Around the Green

Briefly: Richardson’s Mitchell Maier won the Boys Division of the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual after firing a second round 4-under 67 at the University of Texas Golf Club. Farah O’Keefe of Austin captured victory of the Girls Division with a second round 1-under 70 score, while Jack Clancy of Dallas won the Boys 14 & Under Division with a 2-under 69 final round.

Tournament Leaderboard

Leaders: Maier put together a fantastic final round to win by three strokes. The Richardson native caught fire on the back nine by rolling in four birdies in route to the big win.  Farah O’Keefe capitalized on her first round lead by carding another under-par round. The University of Texas commit was the only girl to put together two under par rounds. Jack Clancy completed the come back victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division with rounds of 74-69 to get to 1-over 143 overall and win by two. The victory marked Clancy’s second in a row as he recently won the Boys 14 & Under title at the Texas Junior Amateur. 

In Contention: In the Boys Division, Daniel Macias of Austin and Jackson Funkhouser of College Station tied for second by finishing at 4-under 138 total for the week. Funkhouser closed the tournament with an even par 71, while Macias put together a valiant come back effort with a 4-under 67. Kingwood’s Andrew Tucker claimed the fourth spot after finishing the week at 2-under 140 total. Another pair of Austin locals, Ally Black and Mimi Burton, finished behind O’Keefe to round out the top three of the Girls Division. Black took runner-up honors by finishing 5-over for the tournament. Burton claimed third after finishing with a 6-over 148 total. Oliver McSpadden of Leander took the runner-up spot in the Boys 14 & Under Division by matching Clancy’s second round of 2-under 69. Finishing in third was Austin’s Luciano Follmer at 4-over 146 total.

Golf Course: The University of Texas Golf Club was designed by Bechtol Russell and opened in 2003. The course is set along the Colorado River and features stunning Texas Hill Country views along with a challenging par-71 layout. The course overlooks Lake Austin and borders the Balcones Natural Wildlife Preserve and has hosted the George Hannon Junior Invitational seven times now, including the last five years.

Weather: Temperatures started in the mid-80s on Tuesday and crept up to the high 90s by the end of play.

Tournament Format: The George Hannon Junior Invitational is a 36-hole stroke play event for players that have earned an exemption through the Texas Junior Golf Alliance or the Hannon Society. The 96-player field is one of the strongest in the state as they play 18 holes each day.

About George Hannon: George Hannon, who was affectionately called “Coach”, coached the University of Texas golf team for 18 seasons. Coach Hannon saw his Longhorns win two National Championships in 1971 and 1972, 12 Southwest Conference Titles and three individual titles. Hannon’s Horns included Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Mark Brooks, Phil Blackmar, Brandel Chamblee, Rik Massengale and Paul Thomas.

About Hannon Cup Association: The Hannon Cup Association contributes to golf scholarships, supports the Austin Junior Golf Academy and hosts the George Hannon Junior Invitational and Hannon Cup Matches. Mark Coward and Brent Buckman were instrumental in conceiving the idea and in organizing and forming the initial committee for the Hannon Cup. Support was provided by a group of individuals and businesses that became known as the Hannon Society.

About Texas Mutual: Texas Mutual is the presenting sponsor of the George Hannon Junior Invitational and has been caring for hardworking Texans for more than 25 years. Taking care of people is what Texas Mutual does and that’s why they invest time, energy and resources into increasing safety, wellness and education for all Texans. Texas Mutual has been the presenting sponsor of this event for the last four years.

POY Points Race: Winners of each division will earn 1,500 points towards Player of the Year standings for the LJT.

Next Up: The LJT will head to Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Rockwall for the LJT North Classic on Sept. 10-11.

For more information on the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual, click here. To see all the scores from UT Golf Club, click here.