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The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

Dortch, Esparza, and Baer Lead Divisions at Flodder Financial Shootout

Briefly: Aidan Dortch of Dallas leads the Boys 15-18 Division after an opening round of 1-under par 71. Dortch’s round consisted of three birdies on the day and two bogeys. Dortch recorded birdies on the Par 4 4th, 14th, and the Par 5 16th. His round was the only round under par for the day as The Club at Falcon Point held its own.

Gaia Esparza of Helotes currently holds a three shot lead in the Girls 12-18 Division. Esparza recorded 4 birdies on the day and carded an opening round of 1-over par 73. Esparza is seeking her first LJT win of the season, after coming off a runner-up finish at last week’s Collegiate Preview.

Grant Baer of Argyle leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at even par. Baer recorded four birdies on the day, and holds a one shot lead heading into the second round.

Full Leaderboard

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division seven players sit within three shots of the lead. Ethan Law is currently in second place and one shot back after posting a round of even par 72. Brooks Harper and Like D’Alise are tied for third at 1-over par 73. Deacon Dortch, Ethan Dufresne, Reese Roberts, and Charlie Stanton are all tied for fifth at 2-over par 74.

Three shots back of Esparza in second place in the Girls 12-18 Division is Brooke Yount at 4-over par 76. Morgan Ankenbrandt and Brooke Frerichs are tied for third at 6-over par 78. Jamison Louie and Syna Nijhawan are tied for fifth place at 7-over par 79.

Jeffrey Rubenstein sits in second place, one shot off the lead, in the Boys 14 & Under Division after an opening round of 1-over par 73. Joshua McGown and Jack Clancy are tied for third after each posting rounds of 2-over par 74

Golf Course: The Club at Falcon Point is hosting the Flodder Financial Shootout for the fourth straight year. Designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge, the golf course features 18 championship holes forcing players to hit a variety of shots. The course is playing just under 6,700 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division and almost 6400 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division.  The Girls 12 – 18 Division course played at 5,900 yards.

About the Sponsor: The Flodder Financial Group has sponsored the Flodder Financial Shootout since it’s inception in 2010. The group’s goal is to provide the most complete and accessible set of applications to help monitor and manage accounts. Kyle Flodder is the Managing Director of Client Strategies and played junior golf in Texas before going on to play collegiately at TCU. President of the group is Steven Flodder, who enjoys coming out and watching the players during the Flodder Financial Shootout.

Tournament Format: The Flodder Financial Shootout is a 36-hole stroke play event for players ages 12-19 that have a valid membership with a member of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The tournament field features three divisions: Boys 15-18, Boys 14 & Under and Girls 12-18.

Weather: Round 1 of the Flodder Financial Shootout featured overcast skies throughout the day.  The players teed off this morning with temperatures in the upper 70’s and finished their rounds with temperatures in the mid 90’s.  Winds were light throughout the day.

What’s at Stake: The top half of each division field will be awarded points towards the LJT Player of the Year Standings. The tournament is ranked by Golfweek and Junior Golf Scoreboard.

What’s Next: The final round of the Flodder Financial Shootout will begin at 7:30 am on Tuesday, June 28. Players will tee off the No. 1 and No. 10 tees throughout the morning with champions being crowned upon completion of the final round

For more information about the Flodder Financial Shootout, click here. To see all the scores from Monday’s action, click here.