford, Hunter Haas, Stratton Nolen, Kelsey Vines, Alex Moon, Heather Haas, Lindsey McCurdy, Morris Williams Jr. and Nancy Hager.

For the Boys Division, the Texas Junior Amateur is open to all residents of Texas with players earning an exemption through the Texas Junior Golf Alliance or by competing in one of 12 qualifiers for the championship. Qualifiers are spread throughout the state and feature 18 holes of stroke play competition to get into the championship. 

Players in the Girls Division as well as the Boys and Girls 14 & Under Divisions are entered based on the LJT Priority Entry System, which awards players that have played well in LJT events as well as Texas Junior Golf Alliance Events. The Alliance is made up of the Northern and Southern Texas PGAs along with the Houston Golf Association.

The Boys and Girls Divisions are 54 holes of stroke play competition while the Boys and Girls 14 & Under Divisions are 36 holes of stroke play. All four events are ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek, while the Boys and Girls Divisions are World Amateur Golf Ranked. American Junior Golf Association Performance Stars are handed out to the top finishers of each division as well as double LJT Player of the Year Points. 

For more information on the 93rd Texas Junior Amateur at The Clubs of Kingwood, click here.