Around the Green

Hurd, Loya and Parmar Lead Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic

Burnet – Austin’s Sterling Hurd leads the Boys 15-18 Division following the first round of the 2023 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. He carded an impressive 5-under-par 67. Marissa Loya of San Antonio posted an even-par 72 and leads the Girls 12-18 Division. Aadi Parmar of Selma leads the Boys 14 & Under Division following an opening 3-under-par 69.

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Division Leaders: Hurd was the definition of consistency en route to his first-round lead of the Boys 15-18 Division. He carded a bogey-free round with five birdies, including three on par-5’s. Hurd, who is looking to go back-to-back after his victory in 2022, leads his division by one with 18 holes left to play. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Loya battled her way to the top of the field. She carded three birdies and three bogeys to give her a three-stroke lead. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Parmar carded four birdies to jump out to a commanding five-stroke lead headed into Sunday’s final round.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Trenton Mierl of Austin posted a 4-under-par 68. He sits one shot off the lead thanks to six opening round birdies. San Antonio’s Nathan Marion sits in third place, with a first round 1-under-par 71. In the Girls 12-18 Division, there is a three-player tie for second place. Austin’s Sydney Givens, Dallas’ Leya Glazer, and San Antonio’s Lydia Portlock all sit three strokes off the lead following first round 3-over-par 75’s. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin Le of Houston sits five strokes off the lead in second place. His opening round 2-over-par 74 included three birdies. There is a three player tie for third place in the division after Oklahoma’s Emerson Majma, Prosper’s Grant Clapp, and Houston’s Nate Tipton all carded 4-over-par 76’s.

Course: Delaware Springs Golf Club is located in the heart of Hill Country in Burnet, TX. The course is cradled by the trees and gentle rolling hills near the Highland Lakes. Picturesque and challenging, this course played from 6,800 yards for the Boys Division, 6,300 for the Boy’s 14 and Under Division and 5,900 yards for the Girl’s Division.

Weather: Heavy fog delayed tee times for 45 minutes in the morning and temperatures ranged from the low 40’s in the morning to a high in the low 60’s during the afternoon. Winds ranged from 5 to 20 miles per hour throughout the round.

Tournament Format: The Jimmy Demaret Junior 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: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. 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 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic is scheduled for Sunday, February 5th with tee times going off the No. 1 and 10 tees. To see pairings for the final round, click here.

For more information on the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic, click 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 PGA and Houston Golf Association. The tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the tour has provided funds to promote junior golf initiatives while conducting some of the state’s top junior championships including the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Junior Amateur and the Texas Girls’ Invitational as well as the Texas Cup Invitational.