Around the Green

Roberts and Robertson Win at Collegiate Preview

Briefly: Reese Roberts of Dallas wins the Boys Division of the LJT Collegiate Preview at 12-under with a final round of 1-under par. Sidney Robertson of Tyler wins the Girls Division at 11-over par.

Tournament Leaderboard

Winners: Sidney Robertson came into the day one-stroke off the lead, but a steady final round led her to victory in the Girls Division. Robertson’s final round of 4-over 76 was highlighted by three birdies, getting her to seven total birdies on the event. Dallas’ Reese Roberts carded three straight rounds under par to take the title in the Boys Division. Roberts strong play over the 54-holes included 14 birdies and one eagle.

Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Kingwood’s Andrew Tucker fought until the end. Tucker fired a back-nine 32 during the final round, including an eagle on the 18th hole, but he would finish three strokes behind Roberts at 9-under par. Tied for third place were Dallas’ Aidan Dortch and Austin’s Trenton Mierl. The pair finished 6-under par for the event. In the Girls Division, Gaia Esparza of Helotes finished second at 14-over par for the event. Esparza carded the lowest single round score in the Girls Division with a second round 2-under par 70. Frisco’s Diane Guercio took third place at 16-over par.

Golf Course: Van Zandt Country Club was founded in 1966 and was designed by Leon Howard. The par-72 layout is playing to just over 6,800 yards for the Boys Division and nearly 6,000 yards for the Girls Division. Featuring tree lined fairways, water features, and numerous dog legs, the course demands players hit a variety of different shots.

Weather: The second round featured morning temperatures in the high 70’s, and ramped up to the mid 90’s by the time the final put dropped. Winds were calm during Tuesday’s play, topping out at 7 mph.

Tournament Format: The Collegiate Preview is a 54-hole stroke-play event for players ages 14-19 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is divided into two divisions: Boys and Girls.

Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. Each of the three tier-two organizations (STPGA, NTPGA, HGA) conduct events that serve as qualifiers into the statewide tier-one events run by the Legends Junior Tour (LJT). This allows players to compete in local events in which they can earn spots to play in statewide tournaments.

Tournament Exemptions: All players that finish in the top half of each division will earn points towards the LJT Player of the Year Standings. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek, and WAGR.

Next Up: The LJT Flodder Financial Shootout will take place at The Club at Falcon Point in Katy from June 27-28.

For more information on the Collegiate Preview, click here. To see all the scores from Van Zandt Country Club, click here.