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Keaton Vo Leads Boys 15-18 Division at George Hannon Junior Invitational
Briefly: Keaton Vo of Austin leads the Boys 15-18 Division at the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual following a 3-under-par 68 in Round 1 at The University of Texas Golf Club. Mimi Burton of Austin and Alexa Saldana of Naucalpan, Mexico are tied for the lead in the Girls 12-18 Division with opening rounds of 2-under 69, while Plano’s Rhett O’Rear fires a 1-over 72 to lead the Boys 14 & Under Division by one stroke.
Leaderboard:
Boys 15-18
1) Keaton Vo Austin 68
2) Andrew Spaulding Spring 69
T3) Blake Moreno Austin 70
T3) Kevin Watts Colleyville 70
T3) Kellan McGinnis Austin 70
T3) Jeffrey Zatorski Houston 70
Girls 12-18
T1) Mimi Burton Austin 69
T1) Alexa Saldana Naucalpan 69
T3) Nicole Vivier Austin 70
T3) Julia Vollmer San Antonio 70
Boys 14 & Under
1) Rhett O’Rear Plano 72
T2) Trenton Mierl Austin 73
T2) Henry Guan Irving 73
T2) Daniel Macias Austin 73
Round 1 Results | Round 2 Pairings
Golf Course: The University of Texas Golf Club was built in 2003 and designed by Bechtol Russell Golf Course Design. The par-71 championship golf course stretches across the Texas Hill Country and overlooks Lake Austin. The 7,412-yard layout offers challenging shots and some of the best views in Austin. It is the home of the University of Texas Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams and has played host to the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual five times. Round 1 was contested at 6,900 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division; 5,842 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division and 6,301 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division.
Weather: The temperature reached 101 degrees with winds reaching 12 mph out of the south.
In Contention: Keaton Vo of Austin carded an opening round 3-under-par 69. The 2022 University of Texas commit made the turn at 2-under. He birdied the par-3 sixteenth and the par-4 seventeenth and closed out Monday’s round with a par on the par-4 eighteenth to lead the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke. Vo looks to win his first Legends Junior Tour event in the Boys 15-18 Division on his home course and future college stomping grounds.
“It’s a tough course so you just got to take what it gives you sometimes,” Vo said. “I am lucky enough to play a lot of times here so I can just trust my game and trust my shots and hopefully it will pay off.”
Andrew Spaulding of Spring sits solo second after carding a 2-under 69. Blake Moreno of Austin, Kevin Watts of Colleyville, Kellan McGinnis of Austin and Jeffrey Zatorski of Houston are all tied third at 1-under 70.
In the Girls 12-18 Division, Mimi Burton of Austin and Alexa Saldana of Naucalpan, Mexico are tied for the lead at 2-under 69. Burton, a sophomore at Vandegrift High School, had a bogey-free back nine and carded three birdies in Monday’s round. Saldana started and finished strong carding 1-under on each nine. She carded five birdies in the first round. Both will look to take home their first Legends Junior Tour win in tomorrow’s final round.
Austin local and incoming Southern Methodist freshman commit Nicole Vivier is tied third with San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer at 1-under 70. Gabbi Bentancourt of Frisco sits solo fifth at even par. Two players in the Girls 12-18 Division are tied sixth at 1-over 72.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Rhett O’Rear of Plano fired a 1-over 72 in Monday’s first round. The 13-year-old had a steady round and birdied the hardest hole on the golf course, the par-4 fifth. He holds a one shot lead in his division.
Trenton Mierl of Austin, Henry Guan of Irving and Daniel Macias of Austin are tied second at 2-over 73. Five players are tied fifth at 4-over 75.
What’s Next: Final Round tee times start Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 tee at UT Golf Club.
More Info: For more information on the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual, click here.
