Around the Green

Sebastian Leads at Texas Cup Invitational After Round 1

GLADEWATER – Grayson Sebastian, a class of 2025 sophomore out of Richmond, fired a 3-under 69 on Monday to take the early lead at the Texas Cup Invitational. Chilly temperatures and windy conditions kept scores at bay in round one of the first LJT Boys Major of the year.

“It was a really pretty day out here,” said Sebastian. “The course was in good condition. Firing at every pin and hitting it close was my game plan for the easy targets. The harder pins I just hit it to the center of the green. I think I executed really well on that, and I played really solid golf today.”

His opening round 69, put him one shot ahead of the best junior golfers in the state. Prior to this week, Sebastian had never played Tempest Golf Club before but you wouldn’t realize it looking at his round one scorecard that featured four birdies and just one bogey.

“I think Tempest fits my game very well. I play a cut off the tee and I think a lot of these holes fit my cut. The course is really well designed,” said Sebastian.

A jam-packed leaderboard is nipping at the heels of the leader. Prosper’s Ryan Shellberg and Selma’s Shiv Parmar sit in a tie for second after carding rounds of 2-under 70.

Shellberg was 5-under through ten holes but finished with three bogeys in his last eight holes.

“My plan is to just stay patient all week,” Shellberg said of his plan for the rest of the tournament. “Whatever happens, happens.”

There is a log jam at 1-under and two shots off the lead in tied fourth overall. Included in that large pack is Fort Worth’s Cason Ayers, Dallas’ Andrew Petruzzelli, Dallas’ Brooks Harper, Dallas’ Matthew Foster, Austin’s Trenton Mierl, Southlake’s Andrea Birolini, Burleson’s Blake Keen, and Heath’s Max Chan.

Ayers, like many other players, gave praise to Tempest Golf Club’s beautiful track.

“I like that it’s challenging. You have to be precise off the tee. I felt like I was precise off the box today,” he said. “The greens are true. Very true.”

Defending champion Connor Henry headlines a group of six players who sit tied 12th at even par and three shots back of the lead.

The par-4 third hole played the toughest in round one at a 4.65 stroke average for the 84-player field. It yielded only two birdies on the day.

The Texas Cup Invitational, the first of the two boys-only majors on the LJT annual schedule, is the LJT boys first 54-hole event of the year.

The Second Round of the Texas Cup Invitational is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 14 with tee times beginning on No. 1 tee at 8:15 AM. To see pairings, click here.

For more information on the Texas Cup Invitational, click here.