Around the Green

Yuan and McMellon lead Collegiate Preview

Briefly: Kaylee Yuan of Joshua, TX leads the Girls Division of the Collegiate Preview after shooting an even- par 142 across 36 holes on Monday. Garrett McMellon of Garland, TX leads the Boys Division at one-under following rounds of 73-68.

Leaders: Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan leads the Girls Division after rounds of 71-71 on Monday. Her even par 71 in the second round consisted of four pars and a birdie on the last hole for the day. She heads into the final round with a substantial lead. In the Boy’s Division, Garland’s Garrett McMellon tallied five birdies across 36 holes on Monday, including a ten-hole stretch to end the second round where he went two-under par. McMellon holds a one-stroke lead going into the final round.

In Contention: In the Boys Division, Garland’s Garrett McMellon sits at the top of the leaderboard after rounds of 73-68. Austin’s Bradley O’Donnell is in second place, one-stroke off the lead. O’Donnell posted rounds of 70-72. Sitting in third place is Asher Vargas of Spring, TX. Vargas carded 76-67, his second-round total being the low round of the day. In the Girls Division, Grace Heiss of Dallas sits at T2 trails after firing an 82-85 on Monday. Grace Kalina of Frisco is also tied for second, after rounds of 83-84.

Golf Course: Shady Valley Country Club was founded in 1959 and was designed by C.H. Wilemon Jr. The par-71 layout is playing to just over 6,400 yards for the Boys Division and nearly 5,900 yards for the Girls Division. Featuring tree lined fairways, water features, and small green complexes, the course demands players hit a variety of different shots.

Weather: Round one opened on a hot morning, with temperatures in the low-90’s for the first tee time. Temperatures ramped up to the upper-90’s as players completed their first round and settled in the low-100’s throughout the second round.

Tournament Format: The Collegiate Preview is a 54-hole stroke-play event for players ages 14-19 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is divided into two divisions: Boys and Girls.

Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. Each of the three tier-two organizations (STPGA, NTPGA, HGA) conduct events that serve as qualifiers into the statewide tier-one events run by the Legends Junior Tour (LJT). This allows players to compete in local events in which they can earn spots to play in statewide tournaments.

Player of the Year Points: 1000 points in the 2023 Player of the Year Point Race are up for grabs this week at the Collegiate Preview. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division. All players that finish in the top half of each division will earn points towards the LJT Player of the Year Standings. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek, and WAGR.

Next Up: The Final Round of the Collegiate Preview is set to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 tee at Shady Valley Country Club on Tuesday, June 27th.

For more information on the Collegiate Preview, click here. To see all the scores from the Collegiate Preview at Shady Valley Country Club, click here.