Around the Green

Ovard, Ni, Hofferkamp Win Winter Classic

Dallas –Davis Ovard captured his first LJT win at the 2021 Winter Classic at 1-over 145 after carding a 2-over 74 in the final round. Maggie Ni made par on the first playoff hole to win the Girls 12-18 Division. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin Hofferkamp came from behind to claim the victory at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course with a final round score of 4-under 68.

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Division Leaders: Davis Ovard claims his first LJT title at the Winter Classic after starting the day three shots back. Ovard hung on with to a one-shot victory in thanks to a final round score of 2-over 74. He played his final three holes 1-under par, with a par saving up and down on 18, to complete the comeback. After a final score of 4-over 76, Maggie Ni found herself in a three-way tie for first. Ni was able to two-putt from eight feet for par to secure the win on the first playoff hole.  After starting one shot back of the lead at the start of the day, Austin Hofferkamp cruised to a six-shot victory thanks to a bogey free 4-under 68.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Austin’s Ethan Parker, Flower Mound’s Awesome Burnett and Lucas’ Jay Pabin all finished tied for second at 2-over 146. Gage Doyle of Colleyville and Ty Holbrook both finished tied for fifth at 4-over 148.  In the Girls 12-18 Division, Austin’s Caroline Dasch and Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han finished in a tie for second at 7-over 151. Maelynn Kim of Katy finishes in fourth place at 9-over par 153, and Farah O’keefe of Austin rounds out the top five at 11-over 155 in fifth. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Reese Roberts finished runner up at 3-over 147, while Plano’s Rhett O’Rear finished in third at 6-over 150.

Shot of the Day: Westy McCabe had the shot of the day with a hole in one on the par 3 seventh. Using an eight iron from 164 yards, McCabe recorded his first ever hole in one.

Weather: Temperatures at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course were around 41 degrees for the first tee time and warmed up into the mid-fifties by the early afternoon. Winds ranged from seven to twelve miles per hour throughout the day.

Course: Dallas Athletic Club is hosting the Winter Classic for the 12th straight year. The Blue Course was originally designed Ralph Plummer and then remodeled by Jack Nicklaus in 1984. Nicklaus won the 1963 PGA Championship, which was held at Dallas Athletic Club. The course stretches out to 6,700 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,200 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and close to 6,000 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

Tournament Format: The Winter Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and has AJGA Performance Stars that will be handed out to the top finishers.

What’s Next: The LJT travels to Austin for the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic at Lakeway Country Club’s Live Oak Course on February 6-7. You can find more information on the tournament homepage here.

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 Texas Golf Association and its Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Tour has provided more than $250,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.

To learn more about the Winter Classic, click here.