McMellon, Lewis, and Yuan Win at Lanny Wadkins JC

Briefly:  Garland’s Garrett McMellon claims his first LJT victory in a two-hole playoff after finishing at 3-under par 137 for the tournament. Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan goes wire to wire to won the Girls 12-18 Division at even par 140, while Dallas’ Cameron Lewis won the Boys 14 & Under Division in a playoff after finishing at 1 over-par 141.

Tournament Leaderboard

Champions: Garrett McMellon entered Tuesday’s final round in the second to last group, two shots off the lead after a first round 68.  McMellon started the day with bogeys on holes #1 & #3, but rallied with birdies on Holes #4, #10, and #12 to post 1-under 69 on the day.  McMellon finished at 3-under par 137 for the tournament and secured his first LJT victory with a 12 foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole.

Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting rounds of 68-72 to finish the championship at even par and nine 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 68 in the first round. This is Yuan’s second LJT victory in as many starts.

Dallas’ Cameron Lewis won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 1-over 141 overall in a playoff Dexter Zimmerman. Lewis drained a 50 foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to claim the title. Lewis recorded rounds of 72-69 for his first LJT victory.

Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Belton’s Chandler Cooke finished runner up after shooting rounds of 67-70 to finish at 3-under par 137 and losing in a playoff. Dallas’s Blake Goodnight, the first round leader, took home third place after finishing one off the pace at 2-under par 138. Jack Hollingsed of Dallas finished at 1-under par 139, which was good enough for fourth place, and New Braunfels’ Kyle Doolittle rounded out the top five at even-par 140.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Prosper’s Lucy Kate Smith finished runner up at 9-over 149. Austin’s Julia Sosa finished in 3^rd place with a score of 10-over 150. San Antonio’s Abby Jimenez claimed fourth place at 11-over 151, and Dallas’s Bella Scucchi rounded out the top five at 16-over 156.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’s Dexter Zimmerman finishes runner up after losing in a playoff at 1-over par 141. Lantana’s Henry Jackson finishes third at 8-over par 148.

Golf Course: Iron Horse Golf Course, located in North Richland Hills, is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 15-year history. Century-old oak, mesquite and cottonwood trees frame emerald Bermuda fairways and manicured greens, which traverse beneath a working railroad trestle – with numerous doglegs, two meandering creeks which come into play on 17 holes, and unique bunkering creating both strategic diversity and a breathtaking backdrop for golf. Adding to the charm and nostalgia of the course are three authentic caboose cars, which serve as on-course facilities.

Weather: Temperatures began in the low 80’s and did not creep into the 90’s until late in the afternoon. Players enjoyed cloud cover and a cool breeze in the morning as storms rolled through the opposite side of the DFW metro.

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.

Player of the Year Points:  Garrett McMellon, Kaylee Yuan and Cameron Lewis all earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race.  Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.

Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to White Bluff Resort on July 24-26 for the 97^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 New Course at White Bluff, while the Girls Division and both 14 & Under Divisions will play the Old Course at White Bluff.

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

Goodnight, Yuan, and Zimmerman Lead at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

Briefly: Blake Goodnight of Dallas, TX, sits alone atop the Boys 15-18 Division of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship after shooting a solid 4-under 66 at Iron Horse Golf Club. Dexter Zimmerman, also of Dallas, holds a two shot lead in the Boys 14 & Under division at even-par 70. Finally, Kaylee Yuan of Joshua leads the Girls Division by six strokes after her 2-under-par 68 in round 1.

Tournament Leaderboard

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 division, The Colony’s Jackson Vesper and Belton’s Chandler Cooke are tied for second after rounds of 3-under par 67. Garrett McMellon of Garland finds himself in solo fourth after a round of 2-under par 68. Grapevine’s Wylie Waldrip, Flint’s Braden Bergman, and Houston’s Ford Montgomery round out the top five after rounds of 1-under par 69.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Prosper’s Lucy Kate Smith sits six shots back in second place after an opening round of 4-over par 74. Julia Sosa rounds out the second round’s final pairing in third place after a first round of 6-over par 76.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Cameron Lewis is in second place at 2-over par 72. Lantana’s Henry Jackson currently holds third at 3-over par 73, and Houston’s Freeman Woldert is in fourth at 7-over par 77.

Golf Course: Iron Horse Golf Course, located in North Richland Hills, is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 15-year history. Century-old oak, mesquite and cottonwood trees frame emerald Bermuda fairways and manicured greens, which traverse beneath a working railroad trestle – with numerous doglegs, two meandering creeks which come into play on 17 holes, and unique bunkering creating both strategic diversity and a breathtaking backdrop for golf. Adding to the charm and nostalgia of the course are three authentic caboose cars, which serve as on-course facilities.

Weather: The weather for Monday’s first round began with cloud cover and temperatures in the mid 80’s. The clouds cleared out in the afternoon and temperatures reached the mid to upper 90’s.  Winds remained calm throughout the day, peaking around 10 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.

Future Tournament Exemptions Available:

Boys Division: The top three (3) finishers in the Boy’s 15-18 Division will be awarded an exemption to play in the Texas Junior Amateur.  The Champion in the Boy’s 15-18 Division will earn exemptions to the George Hannon Junior Invitational, Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, 2024 Texas Cup Invitational, 2024 Byron Nelson Junior Championship and the 2024 Bluebonnet Championship.

Boy’s 14 and Under Division: The Champion in the Boy’s 14 and under division will earn an exemption to play in the George Hannon Junior Invitational, Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, and the 2024 Bluebonnet Invitational.

Girls Division: The Champion in the Girl’s Division will earn exemptions into the George Hannon Junior Invitational, Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, 2024 Texas Girls’ Invitational, and the 2024 Bluebonnet Championship.

Player of the Year Points: 1000 points in the 2023 Player of the Year Point Race are up for grabs this weekend at the Winter Classic.  Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.

Next Up: The Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 tee on Tuesday, July 11. 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 Iron Horse Golf Course, 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.

Foster, Pickrell and Harper Win at Lanny Wadkins JC

Briefly:  Dallas’ Matthew Foster shot 8-under on Tuesday to win the Boys 15-18 Division of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship at Oakmont Country Club. Austin’s Kate Pickrell won the Girls 12-18 Division at 5-under, while Dallas’ Brooks Harper won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 9-under.

Tournament Leaderboard

Champions: Matthew Foster of Dallas captured his first victory with the Legends Junior Tour after posting rounds of 68-64. His 12-under total was one stroke better than the field as he amassed 13 birdies and one eagle over 36 holes. The eagle came on the par-5 15^th in the final round and he followed it up with a birdie on the par-4 16^th, which played as the toughest hole on Tuesday. He made par on the final two holes and secured his victory.

Austin’s Kate Pickrell won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting rounds of 69-70 to get to 5-under overall and three strokes ahead of the field. She made one bogey in 36 holes with six birdies to capture her first win with the Legends Junior Tour.

Dallas’ Brooks Harper won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 9-under overall after rounds of 67-68 at Oakmont Country Club. He totaled five birdies in Tuesday’s final round, including three straight on holes 13-15. This was his first victory with the Legends Junior Tour.

Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Trevor Algya of Highland Village came just shy of a second-straight victory with the Legends Junior Tour. Coming off his win at the Collegiate Preview on June 28-29, Algya made seven birdies in the final round to get to 11-under overall. Mansfield’s Cameron Beck finished third in the division followed by Jonathan Kim of Round Rock in fourth and Dallas’ Logan Johnson tied with Frisco’s Jaxon Copeland for fifth.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, three girls tied for second at 2-under. Southlake’s Makayla Tyrrell, Rogers’ Elizabeth Whalen and Prosper’s Lucy Kate Smith made up the three-way tie with Argyle’s Madison Baer and Austin’s Ally Black tying for fifth. Jenna Madden and Nitisha Manikandesh tied for seventh, while Sidney Robertson finished ninth and three girls tied for tenth.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Reese Roberts finished second at 6-under. Allen’s Elijah Estonilo finished third at 5-under, followed by Corinth’s Nathan Zmolik in fourth and Richmond’s Grayson Sebastian in fifth.

Golf Course: Oakmont Country Club is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 13-year history. The par-72 layout features champion Bermuda grass greens and Bermuda fairways surrounded by towering oak trees and 51 bunkers.

Weather: Tuesday’s weather was similar to Monday’s with the sun out and temperatures in the mid-90s. The winds were a little heavier ranged from 10-12 miles per hour, but conditions remained ideal for lower scores.

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 The Clubs of Kingwood on July 26-28 for the 95^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 Island Course, while the Girls Division and both 14 & Under Divisions will play the Lakes Course.

For more information on the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship, click here. To see all the scores from Oakmont Country Club, click here.

Low Scores at Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship

Briefly: Four players are tied atop the Boys 15-18 Division of the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship after shooting 4-under 68 at Oakmont Country Club. Elijah Estonilo of Allen shoots 7-under 65 and leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes, while Austin’s Kate Pickrell leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 3-under.

Tournament Leaderboard

Leaders: In the Boys 15-18 Division, four players are tied for the lead at 4-under overall. Frisco’s Jaxon Copeland, Dallas’ Matthew Foster, Highland Village’s Trevor Algya and Keller’s Anthony Azzopardi are the players tied atop the division.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Austin’s Kate Pickrell leads after posting 3-under 69 in her opening round. The bogey-free round saw three birdies made overall, including on the par-3 17^th which is a picturesque hole over water. Pickrell seeks her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour on Tuesday.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Allen’s Elijah Estonilo leads by two strokes after shooting 7-under 65 on Monday. He shot 2-under 34 in his first nine holes and turned to the front and made birdie on five of the first six holes. He capped off the round with a birdie on the par-4 ninth and seeks his first victory with the Legends Junior Tour.

In Contention: Houston’s Rex Hargrove sits in fifth at 3-under and trails the leaders in the Boys 15-18 Division. Six players are tied for sixth in the division at 2-under while three are tied for 12^th at 1-under and 11 players are tied for 15^th at even-par.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, six players are tied for second at even-par. McKinney’s Jenna Madden is joined by Elizabeth Whalen of Rogers, Ark., Lucy Kate Smith of Prosper, Cathilyn Lee of Houston, Sidney Robertson of Chandler and Brecklyn Flanagan of Murphy. Madison Baer, Makayla Tyrrell and Ally Black are tied for eighth at 1-over.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division Dallas’ Brooks Harper and Reese Roberts are tied for second at 5-under, while Austin’s Jaxon Bandelier is in fourth at 4-under. Corinth’s Nathan Zmolik is tied with Frisco’s Luke Colton in fifth at 3-under, while Mitchell Maier is in seventh at 2-under and Jack Watters is in eighth at even-par.

Golf Course: Oakmont Country Club is hosting the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship for the first time in the tournament’s 13-year history. The par-72 layout features champion Bermuda grass greens and Bermuda fairways surrounded by towering oak trees and 51 bunkers.

Weather: The weather for Monday’s First Round was ideal with temperatures in the mid 90s and winds staying steady between five to 10 miles per hour. The sun was out all day and offered players ideal scoring conditions.

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 each division will earn a spot in the upcoming Texas Junior Amateur at The Clubs of Kingwood on July 26-28.

Next Up: The Final Round is scheduled to begin at 7:30 am off the No. 1 and 10 tees on Tuesday, 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 Oakmont Country Club, click here.