Condon, Tyner win at Tournament of Champions

Briefly: Luke Condon of Kaufman fired rounds of 70-68 for a total 138, four-under-par to capture the Tournament of Champions Open Division,  Trey Tyner of Kerville ran away from the competition to capture the Senior Division title at the Tournament of Champions with the only two rounds under par 70-70-140.

Final Results

Golf Course: Champions Golf Club was created and opened by World Golf Hall of Famers and Masters Champions Jack Burke Jr. and Jimmy Demeret.  Opened in 1956 the Cypress Creek designed by famed golf course architect Ralph Plummer.  The Jackrabbit course followed closely behind, opened in 1959 and designed by George Fazio and renovated in 2002 by Tom Fazio.  Champions Golf Club has hosted some of golfs biggest events including the Ryder Cup, U.S. Open and Women’s Open, the U.S. Amateur, and many more.

Weather: Saturday’s first round saw players tee off at a temperature of 98 degrees, temperatures reached up to 104 degrees, humidity was at 37%.  Sunday’s final round was equally hot with the temperature again reaching 103 degrees.

Top Finishers: Luke Condon, Open Division champion, qualified for the Tournament of Champions through the Medalist North Series in 2023, came into the final round tied with three other players after Saturdays’ first round play on Champions Golf Clubs Jackrabbit course.  Condons first round consisted of four birdies and three bogeys.  Condon said of the Jackrabbit course “the course is sneaky hard, you don’t have to hit a bad shot and you can still get penalized.”  His second round on the Cypress Creek course saw him shoot the second lowest score of the day three-under-par 68 which was just enough to claim the championship.  Condon shot a tournament high six birdies on Cypress Creek including hole 17 which would be the deciding birdie in the Tournament of Champions.

Trey Tyner, qualified for the Tournament of Champions through the Medalist Hill Country in 2023, used a stellar first round on Jackrabbit to put distance between himself and the other senior division competitors.  Tyner fired the only round under par for the Senior Division in the tournament and he did so on both Jackrabbit and Cypress Creek.  Tyner only carded bogey or worse on two holes for the entire tournament, finishing with five birdies across both courses.

Finishing in second place in the Open Division was Conroe’s Clay Fullick.  Fullick entered the final round two shots behind the leaders after a one-over-par 72. Fullick used the lowest round of the tournament to make a furious run at the championship shooting 67 in the final round and going three-under-par for his final nine holes.  His comeback attempt would fall one stroke short after Condon made birdie on 17 to move to four-under-par for the championship.  Tied for third place for the tournament Joey Gullion and Carson Cooper both from Spring.  Gullion and Cooper were both co-leaders after round one firing one-under-par 70 on Jackrabbit.  Gullion and Cooper then fired the same score on Cypress Creek two-over-par 73.

Finishing second in the Senior Division Steven Trafton of Jonestown, Trafton fired rounds of 76-77 for a total 153 for the Tournament.  Rounding out the top three in the Senior Division were Duncan Burch of Marble Falls and John Vidales of Deer Park who both shot 155 for the event.

Medalist POY: The 2023 Medalist Season has officially concluded, to view final player of the year point standings click here.

What’s Next: With the conclusion of the TGA Regional series and Tournament of Champions, next on the state championship schedule is the Texas Four-Ball.  The Four-Ball will be contested August 18-20 at Pinecrest Country Club in Longview. Texas Mid-Amateur qualifying is underway for the TGA with sites scattered across the state for the next two months. The 40^th Texas Mid-Amateur will be hosted by Midland Country Club September 29-October 1.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff, members of Champions Golf Club their time and effort made the Tournament of Champions a memorable and successful event. For more information on the Tournament of Champions, click here.

Andrew Chow wins North Amateur

Briefly: Andrew Chow of Coppell overcame a one-shot deficit heading into the final round of the North-Amateur to win by one stroke. Chow a member of the University of Texas at Dallas golf team used consistent play over three days at Thorntree to finish the championship at seven-under par 209, all while competing in temperatures that cleared 103 degrees all three days of the tournament. This is Chow’s first victory with the Texas Golf Association.

Final Results

Golf Course: Thorntree Golf Club was built in 1983 by the Richard Mai Family. For five years, it played host to the Byron Nelson qualifying tournament, PGA Tour stage qualifying, and sectional qualifying for the Texas State Open. Rated as one of the toughest courses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by the Dallas Business Journal, this challenging course provides a test for any competitive golfer.

Weather: First, second, and the final round began with players teeing off with temperatures in the low 90’s.  Afternoon temperatures peaked at 104 degrees all three days.  All three days the skies were clear.

Top Finishers: Chow posted rounds of 68-69-72 over his three days which included a birdies on the 8^th and 9^th holes to secure his even par finish in the final round.  Chow began the day seven-under par, one shot back of the round two leaders.  Chow’s second round included six birdies including a string of three straight on holes two, three, and four. Chows final round even par 72 was enough to secure the victory as his final group competitors both shot over par for the final round.

Finishing in second place was Wylie’s Brandon Shong.  Shong entered the final round in a tie for the lead after two stellar round of 69-67, however a quadruple bogey on the sixth hole of the final round proved too much to overcome.  Shong would finish the tournament one shot back of Chow at six-under par 210. In third place for the tournament Justin Bates of Highland Village.  Bates fired rounds of 71-71-70 to finish four-under par.  Rounding out the top five were Texas Tech University commit Ben Gregg of Dallas, TX who used a final round 68 to vault into the top five for the tournament finishing at three-under par.  Daniel Moon of Temple, Alex Huang of Plano, and Gant Bills of Plano all finished tied for 5^th place at two-under par 214.  Bills entered the final round tied for the lead however a final round 78 did not secure a victory.

Regional POY: North Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top 30 finishers at the 2023 North Amateur with the champion will receive 1,000 points. For Regional POY information, click here.

What’s Next: With the conclusion of the 2023 TGA Regional Series, next on the state championship schedule is the Texas Four-Ball. Registration for the Four-Ball will close on August 9 at 5:00 pm, the Four-Ball will be contested August 18-20 at Pinecrest Country Club in Longview. Texas Mid-Amateur qualifying is underway for the TGA with sites scattered across the state for the next two months. The 40^th Texas Mid-Amateur will be hosted by Midland Country Club September 29-October 1.

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff, members of Thorntree Golf Club, and our volunteers for their integral part in making the North Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the North Amateur, click here.

Adams, Eng, and Hopton-Jones win at the 95th West Amateur

Abilene – Will Adams of Odessa runs away from the field and wins the 95^th West Texas Amateur at Diamondback National Golf Club with an overall score of 19-under, 194. Kelly Eng of Austin captures the Senior Division at 3-under in a playoff, while Doug Hopton-Jones of Mansfield wins the Super Senior Division in a playoff at 1-under.

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Will Adams goes wire to wire to claim his first West Texas Amateur championship.  The West Texas native from Odessa fired three stellar rounds of 63-64-67.  Adams finished round one with a three-shot lead on the field and never looked back.  He began his tournament with 5 straight birdies and an eagle and carded a bogey-free 64 in round two. This is Adams’s second Texas Golf Association championship win after claiming the 2019 North Amateur championship at The Courses at Watters Creek. Kelly Eng captured the Senior Division after shooting even par 71 on Sunday. His 210 total put him into a playoff where he won on the first hole. Doug Hopton-Jones of Mansfield won the Super Senior Division after 72-68-72 for a tournament total of 212 one-under-par.  Hopton-Jones won with a par on the first playoff hole, #10, against Mike Peck of Irving.  Hopton-Jones claims his third West Texas Super Senior Championship in the last five years after back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020 at Midland Country Club and Bentwood Country Club.  Hopton-Jones adds to his West Texas Amateur Championship legacy after also claiming the championship division in 2002. Hopton-Jones pulled himself into contention with a three-under-par 68 in the second round and his par-par finish on holes eight and nine were enough to force the playoff.

Top Finishers: Davis Seybert of Midland finished runner-up in the Championship Division after shooting rounds of 68-71-64. Tied for third was Austins Jake Sitterle, Wheelers Gaitlin Goad, and Fulshears Colt Tenpenney. Jake Leatherwood of Snyder. And Scott Roden of Dallas finish in a tie for sixth. Rounding out the top ten in the champions division are Lubbock’s Jackson Drake and Austins Andrew Grice with a total of 208. In the Senior division, Houston’s Mike Booker finishes in second after a playoff with Eng. Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson and Kingwoods Jeff Bellnap finish tied for third at a total of 212. New Braunfels Terrance Miskell finished in solo fifth while John Pierce of San Antonio finished right behind him in sixth. Fort Worths Vern Spurlock, The Woodlands Ron Byrd and Austins John McClure all finished tied for seventh with a total of 215. Finishing out the top ten were Joe Sconiers, Donald Oconnor, John Stollenwreck, Rick Houston, and Chris Hartenstein all with a total of 216. In the Super Senior Division, Irving’s Mike Peck finished second, losing in the first playoff hole after firing rounds of 71-68-73 for a one-under-par 212. Gary Tully of Woodway rounds out the top three at 3-over-par 216.  Bobby J Haney of New Braunfels and Lee Sandlin of Dallas finished fourth at four-over-par 217.

Golf Course:  An 18-hole championship golf course developed by Lytle Creek Golf Links, a company headed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody. Mr. Coody, Williams, Gill, and Associates designed the par 71, 7,000-yard course, which opened in November of 1999 and features bent-grass greens and hybrid Bermuda grass fairways, roughs, and tees. Lytle Creek runs throughout the site and comes into play on seven of the holes. Additional lakes were also built on the site. Naturally occurring rock outcroppings on the site and native vegetation in the rough provide the course with unique character. 

Weather: Temperatures started in the mid-70s in the morning and crept up to the high 90s in the afternoon. There was no wind in the morning, but a slight breeze picked up in the afternoon with clear blue skies in Abilene.

Tournament History: Adams joins some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes, and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups and the 144-player field was cut to 73 players after Saturday’s second round.

TGA Player of the Year: Points were awarded to the top 20 finishers for the West Texas Amateur in the Men’s Regional Points Race. The champion got 1,000 points toward the statewide honor followed by 800 for runner-up, 700 for third, 650 for fourth, and 600 for fifth. To see the complete breakdown of points available, click here.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The Texas Golf Association heads to Azle, TX as the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play takes place at Cross Timbers Golf Course. 84 of the state’s top Mid-Amateurs will duel it out starting Thursday, July 27.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

Adams builds lead at West Texas Amateur

Abilene – Will Adams builds on his lead in the second round finishing with a seven-under 64.  Chris Hartenstein leads the Senior Division at 4-under, while Mike Peck leads the Super Senior Division at 3-under.

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Will Adams maintains his lead in the Championship Division after his seven-under-par 64 on Saturday. He grows his lead after finishing bogey free in round two, carding three birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine.  Adams heads into the final round fifteen-under-par with an eight stroke lead on the next closest competitor. Adams, a product of West Texas playing for Odessa College in 2021 is looking to claim his first victory in the West Texas Amateur and his first TGA victory since the North Amateur in 2019. Chris Hartenstein of Austin is leading the Senior division by one stroke heading into the final round. Hartenstein fought for every hole in the second round today, putting up four birdies to finish with a one-over-par 72, Hartenstein is seeking his first West Texas Amateur Senior Division win. Mike Peck of Irving showed off his toughness and worked his way into the lead heading into the final round. Finishing with 68, Peck carded four birdies to only one bogey and went bogey-free on the back nine to claim the lead after 36 holes. Peck is in a familiar position as he held the 36 hole lead in 2022 before going on to win the Super Senior Division at Odessa Country Club (Old Course) last year.

In Contention: Trailing Adams in the Championship Division is Colt Tenpenny at seven-under-par. Scott Roden of Dallas is in third at six-under-par. Wheelers Gatlin Goad, San Antonios Patrick Kahanek, Celinas Rob Couture, and Snyders Jake Leatherwood share fourth place at five-under-par.

In the Senior Division, Kelly Eng of Austin and Mike Booker of Houston are tied for second at three-under-par. Booker and Kelly are the past two champions of the West Texas Amateur Senior Division and both look to take home the title again. Rick Houston of Midland and Ron Byrd of The Woodlands are tied for fourth at two-under-par.

In the Super Senior Division, Mansfield’s Doug Hopton-Jones trails Peck at two under, while Lee Sandlin of Dallas sits in third at even-par. Super Senior Division 18 hole leader Bobby J Haney of New Braunfels heads into the final round in fourth at one-over-par.

Golf Course:  An 18-hole championship golf course developed by Lytle Creek Golf Links, a company headed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody. Mr. Coody, Williams, Gill, and Associates designed the par 71, 7,000-yard course, which opened in November of 1999 and features bent-grass greens and hybrid Bermuda grass fairways, roughs, and tees. Lytle Creek runs throughout the site and comes into play on seven of the holes. Additional lakes were also built on the site. Naturally occurring rock outcroppings on the site and native vegetation in the rough provide the course with unique character. 

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning. Temperatures rose to the high 90s in the afternoon with some light humidity. There was a calm breeze around 5-10 miles per hour throughout the day with cloud cover moving in and out of Abilene.

Tournament History: The West Texas Amateur is a 144-player tournament across three divisions. This Regional Event is open to all residents of Texas and has boasted some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes, and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups.

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility.

What’s Next: The Divisions were all cut in half following the second round and the Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees. The Championship Division will tee off No. 1, while the Super Senior and Senior Divisions will tee off the No. 10 tee. A champion will be crowned on Sunday and cement his legacy in West Texas Amateur history.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here.

Adams leads at 95th West Texas Amateur

Will Adams leads the Championship Division of the 95th West Texas Amateur after shooting 8-under 63 at Diamondback National Golf Club. Mike Booker and Chris Hartenstein are tied for the lead in the Senior Division at 5-under 66, while Bobby Haney Jr. leads the Super Senior Division at 5-under 66. 

Full Leaderboard 

Leaders: Will Adams of Odessa made eight birdies and one eagle in route to his 8-under 63 on Friday. Adams started with five straight birdies before making an eagle on Hole 6 Par 5 to start his morning. After falling a few shots after, he showed his toughness by gaining three more birdies to finish the day. Mike Booker of Houston and Chris Hartenstein of Austin are tied for the lead at 5-under in the Senior Division. Booker went bogey-free on the back nine to show how comfortable he is on the course. Booker is familiar with winning this event as he took home the West Texas Amateur Senior Division Championship in 2021. Hartenstein went bogey-free on the front nine to put him in a great spot heading to the back nine where he finished tied with Booker. In the Super Senior Division, Bobby Haney of New Braunfels fired a 5-under 66 to close out round one. Bobby had six birdies in an outstanding round. 

In Contention: Trailing Adams in the Championship Division are Colt Tenpenny of Fulshear, Rob Couture of Celina, Gatlin Goad of Wheeler, and Andrew Tan of Austin. Tenpenny got off to a steady start on the front nine before firing off 5 birdies on the back nine to end his day. Couture started off fast with 3 birdies in his first seven holes and finished with three more birdies on his back nine. Andrew Tan showed off his patience and waited for the right holes to attack by going bogey-free through his first 17 holes including 5 birdies.  Andrew Grice, Davis Seybert, Aston Castillo, Patrick Kahanek, and Ethan Parker are all tied for sixth at 3-under chasing the leaders. 

 In the Senior Division, Ron Byrd of The Woodlands follows in third with a 3-under 68. Jeff Bellnap of Kingwood finishes the first round in fourth with a two-under 69, and David Leiss of Houston finished the first round with a one-under 70. Terrence Miskell, Mike Cotter, John Pierce, Lewis Stephenson, and Vern Spurlock all finish day one tied for sixth at even-par 71.  

In the Super Senior Division Bobby Smith of Wichita Falls finished with a 2-under 69. Lee Sandlin of Dallas and Gary Tully of Woodway find themselves tied for third with a 70. Mike Peck of Irving and Lelan Chiles of Granbury are tied for fifth at even-par 71. 

Golf Course: An 18-hole championship golf course developed by Lytle Creek Golf Links, a company headed by Abilene resident and 1971 Masters Champion Charles Coody. Mr. Coody, Williams, Gill, and Associates designed the par 71, 7,000-yard course, which opened in November of 1999 and features bent-grass greens and hybrid Bermuda grass fairways, roughs, and tees. Lytle Creek runs throughout the site and comes into play on seven of the holes. Additional lakes were also built on the site. Naturally occurring rock outcroppings on the site and native vegetation in the rough provide the course with unique character. 

Weather: Temperatures started in the low 80s in the morning and crept up to the low 100s in the afternoon. There was a calm breeze around 10 miles per hour in the morning before slowing down in the afternoon with a clear sky over Abilene.  

Tournament History: The West Texas Amateur is a 144-player tournament across three divisions. This Regional Event is open to all residents of Texas and has boasted some amazing past champions such as Charles Coody, Billy Maxwell, Bob Estes, and Alex Moon. This year’s event saw more than 300 signups. 

TGA Regional Series: The TGA Regional Series is made up of four events for each region of North and South Texas. There is a Regional Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and Amateur for both the North and South. The West Texas Amateur also serves as an event in the Regional Series and is open to any players in the state of Texas that meet eligibility. 

What’s Next: The North and South Regional Amateurs are set for August 4-6.  The North Amateur will be played at Thorntree Golf Club in Desoto, TX.  The South Amateur will take place at The Wilderness Golf Club in Lake Jackson, TX.

For more information on the West Texas Amateur, click here. 

Yuan and O’Donnell Win at Collegiate Preview

Briefly: Bradley O’Donnell of Houston, TX wins the Boys Division of the LJT Collegiate Preview at one-over par with a final score of 214. Kaylee Yuan of Joshua, TX wins the Girls Division at two-over par with a final round of 215.

Winners: Kaylee Yuan came into today with her commanding lead from round one and two. Yuan went 71-71-73 to finish with a 215 overall claiming her first ever victory on the Legends Junior Tour. Houston’s Bradley O’Donnell carded a final round 72 to jump from second place and win. O’Donnell hit a phenomenal flop shot over the 18 green bunker to three feet for his birdie putt and secure the Collegiate Preview Title.

Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Garlands Garrett McMellon shot an impressive 73-68-74 to secure the second-place position. McMellon hit a beautiful wedge shot out of the 18 green bunker to land the ball six feet from the hole. He then rolled his birdie putt in to put pressure on O’Donell’s three-foot putt. Tied for third place were Dallas’ Jack Clancy, Katy’s Shaunak Nair and Spring’s Asher Vargas all with a total of 216 for three-over par. In the Girls Division, Shady Valleys Country Club had their own woman’s club champion Annaelise Joiner compete this week finishing in second with a 248. Rounding out the top three of the girls division was Frisco’s Grace Kalina with a total of 250.

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: The final round featured clear skies and morning temperatures in the low 80’s, and ramped up to the high 90’s by the time the final putt dropped. Winds were calm during Tuesday’s play, topping out at 7 mph.

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:  Kaylee Yuan and Bradley O’Donell each earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. McMellon and Joiner will each earn 800 points for their second-place finishes.  The top half of each division will receive Player of the Year points.

Tournament Exemptions: All players that finish in the top half of each division will earn points in the LJT Player of the Year Standings. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek, and WAGR. In the Boys Division, Top 3 will receive exemptions into the Texas Junior Am, George Hannon Invitational Texas Junior Golf Alliance, 2024 Bluebonnet Championship and 2024 Byron Nelson Jr Championship. Top 5 in the Boys Division will receive exemptions into the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational. In the Girls Division, the Champion will receive an exemption into the George Hannon Invitational while the Top 2 will receive exemptions into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. Top 3 will receive exemptions into the 2024 Texas Girls Invitational and 2024 Bluebonnet Championship.

Next Up: The LJT Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship will take place at Iron Horse Golf Club in North Richland Hills from July 10-11.

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.

John Schaefer wins North Senior Amateur and Rick Lindsay wins Super Senior Amateur

Briefly: John Schaefer of Plano, TX captures the Senior Division at the 2023 North Senior Amateur and Rick Lindsay of Rockwall, TX wins the Super Senior Division; hosted at Whitestone Golf Club in Benbrook, TX. Schaefer used two birdies on the final six holes with no bogeys in that stretch to secure a one shot victory.  Lindsay was the only player in the field to post a score under par for the week and he took that momentum into the second round for a wire to wire victory by one shot.

 Schaefer was able to out shoot the other two players tied for the lead after round one Lewis Stephenson and Brad Stumpf.  Schaefer used four birdies in the first round to overcome so high scores on other holes to keep himself in contention and his final round secured the victory.  Stephenson would finish tied for second, Stumpfs final round dropped him out of the top five.

 Lindsay had four birdies round one to only one bogey and one double to finish round 1 at one-under-par.  Despite an 80 in the final round Lindsay held off contenders Craig Maxwell of Fort Worth and Jim Quinn of Arlington.  Maxwell had a solid final round that included an eagle on hole 13 to finished tied for second with Quinn.  Quinn, last years Super Senior Champion shot 76-76-152 to nearly repeat as champion.

Final Results 

 Golf Course: Whitestone Golf Club located in Benbrook, TX was designed by Jeff Brauer and Jay Morris.  Taking advantage of the rolling terrain North of Fort Worth.  Brauer and Morris were able to create a championship course that is a great challenge for any player.  Whitestone features strategically placed bunkers and penalty areas as well as multiple dog leg holes that make it a great host venue for the North Senior.

 Weather: Players were treated with great temperatures both days of the tournament with the reaching the lows 80s both days of the event.  Wind was a factor both Monday and Tuesday with blowing between 15-25mph both days of the event.

 Top Finishers: Schaefer played his best golf over the final six holes of the tournament When asked what his strategy was going into the final round of the event to pull away from his competitors he stated “today was really about just hanging in there, I was fortunate to pull out the victory.”  This is Schaefers’ first victory with the Texas Golf Association.

 Neal Barfield of Dallas, Mike Peck of Irving, and Lewis Stephenson of Burleson finished in a three way tie for second places second place.  Barfield shot 73 in the final round to take a big leap up the leaderboard after starting the day outside of the top three.  Peck also shot a 73 to move himself into the top three.  Stephenson went for the win on 18 and instead put himself in position for double bogey allowing Schaefer to claim the victory.

Lindsay carded the best round of the tournament in the Super Senior Division, shooting the only score under par for the tournament at one under in the first round.  Lindsay would overcome a poor second round with four pars in his last five holes to claim the Super Senior title.

Craig Maxwell and Jim Quinn tied for second in the Super Senior Division.  Maxwell used a 39-36-75 final round to move himself up the Super Senior leaderboard.  Quinn, last years North Senior Amateur champion shot 76-76-152 but it was not enough to repeat as champion.

Regional POY: North Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top finishers at the 2023 North Senior. The winning player in each division will receive 500 points, followed by 400 for second, 300 for third, 200 for fourth, and 100 for fifth. For Regional POY information, click here. 

What’s Next: The North Regional Series will head to Thorntree Golf Club in DeSoto, TX for the North Amateur. 

 More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Whiteston Golf Club as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the North Senior Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the North Senior Amateur, click here.

CJ Brock wins North Mid-Amateur

Briefly: CJ Brock of Rockwall, TX captures the 2023 North Mid-Amateur at Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club.  Brock, a member at Rockwall GA&C was able to piece together three rounds of even or better, the only player in the field to do so this week under some harsh conditions between the rain Friday and strong winds Saturday with rounds of 72-70-69 for a 5-under-par 211.  With this win Brock captures his first Texas Golf Association Championship and earns an exemption into the 114^th Texas Amateur at The Clubs at Houston Oaks. 

Brock was able to hold off challenger Brock Mulder who shot a 4-under-par 68 in the final round to finish 4-under-par 212 for the tournament.  The final hole was the deciding factor in for the win, Brock hit a bunker shot to one foot to save par on 18. Mulders final putt on from just off the fringe missed the cup by 3 feet left that would have forced a playoff.  With his 2nd place finish, Mulder will also earn an exemption into the 114^th Texas Amateur.

 Final Results 

Golf Course: Laid out along the wind-swept shores of Lake Ray Hubbard, Rockwall Golf and Athletic Club, formerly known as The Shores Country Club, was designed in the late 1970s by Ralph Plummer and Jeffrey Blume.  Rockwall’s layout is a typical 7,000-yard-plus Plummer layout with Bermuda grass fairways and greens. Plummers design splits the course into two completely different nines with the front nine playing on Lake Ray Hubbard and the back nine playing within the Rockwall neighborhood.

Weather: Players were greeted with less-than-ideal conditions during Friday’s round. Rain and lightning postponed play by 1 hour and 45 minutes. Rain continued for the majority of the morning creating very damp general area play. Saturday’s weather lightened up and gave the players a slightly chilly beautiful morning, the wind picked up in the afternoon blowing steady out of the West.  Sunday’s conditions were the best of the tournament with temperatures starting in the mid 50s and getting to 70s by the afternoon and little to no wind.

Top Finishers: CJ Brock played steady strategic golf over the 3 day tournament carding rounds of 72-70-69, after his second round the host club member at Rockwall GA&C stated “I know the course, I know the greens, I just have to go out and execute the shots.” And execute he did, being the only player in the field to not have a round over par for the tournament and cementing his championship with his final round 69.  Brock carded 6 birdies each of his final two rounds to hold off the rest of the field.

Brock Mulder of McKinney finished in second place, Mulder also a member at Rockwall saved his best round for last.  Mulder started the second round at even par for the tournament 144.  His final round Mulder carded six birdies to only two bogies to finish one shot behind Brock at 212.

Finishing in third Kendrick Vinar of Richardson.  Vinar, like Mulder, saved his best round for last carding a 68 highlighted by an eagle on hole 3 a 529 yard par 5.

Regional POY: North Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top finishers at the 2023 North Mid-Amateur. The winning player will receive 900 points, followed by 750 for second, 650 for third, 600 for fourth, and 550 for fifth.  Points will be awarded through the top 30 players and ties. For Regional POY information, click here. 

What’s Next: The North Regional Series will head to Whitestone Golf Club in Benbrook, TX for the North Senior Amateur. 

Registration for the 114^th Texas Amateur is currently open and will close on March 29 at 5:00 PM. For more information and to register for the Texas Amateur, click here.  

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the North Mid-Amateur a memorable and successful event. For more information on the North Mid-Amateur, click here. 

Harper, McKay, and Madden Win at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

Harper, McKay, and Madden Win at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

 Briefly:  Dallas Brooks Harper wins the Boys 15-18 Division of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship at Tangle Ridge Golf Club shooting an 8-under-par 136 to claim a one shot victory. McKinney’s Jenna Madden won the Girls 12-18 Division at even par , while Dallas’ Duff McKay won the Boys 14 & Under Division also shooting an 8-under-par 136.

Champions: Brooks Harper entered Wednesday’s final round in the leading group two shots back on the lead after a first round 67.  Harper started the day off strong with a birdie on hole 3 that would have him tied for first early in the round.  The back nine Harper came alive birdying 4 of the 9 holes. 18 saw Harper and Dortch tied at -7 both Harper and Dortch sent their drives into the same fairway bunker.  Harper put his bunker shot to 3 feet and a tap in birdie claimed him the Boys 15-18 title.

McKinney’s Jenna Madden won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting rounds of 70-74 to finish the championship at even par and five strokes ahead of the field. She posted the only under par round of the tournament in the girls division with a 2 under par score of 70 in the first round.

Dallas’ Duff McKay won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 8-under overall after rounds of 71-65 at Tangle Ridge Golf Club. His final round was one he will forever remember as Duff holed his tee shot on the 316 yard par 4 3^rd hole to record his third career hole in one.  Duff put the tournament out of reach from his competitors with a run of four straight birdies on holes 10 through 13.

 Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Ethan Dufresne of The Hills finished T-2 with Dortch and claimed the trophy by way of a scorecard playoff by shooting a 34 on the back nine.  Dallas Aiden Dortch finished T-2 with Dufresne losing scorecard playoff with his 36 on the back nine for the final round. Luke Colton of Frisco finished fourth firing a second round low total of 66 to climb up the leaderboard after entering the day at even par.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, two girls tied for second at 5 over par. Coppell’s Lauren Rios and Kate Strickland from Lincoln, Nebraska fought hard but could not catch Jenna Madden on the scoreboard.  Dallas’ Sonia Hao finished alone in fourth place at 6 over par respectably.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Spring Branch’s Hunter Grimes finished runner up at 4 under par 140 for the championship.  Jack Clancey fired a 67 on Wednesday to secure third place with a 2 under par 36 hole total.  Highland Village’s Tyson Embry finished fourth at even par, followed by the trio of Plano’s Ryan Lee, Spring’s Asher Vargas and Houston’s Austin Le who all finished in a tie for fifth place at 1 over par for the championship.

 Golf Course: Tangle Ridge Golf Club, located in Grand Prairie, is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 14-year history. The par-72 layout opened in 1995 and was designed by Jeffrey Brauer. The course features exciting elevation changes, subtle Champion Ultra dwarf Bermuda Grass Greens along with it’s tree lined fairways and multiple bunkers and water challenges..  The course played to 6788 yards for the boy’s 15-18 division, 6335 yards for the boy’s 12-14 division and 5870 yards for the girl’s division.

Weather: Wednesday’s weather was similar to Tuesday’s with the sun out and temperatures approaching 105 Degrees. The 5 – 10 mph winds did offer a little relief to the players battle with the course and the heat.

Tournament Format: The Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship is a 36-hole stroke play event for players ages 12-18 years old. Membership with a Texas Junior Golf Alliance Partner is required to play in Legends Junior Tour events.

 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.

 Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Horseshoe Bay Resort on July 25-27 for the 96^th Texas Junior Amateur. The 240-player field is split between four division: Boys, Girls, Boys 14 & Under and Girls 14 & Under. The Boys Division will play the Ram Rock Course, while the Girls Division and both 14 & Under Divisions will play the Apple Rock Course.

A. Dortch, McKay, Madden Lead at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

A. Dortch, McKay, Madden Lead at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

Briefly: Aiden Dortch of Dallas, TX, sits alone atop the Boys 15-18 Division of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship after shooting a scorching 7-under 65 at Tangle Ridge Golf Club. Duff McKay also of Dallas holds 1 shot lead in the Boys 14 & Under division at 1-under-par 71. Finally, Jenna Madden of McKinney leads the Girls Division by four strokes after her 2-under-par 70 in round 1.

Tournament Leaderboard

Leaders: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Aiden Dortch leads after a 7-under-par 65 first round total.  Dortch birdied his first three holes of the day and kept the momentum rolling through his entire round including an eagle on the par 5 529 yard 18^th hole and carding only one bogey for the round.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, McKinney’s Jenna Madden leads after posting 2-under 70 in her opening round. Madden birdied four of her last six holes on the back nine to claim the lead after day one.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, McKay used back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13 to get off to a hot start on the back nine and came home with an even 36 on the front.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 division Tyler Blackwell of Austin and Brooks Harper of Dallas share a tie for second after the first round both carding 5-under par 67.  Also in contention Ethan Dufresne of The Hills sits alone in fourth at 68,  Reese Roberts of Dallas rounds out the top 5 at 2-under-par 70.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, two players sit 4 shots behind the leader Madden.  Lauren Rios of Coppell and Sonia Hao of Dallas both finished Round 1 at 2-over-par 74.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division Asher Vargas of Spring and Hunter Grimes of Spring Branch hold a tie for second both shooting even par 72 on the day. Also in contention in the Boys 14 & Under Division is Ryan Lee of Plano sitting 3 shots back at 1-over-par 73

Golf Course: Tangle Ridge Golf Club, located in Grand Prairie, is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 14-year history. The par-72 layout opened in 1995 and was designed by Jeffrey Brauer. The course features exciting elevation changes, subtle Champion Ultra Dwarf Bermuda Grass Greens along with it’s tree lined fairways and multiple bunkers and water challenges..  The course played to 6805 yards for the boy’s 15-18 division, 6307 yards for the boy’s 12-14 division and 5939 yards for the girl’s division.

Weather: The weather for Tuesday’s First Round was extreme, reaching temperatures of up to 104 degrees at the hottest parts of the day.  Winds picked up during the afternoon tee times blowing a consistent 15-20 mph.

Tournament Format: The Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship is a 36-hole stroke play event for players 12-18 years old. All players in the field are required to have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance.

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.

Tournament Exemptions: The top three finishers of the boy’s 15 – 18 division will earn an exemption into the upcoming Texas Junior Amateur at Horseshoe Bay Resort on July 25-27.

Next Up: The Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Wednesday, July 13. The Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under Divisions will tee off in the morning wave, while the Boys 15-18 Division will tee off in the afternoon wave. To see the pairings for the Final Round, click here.

For more information on the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship, click here. To see all the scores from Tangle Ridge Golf Course, click here.