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#

Petruzzelli, Brown and Jackson Win at Spring Preview

College Station, Texas – Andrew Petruzzelli fired a blistering 8-under par 63 in the Final Round to win the Spring Preview’s Boys 15-18 Division at The Golf Club at Texas A&M. Shyla Brown captured the Girls 12-18 Division, winning in a four-hole playoff while Henry Jackson won in the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Winners: Dallas’s Petruzzelli trailed by two strokes heading into Sunday’s Final Round. He finished with rounds of 66-63 to get to 13-under 129 overall and three strokes ahead of the field. Andrews’ round came together on the back nine as he fired a 7-under par 29 coming in.  The almost course record 63 was an amazing score as the leaders fought 20-30 mph winds throughout their round.  Shyla Brown of Dallas captured the Girls 12-18 Division winning in a 4-hole playoff over Maelynn Kim. She overcame a rough mid round stretch to claim her first LJT victory in her first start. Henry Jackson of Lantana won the Boys 14 & Under Division holding onto his first round lead and claiming his 2^nd LJT victory. Roberts finished the tournament at 3-over par 145.

Top Finishers: Austin’s Trenton Mierl followed up his first round 64 with a final round 68 to finish second behind Petruzzelli by 3 strokes. Katy’s Shauak Nair matched the low score of the day with an 8-under par 63 of his own to climb the leaderboard all the way up to third place.  First round leader, The Woodland’s Austin Hofferkamp fought through an illness and held on for a 4^th place at 6-under par.  Montgomery’s Tyler Sanford finished up his tournament in 5^th place after a final round 5-under par 66. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Katy’s Maelynn Kim finished runner-up in the Spring Preview for the second straight year.  Maelynn started the day 3 shots behind the first round leader Brown.  That deficit quickly turned into 6 shots through the first 3 holes, but Maelynn fought back to post a final round 72 to force the 4-hole sudden-death playoff. The Woodland’s Veronika Exposito finished third finishing at 4 over par for the tournament.  Austin’s Claire Wan and Mansfield’s Lauren Madson finished in a tie for 4^th at 5-over par. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, College Station’s Ryan (Woojin) Lee finished second, one shot behind Jackson and Austin’s Dylan Knox finished third, two shots behind the leader.  Selma’s Aadi Parmar finished fourth at 6-over with Prosper’s Grant Clapp rounding out the top 5 at 8-over par.

Weather: Sunday’s weather started with temperatures in the mid-60s and calm winds.  Conditions would quickly change by the time the leaders teed off as the temperature rose into the low 80’s and the calm wind transformed into very gusty conditions with winds topping of over 30 mph at times.

Host Course: The Golf Club at Texas A&M is hosting the Spring Preview for the second time in the event’s 18-year history. The club took on a $5 million renovation in 2013 and Texas A&M’s own Jeff Blume handled the redesign. The par-71 course is playing at around 6,700 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,300 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,800 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

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.

Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Gladewater on March 13-15 for the Texas Cup Invitational. Tempest Golf Club is hosting the first Boys Major event in 2023 and the 84-player field will be set on March 2.

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

Hofferkamp, Mierl, Brown, and Jackson lead at Spring Preview

College Station, Texas – Trenton Mierl and Austin Hofferkamp both fire a 7-under par 64 in the opening round of the Spring Preview to lead the Boys 15-18 Division at The Golf Club at Texas A&M. Shyla Brown leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 4–under par 67, while Henry Jackson leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 2–under par 69. 

Leaders: Mierl of Austin and Hofferkamp of The Woodlands tied for the best round on Saturday at The Golf Club at Texas A&M. Mierl’s round consisted of seven birdies and zero bogeys, while Hofferkamps scorecard had a little bit of everything. He tallied a total of one eagle, seven birdies, and two bogeys. Dallas’s Brown leads by three strokes in the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting 67 in the first round. Brown had a clean card with no bogeys and 4 birdies, with her last one coming on her final hole of the day, the par 4 ninth.  Jackson of Lantana leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes after shooting a 2-under par 69. He tallied three birdies and one lone bogey, coming on the par 4 16th. 

In Contention: Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas sits two strokes behind Mierl and Hofferkamp heading into Sunday’s final round of the Boys 15-18 Division. Rounding out the top 5 include Wimblery’s Jaxon Donaldson and Dallas’s Martin Kemp at 4-under par, three strokes off the lead. Two players are tied for second place in the Girls 15-18 Division. Maelynn Kim and Veronika Exposito will play with Brown in the final ground, sitting three strokes back. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Ryan (Woojin) Lee and Dylan Knox are tied for second at even par, while there is a three-way tie for fourth place. Declan Dent, Grant Clapp, and Aadi Parmar all sit at one-over par, three strokes off the lead.  

Weather: The morning started off chilly with cloudy skies, temperatures in the 50’s and a brisk wind. As the sun came out, temperatures crept up around 80 degrees in the afternoon with 10 mph winds. 

Host Course: The Golf Club at Texas A&M is hosting the Spring Preview for the second time in the event’s 18-year history. The club took on a $5 million renovation in 2013 and Texas A&M’s own Jeff Blume handled the redesign. The par-71 course is playing at around 6,700 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,300 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,800 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division. 

What’s at Stake: This is the third Open Event on the LJT schedule in 2023 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 Spring Preview Heads to College Station

ADDISON – The Legends Junior Tour’s Spring Preview heads to The Golf Club at Texas A&M on Feb. 25-26 for the second time in the tournament’s 18-year history.

“This event has always been popular, and this year is no different,” said Tournament Director Scott Davidson. “We are excited to bring this event back to The Golf Club at Texas A&M. It’s a great venue for this tournament.”

The Spring Preview boasts a 90-player field and this year’s event saw nearly 300 players sign up to compete. This weekend 60 players who have previously won an event across the Texas Junior Golf Alliance will tee it up in hopes of adding another accolade to their junior golf career.

The Golf Club at Texas A&M, which hosted this tournament in 2021, opened for play in 1951 and was originally designed by Ralph Plummer. The course sits on the campus at Texas A&M University with Kyle Field in the background of most of the holes. The course took on a complete renovation in 2013 by Texas A&M’s own Jeff Blume and the par-71 course can stretch out to a little more than 7,000 yards.

The tournament has previously been held at Firewheel Golf Park (2022), The Wilderness at Lake Jackson (2020), Quail Valley Golf Course (2019), BlackHorse Golf Club (2014-18), Woodforest Golf Club (2011-13), The Golf Club at Twin Creeks (2009) and Cimarron Hills Country Club (2005-06).

In last year’s event, Byungho Lee of Plano won the Boys 15-18 Division with a 2-under 142 total for 36 holes. Spicewood’s Emma Von Hoffman won the Girls 12-18 Division by one stroke, while Garland’s Aiden Tiet emerged victorious in a sudden-death playoff to capture the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Past champions of this event include Will 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.

The Spring Preview will be ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek. AJGA Performance Stars will be awarded to top finishers in both the Boys 15-18 Division and the Girls 12-18 Division. In addition, top finishers in all three divisions will earn  exemptions into future LJT Invitationals.

For more information on the Spring Preview at The Golf Club at Texas A&M and to follow along with live scoring for the weekend, click here.

Lee, Von Hoffmann and Tiet Win at Spring Preview

Garland, Texas – Byungho Lee shoots 2-under 70 in the Final Round to win the Spring Preview’s Boys 15-18 Division at Firewheel Golf Course. Emma Von Hoffmann captured the Girls 12-18 Division, while Aiden Tiet won in the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Winners: Plano’s Byungho Lee trailed by two strokes heading into Sunday’s Final Round. He finished with rounds of 72-70 to get to 2-under 142 overall and a one-shot victory. Emma Von Hoffmann of Spicewood captured the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting rounds of 76-74. She overcame a two-shot deficit to start the day and held on to win by one stroke to claim her second LJT victory. Aiden Tiet of Garland won the Boys 14 & Under Division after shooting 1-under 71 in the Final Round and emerging from a three-way playoff. Tiet recorded two eagles and one birdie in his final 18 holes en route to finishing at even-par 144 overall.

Top Finishers: After holding a two-shot lead after round one, Andrew Petruzzelli posted a 1-over 73 to finish in second place in the Boys 15-18 Division at 1-under 143. Grant Yerger posted the low round of the day at 3-under 69 and finished in third place at even-par 144. Sterling Hurd finished in fourth place at 1-over 145. Henry Stone and Jonathan Kim finished tied for fifth at 2-over 146.  In the Girls 12-18 Division, Adrienne Ahn finished second at 7-over 151. Finishing at 8-over 152, and tied for third, was Lucy Kate Smith, Nirjara Gulhane, and Raychel Nelke. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Elijah Estonilo and Asher Vargas finished tied for second after coming up short in the three-man playoff.

Weather: Sunday’s weather mimicked Saturday’s weather with cool, cloudy conditions and winds consistently blowing around 20 miles per hour with gusts upwards of 35 mph. The sun shined a little more than the previous day, but the wind added bite to the golf course.

Host Course: Firewheel Golf Course is hosting the Spring Preview for the first time in the event’s 17-year history. The Champions and Masters nines of the Bridges Course are just 18 of the 63 holes that Firewheel Golf Course has to offer, also on site are the Old and Lakes Courses. The par-72 Bridges course is playing at around 6,900 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,100 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,800 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Abilene on March 11-13 for the Texas Cup Invitational. Abilene Country Club is hosting the first Major event for the Boys 15-18 Division on the 2022 LJT Schedule

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

Petruzzelli, Singh, and Estonilo Lead at Spring Preview

Garland, Texas – Andrew Petruzzelli cards a 2-under 70 in the opening round of the Spring Preview to lead the Boys 15-18 Division at Firewheel Golf Course Anika Singh leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over, while Elijah Estonilo leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at Even Par.

Boys 15-18 Division

1. Andrew Petruzzelli       70

T2. Byungho Lee               72

T3. Sterling Hurd              72

T3. Kenneth Melendrez    72

T3. Huang / Hill / Kim     72

Girls 12-18 Division

1. Anika Singh                     74

T2. Emma Von Hoffman  76

T2. Adrienne Ahn               76

T4. Carley Button                77

T4. Nirjara Gulhane            77

Boys 14 & Under Division

1. Elijah Estonilo               72

2. Aiden Tiet                       73

3. Collin Alstrin                  74

T4. Asher Vargas               75

T4. Grant Baer                   75

Leaders: Petruzzelli of Dallas posted the best round on Saturday making six birdies in his first 18 holes, including four on the front nine. McKinney’s Singh leads by two strokes in the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting 74 in the first round. Singh made two birdies on the day and looks to capture her first victory with the LJT. Elijah Estonilo of Allen leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by one stroke after shooting 72. Estonilo carded four birdies en route to his even-par round in the Boys 14 & Under Division.

In Contention: Six players are tied for second in the Boys 15-18 Division and trail Petruzzelli by two strokes heading into the final round. Plano’s Byungho Lee, Highland Village’s Kenneth Melendrez Jr, Round Rock’s Jonathan Kim, Austin’s Sterling Hurd, Plano’s Alex Huang, and Boerne’s Price Hill all shot even-par 72 on Saturday. Austin’s Henry Stone and Tyler’s Jacob Cole are tied for eight at 1-over, while Tyler Blackwell, Garrett McMellon, Noah McWilliams, and Parker Heath are tied for tenth at 2-over. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Emma Von Hoffman of Spicewood and Adrienne Ahn of Dallas are tied for second at 4-over, while Denton’s Carley Button and Cedar Park’s Nirjara Gulhane round out the top five in a tie for fourth at 5-over. Jenna Madden rounds out the top five in the division at 5-over. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Aiden Tiet of Garland current sits one shot back in second place after a round of 1-over 73. Collin Alstrin of Prosper rounds out the top three in third place at 2-over 74. Asher Vargas of Spring and Grant Baer of Argyle are both tied for fourth at 3-over 75.

Weather: Players experienced cool and misty conditions during the morning hours. The clouds cleared and the wind picked up in the afternoon, as temperatures rose into the upper 70’s and winds blew around 20 mph.

Host Course: Firewheel Golf Course is hosting the Spring Preview for the first time in the event’s 17-year history. The Champions and Masters nines of the Bridges Course are just 18 of the 63 holes that Firewheel Golf Course has to offer, also on site are the Old and Lakes Courses. The par-72 Bridges course is playing at around 6,900 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,100 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,800 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

What’s at Stake: This is the third Open Event on the LJT schedule in 2022 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. Tee Times for the second round will begin at 8:00 AM off both #1 & #10 tees.

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

#TGA#