Around the Green

Delarosa, Arts and Knox Win Winter Classic

Dallas – Dallas’s Ben Delarosa captured his second LJT win at the 2023 Winter Classic at 5-under 139 after carding a 1-over 73 in the final round. Jordyn Arts held onto her one-shot lead to claim the girls division title at 1-over 145. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dylan Knox claims his first LJT victory in dramatic fashion.

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Division Leaders: Ben Delarosa claims his second LJT title at the Winter Classic after a final round of 1-over 73. The 2019 Texas Junior Amateur Boys 14 & under division champion started his round with a four shot lead and kept the field at arm’s length throughout the day. Delarosa went out in 1-under 35, which allowed him to coast to victory coming down the back nine. After a final score of 1-over 73, Trophy Club’s Jordyn Arts found herself with a two-shot victory in the Girls 12-18 Division. Arts made four birdies on the day, including a pair on holes #4 and #5, one of the tougher stretches on the course. After a tight two-hole playoff, Dylan Knox took home the Boys 14U division title after a par on the second playoff hole.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Prosper’s Ryan Shellberg carded a second round of 3-under 69 to finish at 2-under 142 and secure a second-place finish. Houston’s Charlie Wylie finished solo third after a final round of 1-under 71 & tournament score of 1-under 143. Benton’s Noah McWilliams finished in fourth at even par 144, and Corinth’s Nathan Zmolik took home fifth at 1-over 145. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Plano’s Summer Lee finished two shots back at 3-over 147. Spicewood’s Emma Von Hoffmann and San Antonio’s Dresden Bounds finished tied for third at 8-over 152. Rounding out the top five are Mansfield’s Lauren Madson and Austin’s Sydney Givens at 10-over 154. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, College Station’s Ryan (Woojin) Lee finished runner up at 12-over 156. Austin’s Luciano Follmer finished solo third after posting a 13-over 157.

Weather: Temperatures for the final round at Dallas Athletic Club’s Blue Course were around 40 degrees for the first tee time and warmed up into the low-50’s by the early afternoon. The winds picked up Sunday afternoon with speeds ranging from 15-20 mph.

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.

Player of the Year Points:  Ben Delarosa, Jordyn Arts and Dylan Knox all earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race.  Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.

What’s Next: The LJT travels to the hill country for the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic at Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet on February 4-5. 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.