Around the Green

Tan, Barber and Tiet Win Alliance Invitational

GLADEWATER – Andrew Tan shot 5-under 67 in the final round and wins the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Tempest Golf Club. Savannah Barber won the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over, while Aiden Tiet won the Boys 14 & Under Division in a playoff.

Austin’s Tan completed his wire-to-wire victory with rounds of 65-67 to get to 12-under overall and seven strokes ahead of the field. This is Tan’s second consecutive victory with the Legends Junior Tour after capturing the James A. Ragan Memorial earlier this month.

Trailing Tan was Sam Dossey of Austin and Noah McWilliams of Benton, La. at 5-under overall. Trevor Algya of Highland Village and Kevin Mu of Austin finished tied for fourth at 2-under, while Shaunak Nair finished sixth at 1-under and Eli Walker Campbell finished seventh at even-par.

Fort Worth’s Barber captured her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour this year after rounds of 75-71 to get to 2-over 146 overall. Barber, who paired with Alexa Saldana to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship earlier this year at Maridoe Golf Club, made four birdies in the final round, including the par-3 fourth and the par-5 sixth.

Dallas’ Sophie Biediger and Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han finished tied for second in the Girls 12-18 Division at 3-over. Both players were tied for the lead following the first round. Spicewood’s Emma Von Hoffmann finished fourth at 5-over and Mexico’s Saldana finished fifth at 6-over.

Garland’s Tiet won the Boys 14 & Under Division after shooting 2-under 70 in the final round and making a par on the first sudden-death playoff hole. Tiet overtook first round leader Coltrane Mittag in the playoff, which was held on the par-3 seventh. This was Tiet’s first win with the Legends Junior Tour.

Mittag finished runner-up after falling short in a playoff with rounds of 70-72 to get to 2-under 142 overall. Selma’s Shiv Parmar finished third at 1-over, while Houston’s Austin Le finished fourth and Elijah Estonilo and Kuan Zhou finished tied for fifth.

Tempest Golf Club hosted the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. Located in Gladewater, which is just outside of Tyler, Tempest Golf Club was opened in 2018 and the par-72 layout is a distinct look with it’s tall pine trees and hilly terrain. Jeffrey Brauer designed the course, which has now hosted USGA Qualifying as well as collegiate events in the short time it’s been open.

Temperatures crept up to the high 70s on Sunday but winds were still calm out of the north ranging around five miles per hour. Conditions were perfect despite a chill in the air each morning.

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2021 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

The Legends Junior Tour stays out east as the Jackie Burke Cup comes to Willow Brook Country Club on Nov. 13-14. The Alliance Invitational was the final event for players to earn points towards the Jackie Burke Cup and the North and South Teams will be announced on Monday, Nov. 1. The North has won or held the cup for the last seven years.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.