Around the Green

Avery Blake Leads Women’s Stroke Play Championship

GRANBURY – The Woodlands’ Avery Blake leads the Women’s Stroke Play Championship after carding an impressive 2-under 70 in the first round on Friday. The junior at Oral Roberts University poured in six birdies at Harbor Lakes Golf Club and was the only round under par. She’ll take a two-shot lead into Saturday’s second round.

“My mindset was just to go low as best I could,” Blake said of her gameplan ahead of the first round. “Tomorrow, I’m just going to keep taking it shot by shot and try to keep advancing.”

Sitting two shots back of the lead is Fort Worth’s Megan Tang who shot an even-par round of 72. Tang had a clean scorecard with two birdies and two bogeys on the day.

McKinney’s Shyla Brown and Georgetown’s Mattingly Palmer share the third spot on the leaderboard after shooting rounds of 1-over 73. Brown comes into this event playing well including on our Legends Junior Tour. She has won her first two LJT events at the Bluebonnet Championship and Spring Preview.

San Antonio’s Jordan Salisbury, Trophy Club’s MacKenzie Moore, Austin’s Allyson Black, Fort Worth’s Catherine Matranga, and Alise Knudson of Dallas are all in a log jam tied for fifth at 2-over. Knudson had the low first round from our featured groups.

Five players sit in a tie for tenth after rounds of 3-over 75 including defending champion Camryn Carreon of San Antonio. Carreon recently won the NCAA Regional Tournament in San Antonio to cap off an impressive senior campaign at University of Texas at San Antonio. The 2022 TGA Women’s Player of the year will look to make a move up the leaderboard in Saturday’s second round.

Harbor Lakes’ back nine played particularly tough for the field in Friday’s first round. It produced 100 bogey’s or worse and played to a 40.62 strokes average.

Friday’s total yardage for the Championship flight was 6,134 yards.

This is the fourth TGA championship to be held at Harbor Lakes. The club previously hosted the 2006 and 2012 Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the 2022 North Texas Regional Amateur.

Located approximately 30 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Harbor Lakes Golf Club opened in 2003 and was designed by Dick Phelps. The par-72 layout, which will play approximately 6,300 yards during the championship, is routed through a varied landscape of rolling hills, hardwood trees, and open meadows. With many fairways and greens guarded by penalty areas, bunkers, and run-off areas, the course presents an exacting challenge to even the most accomplished players.

The 9th Women’s Stroke Play is being contested over 54 holes of individual stroke play. 60 players are competing in the Championship Flight. The remaining 11 players are competing in the Flights Division.

Round 2 of the Women’s Stroke Play Championship starts Saturday at 8:00 am. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.