Shyla Brown, Henry Guan make First-Ever U.S. National Junior Team

In a press release yesterday, the USGA announced the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team that includes Texans Shyla Brown and Henry Guan.

With the 2024 Olympics kicking off and the Presidents Cup taking place in September, the United States of America has a big year ahead in sports. The USGA elevated it more by grabbing golfers’ attention with their announcement for the U.S. Junior National Team. The team is the newest addition of the U.S. National Development Program which was established to make the United States the global leader in golf. The elite 10 girls and eight boys on the roster will represent the United States on a global level while nurturing the future of America’s top junior players.

The 18-player roster was announced on March 26^th and will grow to 30 players over the next three years. The roster will be evaluated annually by a selection committee while the players will participate in bi-annual camps and compete internationally with the first international friendly taking place this summer against Australia. The players will also receive year-round world-class coaching, sports psychology, and nutritional guidance. By 2033, the USGA plans to have state pilot programs to launch players into the U.S. National Junior Roster.

Out of the eight boys and 10 girls announced for the U.S. National Junior Team, two familiar faces from Texas made the roster. Shyla Brown of McKinney and Henry Guan of Irving made the inaugural roster with other junior golfers from the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington. Brown and Guan, both elite golfers, could not be more deserving of the recognition and the chance to represent the United States of America.

Shyla Brown, the 15-year-old sophomore and two-time Legends Junior Tour winner is coming off a strong 2023 and 2024 season. Brown was one of four junior golfers elected to compete in the Southwest Airlines Showcase, a collegiate event at Cedar Crest Golf Course in November. Brown showed off her skills finishing second behind Allyn Stephens of Houston. Earlier in the year, Brown finished second at the Texas Junior Amateur held at White Bluff Resort in Whitney, Texas. As if that wasn’t impressive already, she went on to finish eighth at the Texas Women’s Open, a professional event held by the Northern Texas PGA Section.  Brown is just getting started and adding U.S. Junior National Team to her resume just shows the skill the Texas Golfer has.

Henry Guan of Irving has an impressive resume that helped propel him into the U.S. Junior National Team roster. The 425^th-ranked World Amateur Golfer competed on the Junior Presidents Cup team alongside former Legends Junior Tour player Preston Stout. Guan finished secnd  at the 2022 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and heading into 2023 finished in the Top 20 at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. His list of achievements and wins in tournaments builds every year and playing on the U.S. Junior National Team will only make him more successful.

The eyes of Texas fall on Brown and Guan as they take this big step in junior golf but rest assured, they will be ready.

To read more on the U.S. Junior National Team selection, click here.

Mitchell Maier Wins Texas Cup Invitational

Mitchell Maier of Richmond, Texas wins the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club after finishing with a 3-under 210 in the tournament.

Maier fought all round scoring five birdies and three bogeys on the round to secure the win. On No.18, Maier hit 3 wood that caught the wind at just the right amount to roll his ball into the water. After his drop, he stuck his shot to 10 feet where he would go on to two-putt and secure his win. “I’m feeling great. I had a good round today with just keeping it in the fairways” shared the Junior. “I had a couple of struggles here and there, but I kept it pretty solid and steady.”

Maier won his second title on the LJT after winning the George Hannon Junior Invitational in 2022 at UT Golf Club. This is Maier’s first major on the LJT. “It means a lot to me. There was a great feel this week and I’m excited to have my name on the list of major winners,” the Texas A&M Golf commit said.

With the win, he earns exemptions into the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship at Lakewood Country Club and the 98^th Junior Texas Amateur at The Clubs of Kingwood. “It means a lot to me to earn exemptions into those tournaments. I need to keep my head down and keep working and play well in those tournaments.”

Finishing in a tie for second place was San Antonio’s Preston Hiller and The Woodlands’ Austin Hofferkamp after a 2-under 211 for the tournament. Hiller, a Baylor Golf Commit, tied the lowest round of the day with a 4-under 67. Hiller only had one bogey in the final round and five birdies to move from ninth place to second.  Hofferkamp showed his toughness after scoring a 1-under 70. The TCU Golf Commit would go on to score two birdies on the back nine to finish toward the top of the leaderboard.

Montgomery’s Tyler Sanford and McAllen’s Dylan Villarreal tied for fourth after a 1-under 212 for the tournament. Sanford, a Baylor Golf Commit as well, tied with Hiller for the lowest round of the final day. Sanford went bogey-free through 16 holes before bogeying No. 17. He went to birdie No.18 to tie for fourth.

The Texas Cup Invitational was the first of two boys-only majors on the LJT schedule. The Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship is the second one and will be played on June 4-6 at Lakewood Country Club in Dallas.

The Legends Junior Tour would like to thank Eagle’s Bluff Country Club for being a wonderful host and providing a spectacular experience to all our staff and players. This was Eagle’s Bluff’s third time hosting an LJT event in the last six months.

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

Parmar, Hymer tied for lead at Texas Cup Invitational

Shiv Parmar of Selma, Texas, and Jackson Hymer of San Antonio, Texas are tied for first after the second round of the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational. Both players sit at 2-under 140 heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Shiv Parmar shot a 1-under 70 in the second round of the Texas Cup Invitational to put himself tied for first with one round to go. “I played really good golf. I hit a lot of greens today but couldn’t get much to fall,” shared the Texas A&M Golf commit. “Being in play is important on this course and making par too.” Shiv birdied No. 2 today and bogeyed No. 3 to put himself back at 1-under. The rest of the round he played consistently and knocked down one more birdie to put himself in a great position heading into the final round. Shiv won the 2024 LJT Winter Classic at The Wilderness Golf Club and looks to win his first LJT Major Title.

Jackson Hymer had a hard-fought day that included two bogeys and seven birdies that helped him finish with a 3-under 68 in round two. “I played a good round today,” shared the Baylor Golf commit. “I started on the back nine today and it’s a little bit tougher so I was glad I got that nine out of the day before the wind picked up this afternoon.” Hymer is also seeking his first LJT Major Title.

Following behind the leaders are The Woodlands Austin Hofferkamp, and Richmond’s Mitchell Maier, l at 1-under 141. Hofferkamp was on fire today with five birdies which led him to a 3-under 68 in the second round.

Sitting in fifth is McAllen’s Dylan Villareal after a 1-over 72 in Round 2 and 142 for the tournament.

Heading into the final round of the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational, 12 players sit within three shots of the leaders in what is going to be an exciting final round for the first LJT Boys major of the season.

The par-4 ninth played as the toughest hole on the course today with an average score of 4.61. On top of the penalty areas on the hole, your second shot is directly uphill with a green that runs from back to front making any ball on the front of the green roll back off.

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

The Final Round of the Texas Cup Invitational is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 with tee times beginning at 8:30 AM. To see pairings, click here.

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

Mierl, Sanford tied for the lead at the Texas Cup Invitational

Tyler Sanford of Montgomery and Trenton Mierl of Austin share the lead after the First Round at the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational. Both players fired off a 3-under 68 to propel themselves to the top of the leaderboard at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club which is hosting the Texas Cup Invitational for the first time.

“I’m feeling good. My game felt sharp out there today,” shared Sanford. “I didn’t have any big mistakes out there, so it was a smooth round.” Sanford started his round with back-to-back birdies that helped set him up for a great round. After making a bogey on hole No. 7, he went on to score two more birdies on the back nine to stay at the top of the leaderboard. “I can take advantage of the par fives and get my driver out and go for it. I played the par threes well too which was an advantage for me.”

Mierl came into the Texas Cup right off his win at the 2024 Spring Preview Championship at Cedar Crest Golf Course. “It was a slow start out there,” shared the high school senior who started on No. 10 today. “I took it one shot at a time.” Mierl made five birdies on his back nine today including three straights to complete the round. “I got hot at the end especially after I chipped in on nine. I put myself in good positions and took advantage when I could.”

Tied for second are San Antonio’s Cameron Villarreal, Montgomery’s J.J. Worrell, and Round Rock’s Cole MacMillan after a two-under 69 for the First Round. “The course is nice, and the greens are rolling well. The par threes played long today but there were also some par fours that you can get after,” shared Worrell. “I got to stay feeling good and work on my tee shots tomorrow morning on the range. I need to keep the shots straighter and not have as many wayward shots.”

In a tight group tied for fifth are Charlie Dial of Fort Worth, Preston Hiller of San Antonio, Mitchell Maier of Richmond, Shiv Parmar of Selma, and Dylan Villarreal of McAllen after a First Round 1-under 70.

Colder weather welcomed the players in the morning with temperatures in the low 50’s. By the time all players made the turn, temperatures rose into the mid-to-high 60’s with a light breeze that made for a great day for golf.

Hole 13 played the toughest on the course today with an average score of 3.66. The 208-yard Par 3 sits in the pine trees where a crosswind from the south plays a major factor in landing on the green with a bunker on each side.

Official yardage for the First Round was 6,790 yards.

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

The Second Round of the Texas Cup Invitational is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12 with tee times beginning at 8:30 AM. To see pairings, click here.

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

LJT Texas Cup Invitational Heads to Eagle’s Bluff Country Club

ADDISON – The 2024 Texas Cup Invitational will head to Eagle’s Bluff Country Club for the first time in its 17-year tournament history on March 11-13. Eagle’s Bluff Country Club hosted the Legends Junior Tour 2023 Jackie Burke Cup and the 2024 Texas Girls’ Invitational.

 “We are very excited to be heading back to Eagle’s Bluff Country Club for the second time this season after they hosted the Texas Girls’ Invitational for us in February,” shared Tournament Director Adam Schulte. “The Texas Cup Invitational always has a lot of excitement around it. It is the first Major of the season for the boys and with it being earlier in the year they can’t wait to get out there and compete. Eagle’s Bluff has been a great host, and we can’t wait to show them the talented players we have in our Boys Division.”

 The Texas Cup Invitational is the first of two boys-only majors this season. The 54-stroke play tournament features the best young golfers in Texas and surrounding states to join a list of great champions for the Tournament.

 Eagle’s Bluff Country Club sits in East Texas right next to Lake Palestine.  The course features an Augusta National-like environment with a beautiful layout that plays throughout the pine tree woods. Designed by Carlton Gibson in 1999, the course stretches to just over 7,100+ yards from the back tees. In 2014, sixteen members purchased the club and invested back $2 million to make it one of the best courses in East Texas.

 Last year’s winner of the Texas Cup was Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas, TX. Petruzzelli carded a six-under 66 on the final day to move from fifth place to first at Tempest Golf Club in Gladewater, TX. Other previous winners of the Texas Cup include Connor Henry, Patrick Kahanek, Brandon Massey, PGA Tour Players Ryan Grider, Braden Bailey, Chandler Phillips, and more. 

 A lot is up for grabs for the winner of the Texas Cup Invitational Winner. The winner will receive exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, George Hannon Junior Invitational,  Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, 98^th Texas Junior Amateur, and the 25^th Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.

 The First Round of the Texas Cup Invitational is scheduled for March 11 at 8:30 AM. For more information on the Texas Cup Invitational, click here.

Mierl, Bellendir, Dent Win at Spring Preview

Dallas, Texas – Trenton Mierl claims the Spring Preview’s Boys 15-18 Division title with late round theatrics. Alicia Bellendir overcomes a two-shot deficit to win the Girls 12-18 Division and Declan Dent goes wire to wire to win the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Winners: Austin’s Trenton Mierl emerged victorious from a crowded leaderboard in the Boys 15-18 Division. Mierl started the final round three shots off the lead, but stayed within striking distance entering the back nine. After playing the first 15 holes 3-over par, Mierl holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 16^th and rolled in a clutch birdie putt on the par-4 18^th to record an even-par 70 and finish at 1-under par 139 for the championship. This is Mierl’s first LJT victory in the Boys 15-18 Division. Playing in the final group, Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir began the final round two shots off the division lead. Bellendir recorded birdies on the par-5 14^th, par-4 18^th, and par-4 4^th enroute to a final round score of 4-over par 74. Bellendir finished the championship at 8-over par 148 after posting consecutive rounds of 74. This is Bellendir’s first victory with the LJT. Grapevine’s Declan Dent slept on a three shot lead after recording a first round 70, but completed the wire to wire victory after posting 1-over par 71 in the final round. Dent recorded five birdies in his final round, including three in a row between holes 14-16.

Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson finished runner up at even-par 144 after recording a pair of even-par 70’s for the championship. Overnight leader Eli Walker Campbell finished third at 1-over par 141 after a final round 75. Rockwall’s Lucas Latimer recorded the low round of the day, 1-under 69, to move up into fourth place at 2-over 142. Wylie’s Jacob Lewallen, Norman’s Collin Bond, Dallas’s Andy Lieu, and Oklahoma City’s Ben Lathrop all finished tied for fifth at 4-over par 144. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco claims the runner-up title at 10-over 150, after a final round score of 1-over par 71. McKinney’s Kenzi Cho and Katy’s Maye Huang finished tied for third at 11-over par 151. McKinney’s Daniela Sitompul and Wichita’s Meg Tilma rounded out the top five tied for fifth at 12-over 152. In the Boys 14U Division, The Woodlands’ Anthony Butt finished in second, three shots off the pace at 4-over 144. Edmond’s Ainslie Stanford III and Tyler’s Davis Green finished tied for third at 8-over par 148. Flower Mound’s Nathan Lee rounded out the top five at 9-over par 149.

Weather: Sunday’s weather started with temperatures in the upper 50’s and rose throughout the day topping out at 80 degrees.  A challenging south wind blew all day long at 15-20 mph with 30 mph gusts adding another layer of difficulty.

Host Course: Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a clubhouse in 2001 and was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course is a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.  

Cedar Crest Golf Course is home to the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 area youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

Tournament History: The Spring Preview has been played every year since its inception in 2006. Past champions of this event include William Zalatoris, Maddie Szeryk, Stratton Nolen, Brad Dalke, Nathan Weant, Brendan Redfern, Travis Vick, Julia Beck, Cole Hammer, Hailee Cooper, Kyle Hogan, Turner Hosch and Hanna Alberto.

Player of the Year Points: With their wins today Trenton Mierl, Alicia Bellendir, and Declan Dent all earn 1000 points toward the 2024 Player of the Year Standings.

Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Bullard on March 11-13 for the Texas Cup Invitational. Eagle’s Bluff Country Club is hosting the first Major event for the Boys in 2024, after hosting the Texas Girls’ Invitational earlier this month.

To see all the scores from the Spring Preview, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here.

Campbell, Tilma, and Dent lead at Spring Preview

Dallas, Texas – Eli Walker Campbell fired a 4-under par 66 in the opening round of the Spring Preview to lead the Boys 15-18 Division at the historic Cedar Crest Golf Course. Meg Tilma leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over par 72, while Declan Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division with an even-par 70.

Leaders: Richmond’s Campbell had the low round of the day at Cedar Crest with a round that included 4 birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 16^th.  After making the turn from his first nine, 3-under par start, Campbell birdied holes #1 and #2 to take a commanding lead in the boy’s 15-18 division. Tilma, who travelled in from Wichita, Kansas to compete got off to an up and down start with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys on the first 4 holes but settled into her round by playing her last 10 holes at even par to finish with a one-stroke lead over her closest competitor.   Grapevine’s Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by three strokes after shooting an even par 70. He had an eventful round that included 5 birdies while playing his final 5 holes at 2-under par.

In Contention: Four players are tied for second at 1-under par 69 including Houston’s Hayden Halaska, Oklahoma City’s Ben Lathrop, Maumelle, Arkansas’ Hayden Robertson, Austin’s Trenton Mierl and Montgomery’s Brody Knolton.  Mierl’s round was probably the most exiting with a sizzling finish with birdies on 4 of his last 6 holes.  Dallas’s Andy Lieu, Norman, Oklahoma’s Collin Bond and Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson are all are tied for 7^th at even par. Katy’s Maye Huang sits in solo second with a 3-over par 73 helped by an impressive 3-under par back nine that included 4 birdies in a row on holes 13-16.  Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir sits alone in third place, 2 shots behind the leader.  In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Davis Green of Tyler, Anthony Butt of The Woodland’s and Austin’s Dylan Knox sit in a tie for second at 3-over par.

Weather: The morning started off chilly temperatures in the high 40’s with calm winds. As the sun came out, temperatures crept up to 77 degrees in the afternoon with calm winds throughout the day.

Host Course: Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a clubhouse in 2001 and was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course is a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.  

Cedar Crest Golf Course is home to the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 area youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

What’s at Stake: This is the third Open Event on the LJT schedule in 2024 and player of the year points are going to be awarded to the top half of each division. Along with points, the top finishers will get AJGA Stars and exemptions into future LJT Majors like the Bluebonnet Championship, Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and Texas Junior Amateur. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek.

Next Up:  Pairings for the Final Round of the Spring Preview are available and can be viewed by clicking here. Players will be teeing off of both #1 and #10 tees between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.

To see all the scores from Saturday’s first round, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here

#LJT#

LJT Spring Preview heads to Historic Cedar Crest Golf Course Feb. 24-25

ADDISON – The Legend’s Junior Tour Spring Preview heads to Cedar Crest Golf Course on Feb 24-25 for the first time in its 19-year history.

 “We are excited to bring this popular event to a great course,” shared Tournament Coordinator Preston Vinzant. “The kids are going to play a great layout which has an incredible history. A lot of golfers know about Cedar Crest, and we can’t wait to introduce these kids to the history behind it.” 

 The Spring Preview is an 84-player field across three age groups. The high-talent field will compete over 36 holes of stroke play and add their name to a great list of winners. Previous winners of the Tournament include Will Zalatoris, Cole Hammer, Anne Chen, Hailee Cooper, Cole Sherwood, and Andrew Petruzzelli. 

 Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind Texas courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Brackenridge Park,  Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a new clubhouse in 2001 and the course was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course remains a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.

 Cedar Crest Golf Course is the creator behind the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 areas of youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

 In last year’s event at the Golf Club at Texas A&M, Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas won the Boys 15-18 Division with a 13-under 129. Shyla Brown of Dallas won in a playoff against Maelynn Kim of Katy in the Girls 12-18 division with an even-par 142 total. Henry Jackson of Lantana won the boys’ 14&U division with a three-over-par 145.  

 The Boys 15-18 Division winner will receive exemptions into The Texas Cup Invitational, Bluebonnet Championship, Byron Nelson Jr., Texas Junior Amateur, George Hannon Jr, and the Texas Jr. Golf Alliance. The Boys 14& Under winner will receive exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, George Hannon Jr., and TX Jr. Golf Alliance. The Girls 12-18 Division winner will receive exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, George Hannon Jr., Tx Jr. Golf Alliance, and the 16^th Texas Girls Invitational.