Around the Green

Delarosa, Arts, and Lewis Lead at Winter Classic

Dallas – Ben Delarosa shot 6-under 66 in the first round of the Winter Classic, leading the Boys 15-18 Division by four strokes heading into the final round at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course. Jordyn Arts leads the Girls 12-18 Division after posting a first round of even par 72, while Cameron Lewis holds a two-shot lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division after a 4-over 76 in the first round.

Full Leaderboard

Division Leaders: Dallas’s Ben Delarosa carded the low round of the day at 6-under 66. Delarosa rolled in seven birdies, highlighted by three in a row on holes #4, #5 and #6. He currently holds a four-shot lead over five players tied for second. Trophy Club’s Jordyn Arts finished he rounds at even par to lead the Girls 12-18 Division by one shot. Arts recorded birdies on the par 3 fourth, par 5 tenth, and par 4 18^th. Dallas’s Cameron Lewis carded a pair of birdies in the first round, en route to a 4-over 76 and a two-shot lead the Boys 14 & Under Division.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Dallas’s Aidan Dortch, Selma’s Shiv Parmar, Plano’s Alex Huang, Spring’s Asher Vargas, and The Hill’s Ethan Dufresne all sit tied for second after the first round. Each player carded a first round of 2-under 70. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Mansfield’s Lauren Madson, Wichita’s Meg Tilma, and San Antonio’s Dresden Bounds are all tied for second after posting rounds of 1-over 73. Plano’s Summer Lee currently sits in fifth place after a first round score of 2-over 74. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin’s Dylan Knox is currently second at 6-over 78. Wichita’s Kaden Leivian, Southlake’s Preston Mohon, and College Station’s Ryan Lee are tied for third at 7-over 79. Weather: Temperatures started in the mid 40’s when play began and rose into the mid 50’s by the afternoon. Light winds made for great scoring conditions for players throughout the day.

Course: Dallas Athletic Club is hosting the Winter Classic for the 14th 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 final round of the Winter Classic is set for Sunday, January 22 with tee times going off the No. 1 and 10 tees starting at 8:00 am. Pairings for Sunday are drawn according to score from the first round and can be found by clicking 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 $300,000 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.