Around the Green

Jenkins, Burton and Clancy Win LJT Winter Classic

Dallas – Garland’s Sam Jenkins captured his first LJT win at the 2022 Winter Classic at 6-under 138 after carding a 5-under 67 in the final round. Mimi Burton came from behind to claim the Girls 12-18 Division title with a final round score of 1-under 71. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Jack Clancy followed up his first round score of 6-under 66 with 2-under 70 to win the Boys 14 & Under Division by five strokes at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course.

Leaderboard:

Boys 15-18 Division
1. Sam Jenkins, Garland 71-67-138
2. David Martinez, Houston 68-72—140
3. Tate Littman, Mansfield 71-70—141
T4. Preston Stout, Richardson 72-70—142
T4. Jayden Song, Plano 71-71—142
T4. Trenton Mierl, Austin 71-71–142

Girls 12-18 Division
1. Mimi Burton, Austin 76-71—147
2. Sarah Reed, Midland 73-76—149
3. Nirjara Gulhane, Cedar Park 75-75—151
4. Lauren Madson, Mansfield 76-77—153
5. Wenyue (Sonia) Hao, Dallas 76-77—153

Boys 14 & Under Division
1. Jack Clancy, Dallas 66-70—136
2. Brooks Harper, Dallas 70-71—141
3. Asher Vargas, Spring 71-74—145
4. Aiden Tiet, Garland 77-70—147
T5. Mitchell Maier, Richmond 77-73—150
T5. Henry Zhong, Irving 72-78—150

Full Leaderboard

Division Leaders: Sam Jenkins claims his first LJT title at the Winter Classic after posting the low round of the day for the Boys 15-18 Division. Jenkins produced a critical 4-under-par final round score to secure a two shot victory over David Martinez. With three birdies on the front-9, Jenkins turned up the heat on the back-9 with a bogey free 3-under 33. After a final score of 1-under 71, Austin’s Mimi Burton found herself with the solo under-par round in the Girls 12-18 Division. Burton credits her six birdies and one eagle on the par-4 15th hole for her two-stroke victory over round one co-leader Sarah Reed. After posting an 8-under tournament total of 136, Jack Clancy of Dallas cruised to a five-shot victory thanks to a bogey free front-9.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Houston’s David Martinez followed up his first-round score of 4-under 68 with an even-par 72 to pull of a second place finish. Martinez made a total of four birdies on the day. In the Girls 12-18 Division, round one co-leader Sarah Reed of Midland finished second at 5-over 149, Nirjara Gulhane of Cedar Park finishes third place at 6-over par 150. Lauren Madson of Mansfield holds on to fourth place at 7-over 151 and Wenyue (Sonia) Hao of Dallas rounds out the top five at 9-over 153 in fifth. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’s Brooks Harper finished second at 3-under 141. Spring’s Asher Vargas finished solo third after posting a 1-over-par 145.

Weather: The final round of the Winter Classic was delayed thirty-minutes due to frost. 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 13th 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 Crystal Falls Golf Club in Leander on February 5-6. 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.