News
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.
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Dossey, Ahn and O’Rear Claim North Texas Classic Titles
Briefly: Sam Dossey shot a 4-under final round on Sunday to win the Boys Division of the North Texas Classic by two shots. Adrienne Ahn captured the Girls Division Title with a second round 3-under 69, while Rhett O’Rear closed out a one shot victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division at 9-under overall.
Champions: Austin’s Sam Dossey went wire to wire to claim the North Texas Classic Victory. He finished an impressive weekend with a final round 68 to win at 12-under 132. Dossey accumulated 12 birdies & 1 eagle over both tournament rounds, with only two bogeys. Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn completed a second round come back to win the Girls Division. Starting the day five shots back, she completely swung the deficit and closed her round with four straight birdies to win by five shots. Plano’s Rhett O’Rear held onto his first round lead, thanks to a final round of 5-under 67. O’Rear finished the event with 12 birdies, 10 of which came on different holes over both rounds
Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Waco’s Brayden Bare couldn’t quite catch Sam Dossey and finished second at 10-under 134. Bare finished strong with bogey free final round of 5-under 67. Houston’s Preston Rouse finished third after a final round of 4-under 68. Rouse took advantage of the back nine par five’s and birdied each both rounds to finish at 9-under 135 overall. Irving’s Joe Magnani finished in fourth at 6-under 138. Katy’s Treed Huang and Austin’s Ethan Parker rounded out the top five, as they both tied for fifth at 4-under 140.
In the Girls Division, McKinney’s Kate Bennett and Tyler’s Sidney Robertson finished tied for second at 6-over 150. Katy’s Maye Huang finished fourth at 7-over 151, and Sunnyale’s Alexandra Hileman finished in fifth place at 8-over 152.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Frisco’s Luke Colton shot a bogey free final round of 7-under 65 to finish one shot back in second place at 8-under 136. Corinth’s Nathan Zmolik matched Colton’s round of the day of 7-under 65, thanks to back to back birdies on his closing two holes. Zmolik finished in third place at 7-under 137 overall. Selma’s Shiv Parmar and Austin’s Nicholas Logis round out the top five at 1-under 143 and even par 144 respectively.
Golf Course: Tangle Ridge Golf Club has hosted the North Texas Classic six of the seven years the Legends Junior Tour has hosted the event, including the last three years. Located in Grand Prairie, the course offers a great challenge to the field, stretching out to 6,800 yards in the Boys Division, 6,300 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 low 90’s by mid afternoon. The winds remained calm below 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 LJT travels to The Rawls Course in Lubbock on Sept. 25-26 for the 2021 Fall Challenge. For more information on the Fall Challenge, click here.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from Tangle Ridge Golf Club, click here.
News
Dossey, Robertson and O’Rear Lead North Texas Classic
Briefly: Sam Dossey fired an 8-under 64 and leads the Boys Division of the North Texas Classic at Tangle Ridge Golf Club. Sidney Robertson’s 1-under leads the Girls Division, while Rhett O’Rear leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 4-under.
Leaders: Austin’s Sam Dossey is seeking his second straight win after capturing the title at the George Hannon Junior Invitational last month. He finished strong on Saturday with a birdie on the par-4 16th, a birdie on the par-3 17th and an eagle on the par-5 18th. He totaled seven birdies in the first round along with his eagle. Tyler’s Sidney Robertson made five birdies en route to her opening round of 1-under 71 and leads by four strokes heading into Sunday’s Final Round. Plano’s Rhett O’Rear leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes after a 68 on Saturday. He made five birdies in the first round, including back-to-back birdies on his final two holes, the par-3 17th and the par-5 18th.
In Contention: In the Boys Division, four players are tied for second at 5-under, including Matthew Foster who is seeking his second victory with the LJT this year. Three players are tied for sixth at 4-under, while four are tied for ninth at 2-under. In the division 15 total players are under par heading into the final round.
In the Girls Division, McKinney’s Kate Bennett is in second at 3-over, while Dallas’ Adrienne Ahn is third at 4-over. Two players are tied for fourth, while three are tied for sixth at 6-over.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Brooks Harper of Dallas trails by two strokes, with Selma’s Shiv Parmar and Frisco’s Luke Colton tied for third. Two players are tied for fifth at even-par, while two more are tied for seventh at 2-over.
Golf Course: Tangle Ridge Golf Club has hosted the North Texas Classic six of the seven years the Legends Junior Tour has hosted the event, including the last three years. Located in Grand Prairie, the course offers a great challenge to the field, stretching out to 6,800 yards in the Boys Division, 6,300 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 70s and reaching the low to mid 90s. 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 12. 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 Tangle Ridge Golf Club, click here.
News
Preston Stout, Matthew Comegys, Trenton Mierl, Ryann Honea and MacKenzie Moore Win Divisions at North Texas Classic
GRAND PRAIRIE – Preston Stout of Richardson and Matthew Comegys of Plano win a share of the North Texas Classic after firing a total of 11-under-par 133 through 36 holes to become co-champions of the Boys 15-18 Division. MacKenzie Moore of Trophy Club shot a final round 1-under-par 71 to tie Ryann Honea of San Angelo who carded a closing 4-over 75. They both posted 2-under-par 142 for the championship and were crowned co-champions of the Girls 12-18 Division. Austin’s Trenton Mierl fired a 6-under-par 66 to the run away with the Boys 14 & Under Division title by four strokes.
Boys 15-18 Division
- Preston Stout 65 – 68 | 133
2. Matthew Comegys 66 – 67 | 133
3. Connor Adams 71 – 69 | 140
Girls 12-18 Division
- Ryann Honea 67 – 75 | 142
2. MacKenzie Moore 71 – 71 | 142
3. Lauren Rios 74 – 69 | 143
Boys 14 & Under Division
- Trenton Mierl 68 – 66 | 134
2. Connor Cassano 71 – 67 | 138
T3. Rhett O’Rear 71 – 70 | 141
T3. Nicholas Logis 69 – 72 | 141
Contention:
As the Boys 15-18 Division came down to the wire, co-champions were crowned. Richardson’s Stout shot an impressive 4-under-par front 9 in Sunday’s final round but it was not enough to hold off Plano’s Comegys. A bogey by Stout on the 16th gave Comegys an opportunity to capitalize, and he did just that with a birdie on the 16th hole. He closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th to card a 5-under-par 67 and become a co-champion of the North Texas Classic. Finishing solo third, Connor Adams of Dallas carded a 3-under-par 69 to post 4-under 140 for the championship.
In the Girls 12-18 Division, MacKenzie Moore was impressively consistent both days carding back-to-back rounds in red figures and claim a co-champion title. The 18-hole leader, Ryann Honea, struggled on Sunday. However, a clutch birdie on the difficult par-3 17th gave her a share of the lead heading into 18. Moore and Honea closed out the championship with pars to win by one stroke. Lauren Rios of Coppell bounced back with a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday to finish one stroke behind Honea and Moore and round out the top three.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Trenton Mierl captured his third LJT victory of the season. His impressive rounds of 68 and a bogey-free 66 to post 10-under-par 134 was enough to win by four shots. With the victory, Mierl will extend his lead in the Player of the Year Standings. Connor Cassano of Shreveport shot a final round 67 to finish second, while Rhett O’Rear of Plano finished with a 2-under-par 70 to tie for third with Nicholas Logis of Austin who shot a final round even-par 72.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for golfers ages 12-18 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is split into three divisions: Boy 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. Players earned their way into the field by playing in Alliance Partner Events and attaining status with the Legends Junior Tour.
Weather: Clear skies, slightly breezy with a high of 89 degrees.
Tournament History: This is the sixth year of the North Texas Classic and the fifth year hosted by Tangle Ridge Golf Club. In 2015 the Legends Junior Tour added the event to the fall schedule to better accommodate the growing demand for more events for junior golfers. The event has seen signups grow each year and the North Texas Classic has quickly become one of the top-ranked Open Events on the LJT schedule.
At Stake: Along with an LJT victory, players are also jockeying for position to earn valuable Player of the Year points as well as exemptions into future LJT Invitational and Major events and AJGA PBE Stars. The Player of the Year Standings are used to determine player of the year along with entry into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and set the teams for the Jackie Burke Cup matches later this year.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from the first round, click here.
News
Stout, Honea and Mierl Lead Divisions at North Texas Classic
GRAND PRAIRIE –
Boys 15-18 Division
- Preston Stout 65
2. Matthew Comegys 66
3. Ben Gregg 68
Girls 12-18 Division
- Ryann Honea 67
2. MacKenzie Moore 71
3. Jenna Madden 72
Boys 14 & Under Division
- Trenton Mierl 68
T2. Corbin Null 69
T2. Nicholas Logis 69
Leaders: Preston Stout of Richardson fired an opening round 7-under-par 65 to lead the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke heading into the final round of the North Texas Classic. Ryann Honea of San Angelo shot an impressive 5-under-par 67 and leads the charge in the Girls 12-18 Division. Austin’s Trenton Mierl shot a 4-under-par 68 to the lead the Boys 14 and Under Division by one stroke.
Contention: Richardson’s Stout carded a bogey-free round while closing out the day with a birdie on the par-3 17th and an eagle on the par-5 18th. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Honea recorded a total of six birdies (three on the front and three on the back), with a closing birdie on hole 18. Mierl, who leads the Boys 14 & Under Division, carded back-to-back birdies on the par-4 third and par-5 fourth and again on the par-5 eighth and par-3 ninth to turn at 2-under. He closed with a bogey-free 2-under 34 on the back nine to post 68.
Matthew Comegys of Plano sits in solo second after a 6-under-par 66. He drained an eagle putt from off the green on 18 to leave him just one shot off the lead heading into Sunday. Ben Gregg of Dallas is only three strokes back after carding a 4-under-par 68. In the Girls 12-18 Division, MacKenzie Moore of Trophy Club carded 4 birdies en route to a 71 and is four strokes behind Honea. McKinney’s Jenna oneHonMadden is third and five back at even par. Corbin Null of Woodway and Nicholas Logis of Austin are tied second in the Boys 14 & Under Division and currently one-stroke back of Mierl with 18 holes to play.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for golfers ages 12-18 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is split into three divisions: Boy 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. Players earned their way into the field by playing in Alliance Partner Events and attaining status with the Legends Junior Tour.
Weather: Clear skies with a high of 88 degrees.
Tournament History: This is the sixth year of the North Texas Classic and the fifth year hosted by Tangle Ridge Golf Club. In 2015 the Legends Junior Tour added the event to the fall schedule to better accommodate the growing demand for more events for junior golfers. The event has seen signups grow each year and the North Texas Classic has quickly become one of the top-ranked Open Events on the LJT schedule.
Next Up: The final round of the North Texas Classic is scheduled for an 8:00 am start on Sunday with players going off No. 1. Once all the scores are in, awards will be handed out to the top five finishers in the Boys 15-18 Division and the top three finishers in the Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under Divisions.
What’s at Stake: Along with an LJT victory, players are also jockeying for position to earn valuable Player of the Year points as well as exemptions into future LJT Invitational and Major events and AJGA PBE Stars. The Player of the Year Standings are used to determine player of the year along with entry into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and set the teams for the Jackie Burke Cup matches later this year.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from the first round, click here.
News
North Texas Classic Returns to Tangle Ridge Golf Club
GRAND PRAIRIE – The North Texas Classic is set to kick off the LJT Fall Schedule on Sept. 12-13. The 120-player field returns to Tangle Ridge Golf Club as the race for LJT Player of the Year ramps up.
Tangle Ridge was designed by Jeff Brauer and is nestled between Joe Pool Lake and Mountain Creek Escarpment. The public championship golf course has hosted the North Texas Classic five of the last six years. The gently rolling hills create magnificent panoramic views of the DFW area to the north and it features a layout with elevation changes of more than 50 feet. The course can stretch out to 6,835 yards.
The North Texas Classic is split into three divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. The champion of the Boys 15-18 Division will earn exemptions into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, 2021 Texas Cup Invitational, 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and 2021 Texas Junior Amateur. The champion of the Girls Division will earn exemptions into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and 2021 Texas Girls’ Invitational. The Boys 14 & Under champion will also earn an exemption into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational.
Including the North Texas Classic, only four LJT tournaments remain before the Player of the Year Points List will determine the teams for the Jackie Burke Cup, as well as the overall Players of the Year for each division. Sam Dossey of Austin leads the Boys 15-18 Division. Lauren Nguyen leads the Girls Division while Trenton Mierl leads the Boys 14 & Under Division.
Temple’s Dallas Hankamer outlasted a crowded leaderboard to win last year’s North Texas Classic in a sudden-death playoff over Matthew Spaulding of Spring. He carded rounds of 69-66 to post 9-under-par 135 for the championship and will look to defend his title this year.
In the Girls Division, Tillie Claggett of The Woodlands began the final round five shots behind the leader. She fired a closing 4-under-par 68 to get into a sudden-death playoff with Lauren Nguyen of Katy and Summer Lee of Plano. Claggett birdie the second playoff hole to claim the title.
Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas won the Boys 14 & Under Division following rounds of 69-67. He carded six birdies in his final round to post the lowest 18-hole score of the championship and win by three strokes.
Hankamer, Claggett and Petruzzelli add to the list of North Texas Classic past champions. It includes 2017 Texas Junior Amateur Champion Jansen Smith, 2019 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Champion Gaven Lane, three-time LJT Player of the Year Hailey Jones as well as Zach Kingsland, Kaylee Vesely, Mark Reppe, Dawson Ovard, Jennie Park, Jun Min Lee, Cole Sherwood and Serena Shah.
The first round of the North Texas Classic is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12 with tee times starting at 8 a.m. off No. 1. The final round pairings will be redrawn according to scores from the first round and will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here.
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Hankamer, Claggett and Petruzzelli Win Divisions at North Texas Classic
Leaders: Hankamer posted a bogey-free 66 in the final round to get to 9-under overall and tied with Matthew Spaulding of Spring. Hankamer started his round with birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 6 to turn at 3-under for the day. He made an eagle on the par-5 13th and added another birdie on the par-4 15th to get to 6-under on the round. Claggett fired a 4-under 68 in the final round to get to 1-over overall. She was tied with Plano’s Summer Lee and Katy’s Lauren Nguyen after 36 holes as the trio went into a sudden-death playoff. All three players made par on the opening playoff hole, but Claggett made birdie on the second hole and won the Girls 12-18 Division. Petruzzelli earned his first victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division by posting rounds of 69-67 to get to 136 overall and three strokes ahead of the field. He started his day by making birdie on three of his first four holes before dropping a shot with a bogey on the par-4 14th. He turned at 2-under and added three more birdies in his final nine holes to get to 8-under overall.
1. Dallas Hankamer 135*
2. Matthew Spaulding 135
3. Matthew Comegys 136
4. Lucas Borrero 138
T5. Brian Comegys 140
Girls 12-18 Division
1. Tillie Claggett 145*
T2. Summer Lee 145
T2. Lauren Nguyen 145
4. Kaylee Vesely 147
T5. Brandee Fleming 152
Boys 14 & Under Division
1. Andrew Petruzzelli 136
2. Trenton Mierl 139
3. Jonathan Kim 141
T4. Grant Yerger 143
T4. Daniel Zou 143
*Won in Playoff
In Contention: Spaulding finished runner-up in the Boys 15-18 Division after falling short in the playoff. Spaulding made five birdies and one bogey in his final round and 11 birdies and two bogeys in 36 holes. Plano’s Matthew Comegys finished alone in third at 8-under 136 followed by Cypress’ Lucas Borrero in fourth at 6-under 138. Austin’s Brian Comegys and Sugar Land’s Shaheen Momin tied for fifth in the division at 4-under, while Treed Huang and Logan Vargas tied for seventh and Christian Clark and Shoichiro Kato tied for ninth. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Lee posted rounds of 73-72 to get to 1-over 145 overall, while Nguyen had rounds of 72-73 en route to her runner-up finish. Austin’s Kaylee Vesely finished fourth while Brandee Fleming and Nitisha Manikandesh both tied for fifth. Trenton Mierl of Austin finished second in the Boys 14 & Under Division at 4-under 139 followed by Round Rock’s Jonathan Kim at 3-under 141. Grant Yerger and Daniel Zou tied for fourth in the division.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for golfers ages 12-18 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is split into three divisions: Boy 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. Players earned their way into the field by playing in Alliance Partner Events and attaining status with the Legends Junior Tour.
Weather: Sunday’s weather was a little warmer than Saturday, but conditions were ideal for scoring. The temperatures crept up to 99 degrees in the afternoon with winds ranging between three to five miles per hour.
Tournament History: This is the fifth year of the North Texas Classic and the fourth year that Tangle Ridge Golf Course has hosted the event. In 2015 the Legends Junior Tour added the event to the fall schedule to better accommodate the growing demand for more events for junior golfers. The event has seen signups grow each year and the North Texas Classic has quickly become one of the top-ranked Open Events on the LJT schedule.
Past Champions: The three winners join a list of past champions that include Hailey Jones, Gaven Lane, Dawson Ovard, Jun Min Lee, Cole Sherwood, Jennie Park, Serena Shah, Zach Kingsland, Jack Usner, Mark Reppe and Kaylee Vesely.
Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads out west for the Fall Challenge and it’s first visit to The Rawls Course in Lubbock. The Fall Challenge has another strong 84-player field that will compete over 36 holes of stroke play competition.
About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, the Northern and Southern Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association. The tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the tour has provided more than $250,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure for the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from the weekend, click here.
News
Delarosa, Nguyen and Petruzzelli Lead Divisions at North Texas Classic
Boys 15-18 Division
1. Ben Delarosa 66
T2. Matthew Spaulding 67
T2. Shaheen Momin 67
T4. Shoichiro Kato 68
T4. Garrett Townsend 68
Girls 12-18 Division
1. Lauren Nguyen 72
2. Summer Lee 73
3. Tiffany Cao 75
T4. Jenna Madden 76
T4. Kaylee Vesely 76
Boys 14 & Under Division
1. Andrew Petruzzelli 69
T2. Daniel Macias 72
T2. Trenton Mierl 72
T2. Grant Yerger 72
T5. Jonathan Kim 73
Leaders: Delarosa made five birdies and an eagle in his opening round, which was the best score of the day on Saturday. He started with a bogey on the par-4 10th, his first hole, but then bounced back with a birdie on 12 and an eagle on the 501-yard 13th. He added four more birdies after that to lead by one stroke in the division. Nguyen started with a double-bogey on the first hole but made birdie on the par-4 second, the par-5 eighth and finished with a birdie on the 18th. Petruzzelli went out in 36 strokes with a birdie on Nos. 4 and 8 and a double-bogey on the tough seventh. He started his back nine with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 and added another on 13 and finished with a birdie on 18.
In Contention: Matthew Spaulding of Spring and Shaheen Momin of Sugar Land are tied for second in the Boys 15-18 Division at 5-under 67, while Shoichiro Kato of Austin and Garrett Townsend of Pottsboro are tied for fourth t 4-under. Four more players in the division are tied for sixth at 3-under and the division saw 14 players shoot under-par rounds on Saturday. Plano’s Summer Lee trails Nguyen in the Girls 12-18 Division by one stroke heading into Sunday. Tiffany Cao of Midlothian sits in third place, while McKinney’s Jenna Madden and Austin’s Kaylee Vesely, who is the defending champion, are tied for fourth at 4-over. Austin’s Trenton Mierl and Daniel Macias are tied with Driftwood’s Grant Yerger for second in the Boys 14 & Under Division. All three players shot even-par in the first round.
Tournament Format: The North Texas Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for golfers ages 12-18 that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is split into three divisions: Boy 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. Players earned their way into the field by playing in Alliance Partner Events and attaining status with the Legends Junior Tour.
Weather: It was another hot day in North Texas with temperatures starting in the 80s and then creeping up into the high 90s in the afternoon. The sun was shining all day on Tangle Ridge Golf Course and the winds were ranging between five to 10 miles per hour throughout the day.
Tournament History: This is the fifth year of the North Texas Classic and the fourth year that Tangle Ridge Golf Course has hosted the event. In 2015 the Legends Junior Tour added the event to the fall schedule to better accommodate the growing demand for more events for junior golfers. The event has seen signups grow each year and the North Texas Classic has quickly become one of the top-ranked Open Events on the LJT schedule.
Next Up: The final round of the North Texas Classic is scheduled for an 8:00 am start on Sunday with players going off the No. 1 and 10 tees throughout the morning. Once all the scores are in, awards will be handed out to the top five finishers in the Boys 15-18 Division and the top three finishers in the Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under Divisions.
What’s at Stake: Along with an LJT victory, players are also jockeying for position to earn valuable Player of the Year points as well as exemptions into future LJT Invitational and Major events and AJGA PBE Stars. The Player of the Year Standings are used to determine player of the year along with entry into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and set the teams for the Jackie Burke Cup matches later this year.
For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here. To see all the scores from the first round, click here.
News
Kingsland, Usner and Vesely Win North Texas Classic
FLOWER MOUND, Texas – Zach Kingsland of Austin outlasted a crowded leaderboard to win the North Texas Classic. Kingsland’s final round 3-under 69 was just enough to secure his first victory in the LJT Boys 15-18 Division this year.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division Jack Usner of The Woodlands fired a final round 6-under 66 to claim the division title. Austin’s Kaylee Vesely posted a final round 4-under 68 to win the Girls 12-18 Division.
Kingsland started the final round one shot back of first round leader Thomas Bockholt III. Knowing that he needed to make up some ground, he started off hot with birdies on the first two holes. Kingsland would go on to shoot 3-under 33 on the front side and close with an even-par 36 on the back to get the win.
Finishing one shot back was Junwoo Park of Farmers Branch. Park started the day tied for second with Kingsland. Park posted a steady round of 2-under 70 to finish one shot off the lead. Lake Jackson’s Jacob Borow used a final round score of 1-under 70 to finish in third place. San Antonio’s Patrick Kahanek finished fourth at 3-under, while Matthew Watkins, Connor Adams, David Harrison and Bockholt finished tied for fifth at 2-under.
Jack Usner came from three shots back on Sunday to claim the title. Usner knew he had some ground to make up and came to play in the final round. He used eight birdies and a back nine score of 5-under 31 to win by three shots over first round leader Matthew Foster.
Dallas’ Foster shot a final round even-par 72 to finish in second place. Tyler Lee of Dallas recorded a final round score of 3-over 75 to hold onto a third place finish.
Kaylee Vesely of Austin ran away in the Girls 12-18 Division on Sunday thanks to her final round score of 4-under 68. After starting the day with a seven shot lead, Vesely never looked back and pushed her margin of victory to an impressive 12 shots.
This is Vesely’s second win of the year on the Legends Junior Tour.
Meagan Winans of Richardson and Melena Barrientos of Plano tied for second in the division at 147 overall. Winans shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday, while Barrientos shot a final round 1-over 73. Three players tied for fourth to round out the top five in the division.
The Legends Junior Tour would like to thank Bridlewood Golf Club for hosting the North Texas Classic. The Legends Junior Tour travels down to College Station, October 13-14 at The Campus Course at Texas A&M for the Fall Classic.
To learn more about the North Texas Classic, click here.
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Bockholt and Vesely Shoot 5-under to Lead their Divisions at the North Texas Classic
FLOWER MOUND, Texas – After the first round of the North Texas Classic, Austin’s Thomas Bockholt III leads the Boys 15-18 Division at Bridlewood Golf Club. Matthew Foster of Dallas leads the Boys 14 & under Division, while Austin’s Kaylee Vesely tied the low score of the day and leads the Girls 12-18 Division.
Bockholt recorded seven birdies en route to a 5-under score of 67 to build his slim lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Bockholt will need to keep his foot on the gas as three players currently trail him by only one shot.
Lake Jackson’s Jacob Borow, Farmers Branch’s Junwoo Park, and Zach Kingsland of Austin all trail Bockholt by one after the first round. Borow was 1-over at the turn but finished strong with a back nine score of 5-under 31, highlighted by four straight birdies starting on the 14th. Park posted a steady 4-under 68, which included five birdies and bogey. Kingsland got out to a hot start by shooting 4-under through his first five holes and coasted to a 4-under first round 68. Dallas’ Brian Jennings rounds out the top five after posting a 3-under 69.
Vesely took a commanding lead in the Girls 12-18 Division after the first round. Vesely leads by seven after recording five birdies and an eagle on Satuday to tie Bockholt for the low score of the day at 5-under 67.
Hannah Choi of Austin and Plano’s Melena Barrientos are currently tied for second after both shooting rounds of 2-over 74. Austin’s Makenzie Niblett and Plano’s Summer Lee complete the top five after posting rounds of 3-over 75.
Dallas’ Foster leads the Boys 14 & Under Division after firing a 2-under 70 in the first round. Foster holds a one shot lead over Dallas’ Tyler Lee and a two shot lead over Temple’s Daniel Moon heading into Sunday’s final round.
Bridlewood Golf Club is hosting the North Texas Classic for the first time in the tournament’s four-year history. After a three year run at Tangle Ridge Golf Course, the event makes its way to the Flower Mound area.
For a complete list of all North Texas Classic first round scores, click here. The final round of the North Texas Classic is scheduled for Sunday with tee times starting at 11:30 am off Nos. 1 & 10 tees. For more information on the North Texas Classic, click here.