Givens, Le to Play for 102nd Women’s Texas Amateur Championship

BULLARD – After winning their third and fourth grueling matches of the week on Thursday, Sydney Givens will face Madison Le for the 102nd Women’s Texas Amateur title at Eagles Bluff Country Club.
An incoming senior at Vandegrift High School in Austin, 4th-seed Sydney Givens held off No. 1 seed Elina Sinz of Katy. After a back-and-forth match on the front nine, Givens took control on the back nine to secure the win. Sinz, a senior at the University of Alabama, missed the green from the fairway. She hit a great flop shot to put it on the green on 17 but finished with a bogey. Givens nailed her fairway shot to put her ball within six feet and then two-putted for par to claim the victory.
“I played great today and made a lot of putts,” said Givens, who recently claimed the individual and team 6A state title at Vandegrift. “I was really pumped to get it done today. The greens today were a little faster so just knowing the speeds of the green and getting my speed control I can make more putts.”
The other Semifinal match featured two talented players as well with 26th-seeded Madison Le of Arlington and 19th-seeded Raleygh Simpson of Kerrville facing off. Le, a sophomore at the University of Texas at Arlington, won 1 up on the 18th hole.
Simpson, an incoming senior at Tivy High School in Kerrville, made a last push for an exciting finish against Le. On the 17th hole, she made a 14-foot uphill putt for birdie to extend the match to the 18th hole. Le then put the pressure back on Raleygh and was able to two-putt for par to secure her victory.
“I feel super great,” said Le. “Today was a grind. It was really difficult today, but I was proud of myself that I pushed to the end. I try to focus one shot at a time and stay in it and not to force things that could happen naturally.”
In other Quarterfinal matches from the Championship Bracket earlier Thursday morning, Le defeated Amari Smith of McKinney 3&1 to advance. Le has been able to finish all her matches before getting to the 18th hole until the semifinal match against Simpson. In the other quarterfinal match, Givens defeated Lubbock’s Haley Vargas 2&1 to move on to her match with Sinz.
Temperatures were brutal for the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds on Thursday. In the morning, temperatures stayed in the mid 80’s before reaching low 100s in the afternoon.
Playing from 6031 yards on Thursday, the Eagle’s Bluff’s’s routing through the East Texas woods, thick rough and water hazards continued to make ball control important.
In addition to the Final Match in the Championship Match Play Bracket, Friday also brings the Finals in three lower flights. All the competitors who finished 33rd or worse in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round were seeded into flights based on their scores.

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.

Shellberg, Brambilla and Lee Win Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

SUPHUR SPRINGS – Ryan Shellberg shot 2 under par 70 to win the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Sulphur Springs Country Club. Chiara Brambilla won the Girls Division at 2-under, while Ryan (Woojin) Lee won the Boys 14 & Under Division finishing at 4 over par for the tournament.

TJGAI Leaderboard

Prosper’s Shellberg completed his wire-to-wire victory with rounds of 71-70 to get to 3-under overall and a one stroke victory over San Antonio’s Matt Pawly. Ryan had a clutch chip-in birdie on the tough par 3 17th hole to give him the cushion he needed to win. Ryan was the only player in his division to finish under par in both tournament rounds as the heavy wind played havoc with the golfers this weekend. This is Shellberg’s first ever victory on the Legends Junior Tour.

Trailing Shellberg was Matt Pawly of San Antonio who carded an impressive 3 under 69 in the tough conditions. Richmond’s Eli Walker Campbell finished third at 3 over par, one stroke ahead of Dallas’s Aiden Dortch and Fair Oak Ranches Phoenix Guerra.

Southlake’s Brambilla captured her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour this year after rounds of 71-71 to get to 2-under 142 overall. Brambilla made eight birdies over the weekend to finish with an eight stroke victory.

Austin’s Claire Wan came back from a rough first day to post 3 under par 69 on Sunday, tying for the best round of the tournament. Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn finished third in the Girls 12-18 Division and earned enough Player of the Year points to overtake Farrah O’Keefe for the honor.

College Stations’s Ryan (Woojin) Lee won the Boys 14 & Under Division after shooting matching 2-over par 74’s to finish the tournament at 4 over par 148. Ryan bested Garland’s Aiden Tiet and Houston’ Austin Le by one shot as the three players battled it out through the high winds all day long. Lantans’s Henry Jackson finished in fourth place at 8 over par.

The Course: Sulphur Springs Country Club is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. The course played to just under 6500 yards for the Boys 15-18 division, 6200 yards for the Boys 12-14 division and 5700 for the girl’s division.

The Weather: Temperatures crept up to the mid 80s on Sunday and winds were up again throughout the day blowing at 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

About the Event: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2021 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

Up Next: The Legends Junior Tour will take the Jackie Burke Cup Matches to The Hideout Golf Club and Resort in Brownwood on Nov. 12-13. The Alliance Invitational was the final event for players to earn points towards the Jackie Burke Cup and the North and South Teams will be announced on Monday, October 24th. The North has won or held the cup for the last seven years.

Player of the Year Winners: Congratulations to Austin’s Trenton Mierl who used his 6th place finish to overtake Fort Worth’s Conner Henry in the Boys Division Player of the Year race. Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn’s third place finish gave her enough points to overtake Austin’s Farrah O’Keefe and win the Girls POY honor. In the Boys 14 and Under Division, Jack Clancy from Dallas ran away with the honors this year posting 5 victories in his 8 events. Full POY Standings can be viewed here.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Shellberg, Brambilla and Lee Lead at the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Briefly: Ryan Shellberg shot a 1 under par round of 71 in the opening round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and leads the Boys Division. Chiara Brambilla leads the Girls Division, while Ryan (Woojin) Lee leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at Sulphur Springs Country Club. All of the players in the field fought windy conditions throughout the day with winds gusting as high as 40 mph.

2022 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational Leaderboard

Boy’s Division: Prosper’s Ryan Shellberg made 3 birdies and an eagle en route to a 1 under par 71 and a one-shot lead over Fair Oaks Ranches Phoenix Guerra. Included in a three-way tie for third is Richmond’ s Eli Walker Campbell, San Antonios’s Matt Pawley and Austin’s Trenton Mierl, all finishing at 1 over par 73. Mierl currently sits in the second spot in the LJT Player of the Year standings and is looking for a solid finish to overtake Conner Henry in this season’s final points event and earn Player of the Year Honors. Four players are tied for 6th at 2 over par and in all there are 14 total players within 4 shots of the lead.

Girls Division: Southlake’s Chiara Brambilla made 5 birdies in her round, and they seemed to come in bunches as she made 3 consecutive on holes 3, 4 and 5 and then two more on holes 10 and 11. Chiara posted the only under par round of the day and finishing at 1 under par 71. Chiara is looking for her first victory of the year on the LJT and will start Sunday’s final round with a 4-shot lead over Cypresses Jasmine Do. Edmond, Oklahoma’s Evyn Cannon and Tyler’s Sidney Robertson sit in a tie for third at 5 over par.

Boys 14 and Under Division: Ryan Lee from College Station holds a two-stroke lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division after fighting through the windy conditions to post 2 over par 74. Ryan is looking to break through for his first LJT win of the year after finishing 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in his last three tournaments. Houston’s Austin Le and Sulphur Spring’s own Nick Burney sit in a tie for 2nd at 4 over par. Four different players are tied for 4th at 5 over par going into the final round.

The Course: Sulphur Springs Country Club is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. The course played to just under 6500 yards for the Boys 15-18 division, 6200 yards for the Boys 12-14 division and 5700 for the girl’s division.

Weather: The temperatures started in the mid 60’s on Saturday reaching a high of 85 in the afternoon under partly sunny skies. The winds were the story of the day as the golfers experienced sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2022 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

Up Next: The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 am. Tee times will go off the No. 1 & 10 tees in the morning and the champions will be crowned once play has finished that afternoon.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Hofferkamp, Ahn and O’Donnell Win James A. Ragan Memorial

Briefly: Austin Hofferkamp fired a 5-under 67 and won the Boys 15-18 Division of the James A. Ragan Memorial at Lozano Golf Center. Adrienne Ahn completed her wire-to-wire victory in the Girls Division after shooting an even par 72 to win by three strokes. Tripp O’Donnell shot 4-under in the final round to win the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Full Leaderboard

Winners: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Austin Hofferkamp of The Woodlands played solid golf over 2 days posting the low round each day of the event. His 9-under total was 3 shots better than his closest competitor. In the Girls Division, Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn claimed her second LJT victory by shooting rounds of 74-72 to finish at 2-over par overall. Ahn’s final round included 16 pars and never gave the others an opening to catch her as she completed her 3 shot victory. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Trip O’Donnell of Houston captured his first LJT victory by shooting 4-under 68, finishing the tournament at 1-over par and a two stroke victory. O’Donnell started the day in a tie for 4th, 5 strokes behind the first round leader Ryan Lee.

Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Richmond’s Eli Walker Campbell finished in second at 6-under par overall. Campbell overcame an early double bogey on the 2nd hole and posted 7 birdies in his final round 68. Four players tied for third place at 3-under par 141 including Fair Oaks Ranch’s Phoenix Guerra, Portland’s Hayden Hardwick, Plano’s Rhett O’Rear and The Hill’s Conner Smith. In the Girls Division, Emma Koch of Victoria and Leya Glazer of Dallas finished tied for second at 5-over. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin’s Dylan Knox finished second at 3-over par while Selma’s Aadi Parmer and College Station’s Ryan Lee tied for third at 7-over par.

Player of the Years Points: Austin Hofferkamp, Adrienne Ahn, and Trip O’Donnell all earned 500 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.

Weather: The temperatures in Corpus Christi reached the upper 80s under cloudy skies. A north wind was present throughout the day with gusts up to 20 miles per hour.

Course: Lozano Golf Center is hosting the James A. Ragan Memorial for the first time. Lozano Golf Center, named after its original owner Gabe Lozano, is home to an 18 Hole, Par 72 Championship Golf Course measuring 7,027 yards from the professional tees, and a 9 Hole, Par 30 Executive Course measuring 1,947 yards. Lozano GC is traditionally known the most popular among all golf facilities in Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. The course was built by Leon Howard in 1965 and renovated in 1983 by Finger Dye Spann, Inc. It’s a long course that plays to 7,000 yards and features water on most holes. The fairways provide wide landing areas which helps when the wind is blowing hard off the Gulf. Recent renovations have drastically improved the overall conditions the golf course and facilities. Lozano Golf center is owned by the City of Corpus Christi, and managed by Foresight Golf.

About James: James Ragan started playing on the LJT in 2008 and recorded three top-25 finishes. The Corpus Christi native won the 2010 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic and earned a spot in the Jackie Burke Cup Matches. He would go on to win the LJT’s first Sportsmanship Award and the next year the award was named after him. Ragan was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2006, which is a rare type of pediatric cancer. He founded “Triumph Over Kid Cancer” which is an organization that has raised more than $3 million dollars for pediatric cancer research. James passed away in 2014 but TOKC has kept going with the help of the Ragan family.

About TOKC: Founded by James Ragan in 2007, Triumph Over Kid Cancer is dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer by raising their spirits, raising the public’s awareness and funding research to improve the treatment and survivability of pediatric cancers.

What’s Next: The Legends Junior Tour heads east for the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Sulpher Springs Country Club on Oct. 22-23. The invitational will be the final event of the 2022 LJT season with player of the year awards and Jackie Burke Cup roster spots on the line.

For more information on the James A. Ragan Memorial, click here. To see all the scores from the event, click here.

Hofferkamp, Ahn, Evans and Lee Lead James A. Ragan Memorial

Briefly: Austin Hofferkamp shot 4-under 68 in the opening round of the James A. Ragan Memorial at Lozano Golf Center and leads the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke. Lauren Evans and Adrienne Ahn share the lead in the Girls Division at 2-over 74, while Ryan Lee leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes after an even par round of 72.

Full Leaderboard

Leaders: The Woodland’s Austin Hofferkamp made seven birdies on the day while the afternoon wind picked up and played havoc with the competitors. Hofferkamp finished strong with birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17. He’s looking to improve on his runner-up finish last week at the Fall Challenge. Houston’s Lauren Evans made three birdies in her first round to head into the final round tied with Adrienne Ahn of Dallas. Ahn’s steady round included 14 pars in the windy conditions at Lozano Golf Center. College Station’s Ryan Lee leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes after shooting even par 72 on Sunday. Lee, who is looking for his first LJT win of the season shot three under par on his final nine to grab the lead.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Fair Oaks Ranch’s Phoenix Guerra sits in second place and trails Hofferkamp by one stroke at 3-under 69. The Hill’s Conner Smith, Richmond’s Eli Walker Campbell, Dallas’ Barret Wisener and Corpus Christi’s Andrew Hill are all in a three-way tie for third at 2-under par 70 and sit only 2 strokes back. In the Girls Division, Leya Glazer of Dallas trails the two leaders by one stroke at 3-over par. Castroville’s Destiny McNeil sits 3 strokes back in fourth. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Justin Garza of Laguna and Aadi Parmar of Selma are tied for second at 4-over par. The duo will join Lee in the final group tomorrow. Garza will be attempting to win his second LJT event in a row as he won the Fall Challenge last week in Granbury. Houston’s Brandon Wu is in fourth place with a 5-over par 77.

Course: Lozano Golf Center is hosting the James A. Ragan Memorial for the first time. Lozano Golf Center, named after its original owner Gabe Lozano, is home to an 18 Hole, Par 72 Championship Golf Course measuring 7,027 yards from the professional tees, and a 9 Hole, Par 30 Executive Course measuring 1,947 yards. Lozano GC is traditionally known as the most popular among all golf facilities in Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. The course was built by Leon Howard in 1965 and renovated in 1983 by Finger Dye Spann, Inc. The course features water on most holes. The fairways provide wide landing areas which help when the wind is blowing hard off the Gulf. Recent renovations have drastically improved the overall condition of the golf course and facilities. Lozano Golf Center is owned by the City of Corpus Christi and managed by Foresight Golf.
Weather: The temperatures today in Corpus Christi reached the upper 80’s under sunny skies. The winds started out calm but picked up throughout the day as players were faced with 15 mph sustained winds throughout the afternoon.

Tournament Format: The tournament is a 36-hole stroke play event for players ages 12-18 that are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players completed 18 holes on Sunday and will play the final 18 holes on Monday.

About James: James Ragan started playing on the LJT in 2008 and recorded three top-25 finishes. The Corpus Christi native won the 2010 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic and earned a spot in the Jackie Burke Cup Matches. He would go on to win the LJT’s first Sportsmanship Award and the next year the award was named after him. Ragan was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2006, which is a rare type of pediatric cancer. He founded “Triumph Over Kid Cancer” which is an organization that has raised more than three million dollars for pediatric cancer research. James passed away in 2014 but TOKC has kept going with the help of the Ragan family.

About TOKC: Founded by James Ragan in 2007, Triumph Over Kid Cancer is dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer by raising their spirits, raising the public’s awareness and funding research to improve the treatment and survivability of pediatric cancers.

What’s Next: The Final Round of the James A. Ragan Memorial is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Monday, October 10th. Pairings for the final round were redrawn according to scores from the first round and can be found by clicking here.

For more information on the James A. Ragan Memorial, click here. To see all the scores from Sunday’s play, click here.

Null, Robertson, and Vargas Claim North Texas Classic Titles

Null, Robertson, and Vargas Claim North Texas Classic Titles

Briefly: Corbin Null shot a 4-under 67 on Sunday to win the Boys Division of the North Texas Classic by 4 shots. Sidney Robertson, captured the Girls Division Title with a second round 1-under 70, while Asher Vargas ran away to a 14 shot victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division at 10-under par overall.

Champions: Waco’s Corbin Null went wire to wire to claim the North Texas Classic Victory. He finished an impressive weekend with a final round 67 to win at 9-under 133. Null accumulated 9 birdies & 1 eagle over both tournament rounds. Tylers’s Sidney Robertson completed a second round come back to win the Girls Division. Starting the day one shot back and posted a 1-under par 70 to take the victory. Springs’s Asher Vargas extended his 3 shot first round lead to 1 14 shot victory, thanks to a final round of 6-under 65. Vargas finished the event with 9 birdies and 2 eagles.
Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Boerne’s Price Hill couldn’t quite catch Corbin Null as the two matched 67’s in the second round to finish second at 5-under 137. The trio of Brooks Harper from Dallas, Ryan Shellberg from Prosper and Trenton Mierl from Austin finished tied for third place at 4-under par 138. Dallas’s Andrew Petruzzelli and Reese Roberts both finished in a tie for sixth at 3-under par 139.
In the Girls Division, Austin’s Darrelyn Webster finished second as her second round 73 wasn’t enough to hold the lead she held after round 1 as she finished the tournament with a 1-under par total of 141. Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han finished the tournament in third place with an even par 142 36-hole total. Rounding out the top 5 were Nirjara Gulhane of Cedar Park and Leya Glazer of Dallas.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, College Station’s Ryan Lee and Austin’s Ethan Hoffman finished tied for second at 4-over par 146. Rounding out the top 5 were Aiden Tiet of Garland and Austin Le from Houston. Both players finished in a tie for fourth at 6-over par 148.
Player of the Years Points: Corbin Null, Sydney Robertson and Asher Vargas all earned 500 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
Golf Course: Buffalo Creek Golf Club is hosting the North Texas Classic for the first time in the eight years the Legends Junior Tour has hosted the event. Located in Rockwall, the course offers a great challenge to the field, stretching out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys Division, 6,600 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 6,000 yards in the Girls Division.
Weather: The weather continued to be great for the second round with temperatures starting in the high 60’s and reaching the upper 80’s by mid-afternoon. The players were faced with breezy conditions with wind around 10-12 mph throughout the day.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic 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. The North Texas Classic kicks off the Fall Swing of the Legends Junior Tour schedule.
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 LJT travels to Nutcracker Golf Club in Granbury for the Fall Challenge on October 1-2.

Mierl and Null, Webster and Vargas Lead North Texas Classic

Mierl and Null, Webster and Vargas Lead North Texas Classic
Briefly: Trenton Mierl and Corbin Null both shot 5 under par 66 to share the lead in the Boys Division of the North Texas Classic at Buffalo Creek Golf Club. In the Girls Division, Darrelyn Webster leads at 3-under, while Asher Vargas leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 4-under.
Tournament Leaderboard
Leaders: Austin’s Trenton Mierl and Waco’s Corbin Null, both seeking their first win of on the Legends Junior Tour in 2022 are tied at the top of the Boys 15-18 Division with matching 66’s. Null had a bogey free opening round that included an eagle on the par 5 14th hole while Mierl recorded 6 birdies including 3 in a row on holes 16-18. Austin’s Darrelyn Webster made three birdies and an eagle en route to her opening round of 3-under 68 and leads by one stroke heading into Sunday’s Final Round. Springs’s Asher Vargas leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by three strokes after an opening round 67 on Saturday. He made five birdies and an eagle in his first round.
In Contention: In the Boys Division, Dallas’s Deacon Dortch and Prosper’s Ryan Shellberg are tied for third at 3-under, both are seeking their first victory with the LJT this year. Four players are tied for fifth at 2-under, while seven are tied for ninth at 1-under. In the division 15 total players are under par heading into the final round.
In the Girls Division, Tyler’s Sydney Robertson is in second at 2-under, while Dallas’ Leya Glazer and Cedar Park’s Nirjara Gulhane are tied for third at 2-over.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin Le of Houston trails by three strokes, with Austins’s Ethan Hoffman in third 5 stroke behind Vargas.
Golf Course: Buffalo Creek Golf Club is hosting the North Texas Classic for the first time in the eight years the Legends Junior Tour has hosted the event. Located in Rockport, the course offers a great challenge to the field, stretching out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys Division, 6,600 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 6,000 yards in the Girls Division.
Weather: The weather was perfect for the first round with temperatures starting in the low 70s and reaching the upper 80s. The winds were calm around five miles per hour out of the southeast.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic 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. The North Texas Classic kicks off the Fall Swing of the Legends Junior Tour schedule.
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 Final Round is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Sunday, September 11. To see the pairings for the Final Round, click here.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from Buffalo Creek Golf Club, click here.

Flodder Financial Shootout Returns to Falcon Point

KATY – The Flodder Financial Shootout returns to The Club at Falcon Point on June 27-28 for the fifth straight year. The event is the ninth tournament on the Legends Junior Tour schedule this year and the third of three LJT events in June.

“The LJT is excited to return to Katy for this year’s Flodder Financial Shootout,” LJT Tournament Manager Adam Schulte said. “The club has been an amazing host the last four years, and we look forward to another great event with a strong field of players.”

Flodder Financial Group has been the proud sponsor of the championship since the tournament’s inception in 2013. The company’s commitment and dedication to junior golf has allowed the championship to grow over the years and become a strong 84-player tournament on the LJT schedule.

The Flodder Financial Shootout is split into three divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and a Boys 14 & Under Division. Top finishers in each division will earn AJGA Performance Stars along with exemptions into LJT Invitational events. Unique to this championship on the LJT schedule, the winner of each division will receive a custom-made Flodder Financial Shootout silver belt buckle and for the first time in the tournament’s history, the lowest score in Tuesday’s final round will receive a smaller belt buckle.

Last year, Grant Doggett of Mont Belvieu hung onto his 18-hole lead to win the Boys 15-18 Division. Doggett finished the tournament at even-par 144 after rounds of 70-74. Canton’s Mia Nixon won the Girls 12-18 Division by five strokes with a tournament total of 1-over-par 145. After a crowded first round leaderboard, Rhett O’Rear of Plano came out on top for the second straight year in the Boys 14 & Under Division. O’Rear won the division with scores of 73-72 for a 1-over-par tournament total 145.
All three players joined a distinguished list of past champions, including Cole Hammer, who won this event in 2013. Other notable past champions include Walker Lee, Travis Vick, Ashni Dhruva, Macy Fox, Scott Roden and Garrett Martin.

The Club at Falcon Point has 18 holes of championship golf, offering variety and challenge off the tee and into the greens. Water will come into play for the competitors on 16 holes. The par-72 layout was designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge and opened in 1984.

The first round is scheduled for Monday, June 27 with tee times starting at 7:30 a.m. Final round pairings will be redrawn per Round 1 scores and begins at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 28.

ABOUT FLODDER FINANCIAL GROUP: The Flodder Financial Group prides itself on serving its clients through strong relationships. Its experienced team of advisors work with each client on a personal level. The group helps develop and implement tax, savings, investment and estate planning strategies.