Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Price Hill and Kaylee Yuan Win 97th Texas Junior Amateur
WHITNEY – Boerne’s Price Hill and Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan were crowned champions at the 97th Texas Junior Amateur on Wednesday at White Bluff Resort. Hill claimed the Boys Division by one with a final round 3-under 69 on the New Course. Yuan claimed the Girls Division title with a finishing 1-under 71 on the Old Course.
Hill entered the day five shots back of the lead. After an opening 5-under 67 on Monday, Hill followed it up with a 6-over 78 on Tuesday. He wasn’t worried about it though.
“I knew it was playing hard and I knew I got the hard wave that day,” Hill said of his second round.
The Boerne native bounced back in a big way on Wednesday by rolling in four birdies and only one bogey. Hill’s neat scorecard led him to his first LJT victory and a place in Texas golf history.
“I can’t even really put it into words right now,” Hill said of what this win means to him. “I haven’t really accepted what’s going on yet. It’s amazing. It’s things you dream about. I obviously wanted to do the best I could this week but you never really come in expecting to win because so many things have to go right. Luckily, I got it done this week.”
Hill will head to Texas Tech to play golf in about a month. Needless to say, his game is in a great spot as he arrives in Lubbock.
“This is the best you can ask for,” Hill said. “Last junior tournament. First win on the Legends Junior Tour. It’s a good win and obviously gives me a lot of momentum heading into college.”
Finishing runner-up to Hill was San Angelo’s Colin Leonard at 1-under for the championship. Leonard shot a final round 1-over 73. In third was The Hills’ Connor Smith, who put together a commendable even-par week that included a final round 3-under 69.
Plano’s Alex Huang and Austin’s Trenton Mierl rounded out the top five of the Boys Division at 1-over 217 total. Huang fired the low round on Wednesday with a 4-under 68 to vault up the leaderboard.
Yuan, winner of the Girls Title, had the highlight of the day across the entire championship. Entering the par-3 No. 17 hole she was one shot back of the lead. The Joshua native then proceeded to make a hole-in-one to claim the lead and the tournament.
Yuan hit a 4 hybrid on the 150-yard par-3 to make an incredible shot.
“On that hole I was just telling myself to get it close to the hole and give myself a shot at winning this.”
Mission accomplished. She bested the field by two strokes at 5-under for the championship and etched her name next to many great past champions of this event.
“I’m definitely very excited,” Yuan said. “This is one of the top events I had on the schedule this summer. Coming into it I wanted to play well. I did that, thankfully!”
Finishing runner-up was Dallas’ Shyla Brown at 3-under for the tournament. Brown nearly made it 3-for-3 as champion of LJT events. She won her first two prior to this week. The Dallas native matched Yuan with a final round 1-under 71.
San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer carded a finishing even-par 72 to take third place. Vollmer was fresh off a solid appearance at the USGA’s U.S. Girls Junior Championship and put forth an impressive effort at White Bluff that came up just short.
Rounding out the top five was San Antonio’s Lydia Portlock and Spring Branch’s Sayers Allen in a tie for fourth at 1-over for the tournament.
The Legends Junior Tour extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of White Bluff Resort as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the 97th Texas Junior Amateur a memorable and successful event.
For more information on the 97th Texas Junior Amateur, click here.
To view the final results, click here.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Mierl and Yuan Lead at 97th Texas Junior Amateur
WHITNEY – Austin’s Trenton Mierl carded a second consecutive 2-under 70 in Tuesday’s second round of the Texas Junior Amateur to take a two shot lead in the Boys Division. Mierl, a rising senior at Anderson High School, recorded four birdies on the back nine of White Bluff Resort’s New Course to vault into the 36-hole lead. In the Girls Division, Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan fired a second consecutive round of 2-under 70 and will take a two shot lead in Wednesday’s final round.
White Bluff Resort’s Old and New courses again proved to be a stern test for the state’s best in round two. The Boys 15-18 Division are playing the New Course while the Girls 15-18 are playing the Old Course. The Girls 14 & Under and Boys 14 & Under Division’s concluded play on the Old Course on Tuesday.
In the Boy’s 15-18 Division, Mierl tallied five birdies in route to the solid second round score. Mierl leads by two and will look to continue his strategies in Wednesday’s final round.
“It went pretty solid,” Mierl said after the round. “It was a battle out there. The heat was tough and the wind was blowing so it was tough today.”
Mierl is set to begin his senior year of high school in a few weeks and has a great mindset heading into the final round
“Im going to have the same plan tomorrow. Take it one shot at a time and just be patient,” Mierl said.
San Angelo’s Colin Leonard joined Mierl as the only other player to card back to back rounds under par. He sits in solo second at 2-under overall and two back of the lead. Leonard rolled in three birdies on the day to post a 1-under 71. Benbrook’s Colin Price sits at even par and four back of the lead in third place with 18 holes remaining. A 1-under round of 71 pushed him up 18 spots on the leaderboard on Tuesday.
Day one leader, Price Hill of Boerne, shot a 6-over 78 and sits in fourth at 1-over total. The incoming Texas Tech freshman will look to get his mojo back on Wednesday in hopes of capturing the title.
The division has been cut to the low 45 players and ties heading into Wednesday’s final round.
In the Girl’s 15-18 Division, leader Kaylee Yuan of Joshua will look to battle off a stacked leaderboard in Wednesday’s final round. She leads by two shots over two girls sitting two-under for the championship.
“I wasn’t hitting it solid today but I was able to keep it in the fairway,” Yuan said. “I was able to hit the greens and tell myself there’s still five to ten hours of golf left for me in this tournament.”
San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer and Dallas’ Shyla Brown sit two shots back at 2-under for the tournament. Vollmer carded an even-par 72 while Brown fired a 3-under 69 which is the low round of the Girls 15-18 Division thus far. Sitting in fourth and four shots back of the lead is Lydia Portlock who has put together back to back rounds of even par 72.
The division has been cut to the low 27 players and ties heading into Wednesday’s final round.
Henry Jackson of Lantana fired a final round 1-under 71 to earn the title of Boys 14 & Under Division Champion. Jackson posted a two day total of 1-under 143. Gaven Hymer of San Antonio claimed runner-up honors by finishing at even-par for the tournament. Plano’s Ryan Lee finished in third place at 1-over 145 total.
“This win has been a little bit of a time coming,” Jackson said of what it meant to win. “I’ve been playing not so good my last couple events. I’ve been really working hard, especially on my putting and it paid off.”
Frisco’s Megan Lee cruised to victory over the Girls 14 & Under with an even par 72 to finish at 5-under for the tournament. Lee finished nine shots ahead of runner-up Daniela Sitompul of McKinney, who finished at 4-over for the championship. Natasha Milinthachinda of Spring and Sage Bearden of Crowell shared third place at 9-over.
“It feels really great,” Lee said of the victory. “I didn’t really expect it but I did well and I’m proud of myself so I’m very happy.”
Round 3 of the 97th Texas Junior Amateur begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.
For more information, including leaderboard and pairings, click here.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Hill, Yuan, and Vollmer Lead 97th Texas Junior Amateur
WHITNEY – Boerne’s Price Hill grabbed the lead in Monday’s first round of the 97th Texas Junior Amateur with an impressive 5-under 67 on White Bluff Resort’s New Course. Price’s round included four birdies and an eagle as he leads the Boys Division by three strokes. In the Girls Division, two are tied atop the leaderboard at 2-under par 70. Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan and Julia Vollmer of San Antonio lead the field headed into Tuesday’s second round at White Bluff Resort’s Old Course.
With temperatures above 100 degrees, the field overcame the heat and produced solid scores. The Boys 15-18 Division played the New Course while the Girls 15-18, Girls 14 & Under, and Boys 14 & Under Division’s played the Old Course.
In the Boy’s 15-18 Division, Hill rode his accuracy to success. The incoming freshman at Texas Tech University has been looking forward to this event and made it known with his impressive play in round one.
“I’ve been trending in the right direction,” Hill said. “I played well last week in the U.S. Amateur Qualifier. I’ve been practicing and looking forward to this event for a while.”
Carding rounds of 2-under 70 to sit in a four-way tie for second were Prosper’s Austin Randall, Jace Hulett of Boerne, Jayk Altic of Houston, and Austin’s Trenton Mierl. All four players will look to repeat a solid performance in Tuesday’s second round.
An eye-popping seven players share a tie for sixth place after rounds of 1-under 71. They all sit four shots back of Hill. A stacked leaderboard will look to make moves in Tuesday’s second round on the New Course. The division will cut to the low 45 players and ties after Tuesday’s second round.
In the Girl’s 15-18 Division, Yuan stayed steady throughout her round en route to the 2-under 70. Vollmer, on the other hand, had a tale of two nines. Vollmer, who started on hole No. 10, made the turn at 2-over before rattling off four birdies on her back nine to grab a share of the lead.
“My back nine I just put myself in play and on the greens more,” said Vollmer, a rising senior from San Antonio. “I didn’t hit as many greens on the front. That was the main difference between the nines for me.”
Sitting just one shot back of the lead at 1-under par is Spring Branch’s Sayers Allen. A trio of Austin’s Bowen Lan, Sidney Robertson of Tyler, and San Antonio’s Lydia Portlock occupy a share of fourth place at even-par.
The division will cut to the low 27 players and ties after Tuesday’s second round.
Megan Lee of Frisco tied Hill’s low round of the tournament thus far with a 5-under 67 to take control of the Girls 14 & Under Division.
Lee’s impressive round featured a 5-under 31 on the back nine. She tallied up six total birdies and credited a Texas Golf Hall of Fame member for the success.
“I read the book we were given (as a tee gift) about golfer’s who play tournament’s and tournament golfer’s,” Lee said. “Like even if I get unlucky, and that can happen, I tried to just stay calm even when I made birdie because I have a hard time doing that.”
Each player in the 97th Texas Junior Amateur field received a copy of Texas golf legend Mike Booker’s new book – The Tournament Golfer’s Playbook. Booker spoke about the book and lessons he’s learned throughout his lengthy golf career to the players at a welcome dinner on Monday night.
Lee leads the Girls 14 & Under Division by seven shots over Frisco’s Lisa Zhang who carded an opening 2-over 74.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, The Woodlands’ Tripp Depoy fired a 3-under 69 to take a three shot lead. He leads a trio of players who carded even-par rounds of 72 to share a tie for second.
“I fought my way through and tried to get back to even par,” Depoy said of a 3-over start in his first two holes. “I made a few birdies to get back to even and said let’s go lower. It was fun making a lot of birdies.”
Both the Boys and Girls 14 & Under Divisions are playing 36 holes and will crown champions on Tuesday. The Boys and Girls 15-18 Divisions are playing 54 holes and will conclude play on Wednesday.
Round 2 of the 97th Texas Junior Amateur kicks off Tuesday at 8:00 a.m.
For more information on the 97th Texas Junior Amateur, click here. For the full leaderboard, click here.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Jaivir Pande and Kate Pickrell Win 96th Texas Junior Amateur
HORSESHOE BAY – Austin’s Kate Pickrell fended off a stacked leaderboard in Wednesday’s final round of the 96th Texas Junior Amateur to be crowned champion. The rising senior at Lake Travis High School carded a finishing 2-under 70 to win the girls title by one stroke. Houston’s Jaivir Pande sunk a 10-foot birdie putt on the eighteenth hole of Ram Rock to win the boys title. Pande capped off his week with a 5-over 76 to finish at 1-over par and win by one.
Pickrell battled eventual runner-up Grace Jin of Hunstville all day, but it was a birdie on the par-3 seventeenth hole of Apple Rock that sealed the deal for the Austinite. The Lake Travis senior has been playing well of late as she recently won the AJGA Patrick Reed Invitational earlier this summer.
“After the first round I was sitting a little further back,” Pickrell said of her play early in the championship. “I kind of knew I needed to pick it up the next few days.”
Pickrell did just that. After beginning with a 1-over 73, she posted back to back rounds of 2-under par.
“I know this is going to be my last year (of high school) so I am happy to get a win near the end of summer. I am glad I was able to win it at home,” Pickrell said.
Jin shot a final round 2-under 70 to earn the runner-up honors of the Girls 15-18 Division. Her scorecard included six birdies in Wednesday’s final round. Rounding out the top three was Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han who finished at even-par for the week.
Pande, winner of the boys’ title, didn’t have his best stuff in the final round but showed toughness in still finding a way to win. The rising senior at Kinkaid High School emphatically fist pumped as he rolled in the winning birdie putt on the final hole to finish 1-over for the championship.
“I got off to a less than ideal start today,” Pande said of his final round. “I had a couple mistakes out there, but it was playing tough for everyone, and I knew I had to just keep making pars.”
Pande’s final round 5-over 76 was a bit of a roller coaster ride on Wednesday. He had six holes of bogey or worse but was able to limit the damage with four birdies including one on the last hole.
“Not every day you’re going to play well,” Pande said. “Just being able to have the ability to with adversity is something I’m very proud of in my game.”
Pande enters his senior year of high school with great confidence and will look to build upon the win this fall.
“It’s going to give me a lot of confidence knowing I came here to the Texas Junior Amateur and came out on top. I’m looking forward to keeping the momentum going,” Pande said of his victory.
The low round of the day came from runner-up Luke Colton of Frisco with a 3-under 68 as Ram Rock played well over par for the day. Colton’s final round included six birdies as he finished 2-over for the week and one back of Pande.
Rounding out the top three was Montgomery’s Eyan Edsall who posted a final round 5-over 76 to finish 3-over for the week.
The Legends Junior Tour extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of Horseshoe Bay as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the 96th Texas Junior Amateur a memorable and successful event.
For more information on the 96th Texas Junior Amateur, click here.
To view the final results, click here.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
One Round Remains at 96th Texas Junior Amateur
HORSESHOE BAY – Houston’s Jaivir Pande fired a 3-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round of the Texas Junior Amateur to take a two shot lead in the Boys Division. Pande, a rising senior at Kinkaid High School, recorded an eagle on the par-5 fourteenth hole on Horseshoe Bay’s Ram Rock course to vault into the 36-hole lead. In the Girls Division, two are tied atop the leaderboard at 1-under par 143 total. Bellaire’s Kenna Lee and Austin’s Kate Pickrell lead a slew of competitors bunched at the top headed into Wednesday’s final round at Horeshoe Bay’s Apple Rock course.
Horseshoe Bay’s Ram Rock and Apple Rock courses again proved to be a stern test for the state’s best in round two. The Boys 15-18 Division are playing the Ram Rock course while the Girls 15-18, Girls 14 & Under, and Boys 14 & Under Division’s are playing the Apple Rock course.
In the Boy’s 15-18 Division, Pande tallied three birdies and an eagle in route to the solid second round score. Pande leads by two and will look to continue his strategies in Wednesday’s final round.
“Today, I did the same thing as yesterday,” Pande said. “I was able to just limit the mistakes. I only had two bogeys on the card.”
Pande is set to begin his senior year of high school in a few weeks and likes where his game is at.
“The Texas Junior Amateur is one of the biggest tournaments we have here in Texas, so to be able to be on the top of the leaderboard is very motivating and makes me want to work harder for the rest of my tournaments,” Pande said.
Eyan Edsall of Montgomery joined Pande as the only two players to post consecutive rounds under par. The incoming freshman at Stephen F Austin University sits in second and two shots back of the lead heading into Wednesday’s final round on Horeshoe Bay’s Ram Rock course. Edsall made the turn at three under in Tuesday’s second round before suffering a couple bogeys down the stretch.
Trevor Algya of Highland Village and Tyler Blackwell of Austin sit in a tie for third at 3-over for the championship and seven shots back of the lead.
The division has been cut to the low 45 players and ties heading into Wednesday’s final round.
In the Girl’s 15-18 Division, co-leaders Kenna Lee of Bellaire and Austin’s Kate Pickrell will look to battle off a stacked leaderboard headed into Wednesday’s final round. They lead by one shot over three girls sitting even-par for the championship.
“Today, I just told myself I was going to play smart golf,” Lee said. “I wasn’t going to be too aggressive. I was going to focus on shooting a good score.
Pickrell fired the low round of the day in the Girls 15-18 division with a score of 2-under 70.
“Tomorrow I am going to try and be patient and take advantage of those putts that are pretty close to the hole,” Pickrell said.
Huntsville’s Grace Jin, Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han, and San Antonio’s Marissa Loya sit one shot back of the lead in a tie for third at even-par 144 total. All three girls posted second rounds under par to position themselves nicely with eighteen holes remaining.
The division has been cut to the low 27 players and ties heading into Wednesday’s final round.
Jack Clancy of Dallas defeated Luciano Follmer of Austin in a three-hole playoff to earn the title of Boys 14 & Under Division Champion. Clancy posted a final round 3-over 75 that included two birdies on the back nine. Aiden Tiet of Garland, Dylan Ma of The Woodlands, and Asher Vargas of Spring all finished at 1-under for the championship to share third place.
Katy’s Yixin (Emily) Zhang shot her second consecutive round of 2-under 70 to claim the Girls 14 & Under Division title at 4-under total. Zhang finished five shots ahead of runner-up Kaylee Yuan of Joshua, who finished at 1-under for the championship. Rounding out the top three was Austin’s Isabel Emanuels at 8-over par for the tournament.
Round 3 of the 96th Texas Junior Amateur begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.
For more information, including leaderboard and pairings, click here.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Horseshoe Bay Plays Tough in Round 1 of 96th Texas Junior Amateur
HORSESHOE BAY – Frisco’s Luke Colton grabbed the lead in Monday’s first round of the 96th Texas Junior Amateur with a 2-under 69 on Horseshoe Bay’s Ram Rock course. Colton’s round was the only sub-70 score as he leads the Boys Division by one. In the Girls Division, there are three tied atop the leaderboard at 2-under par 70. Bellaire’s Kenna Lee, Camille Pazouki of San Antonio, and Huntsville’s Grace Jin all share the lead headed into Tuesday’s second round at Horeshoe Bay’s Apple Rock course.
A round under-par was hard to come by as Horseshoe Bay’s Ram Rock and Apple Rock courses proved to be a stern test for the state’s best juniors. The Boys 15-18 Division played the Ram Rock course while the Girls 15-18, Girls 14 & Under, and Boys 14 & Under Division’s played the Apple Rock course.
In the Boy’s 15-18 Division, Colton carded three birdies on the back nine to finish out a strong first round. Colton is one of the younger players in the division but showed no youth on Monday as he leads by one.
“I managed to roll in a few putts around the turn,” Colton said. “That kind of set me up for the rest of the round. The course has a lot of doglegs and it’s pretty tight, so you have to be specific off the tee on your lines. I think that works to my advantage. Usually, my driver is pretty straight.”
Carding rounds of 1-under 70 to sit in a tie for second were Houston’s Jaivir Pande and Eyan Edsall of Montgomery. Edsall tallied up three birdies on the day while Pande had six.
Austin’s Tyler Blackwell and Kyle Doolittle of New Braunfels sit two shots back of the lead after rounds of even-par 71. A stacked leaderboard will look to make moves in Tuesday’s second round on Ram Rock.
The division will cut to the low 45 players and ties after Tuesday’s second round.
In the Girl’s 15-18 Division, each of the three co-leaders took advantage of Apple Rock’s front nine. Lee made the turn at three under, while Pazouki and Jin turned at 2-under.
“The round was pretty good,” said Pazouki, a rising senior from San Antonio. “The front nine went well. Putting was just automatic on the front. The back nine started off with two bogeys but I got it under control to finish off strong.”
Sitting just one shot back of the lead at 1-under par are San Antonio’s Marissa Loya and Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han. San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer carded an even-par round of 72 to put herself in sole possession of sixth heading into the second round. Four girls sit tied for seventh at 1-over par.
The division will cut to the low 27 players and ties after Tuesday’s second round.
Jack Clancy of Dallas carded the low round of the tournament thus far with a 5-under 67 to take control of the Boys 14 & Under Division. Clancy’s solid round included an eagle on Apple Rock’s par-5 tenth hole. Clancy leads the division by two shots over Allen’s Elijah Estonilo who carded a first round 3-under 69. Sitting in sole possession of third at 2-under par is The Woodlands’ Dylan Ma.
Katy’s Yixin (Emily) Zhang shot a first round 2-under 70 to take the lead in the Girls 14 & Under Division. She will look to claim the division title tomorrow as she leads by four strokes over Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan who carded a respectable round of 2-over 74.
Both the Boys and Girls 14 & Under Divisions are playing 36 holes and will crown champions on Tuesday. The Boys and Girls 15-18 Divisions are playing 54 holes and will conclude play on Wednesday.
Round 2 of the 96th Texas Junior Amateur kicks off Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.
For more information on the 96th Texas Junior Amateur, click here. For the full leaderboard, click here.
96th Texas Junior Amateur
Horseshoe Bay Resort
July 25-27
TOURNAMENT LEADERBOARD
SOCIAL MEDIA |
|---|
96th Texas Junior Amateur
Horseshoe Bay Resort
July 25-27
TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
RELATED INFORMATION |
|---|
| TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE |
| TOURNAMENT INFORMATION |
| LEADERBOARD |
| PAST CHAMPIONS |
| LJT TWITTER |
| LJT INSTAGRAM |
SOCIAL MEDIA |
|---|
96th Texas Junior Amateur
Horseshoe Bay Resort
July 25-27
TOURNAMENT EXEMPTIONS
Players competing in the Boys Division must earn an exemption or qualify for the Texas Junior Amateur through one of the Qualifying Sites. Players competing in the Boys 14 & Under Division gain entry through the LJT Priority Entry System.
A) Past Champions: Aaron Pounds, Jacob Sosa, Brooks Simmons, Ben Delarosa, Jase Summy, Gaven Lane, Austin Hofferkamp
B) Top 10 – 2021 Texas Junior Amateur: Trevor Algya, Preston Stout, Carson Cooper, Kristoffer Kuvass, Eyan Edsall, Elvis Steen
C) Top 10 – 2022 Texas Cup Invitational: Connor Henry, Brooks Harper, Chandler Cooke, Elijah Galvan, David Martinez, Austin Le, Davis Ovard, Tyler Blackwell, Luke Colton
D) Top 10 – 2022 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship: Henry Guan, Andrew Petruzzelli, Noah McWilliams, Matthew Foster, Thomas Curry, Gaven Lane, Rhett O’Rear, Brooks Harper
E) Top 3 – 2022 Bluebonnet Championship: Grant Yerger, Trenton Mierl, Matthew Foster
F) Top 3 – 2022 Collegiate Preview: Reese Roberts, Aidan Dortch
G) Top 3 – 2021 George Hannon Junior Invitational: Pryaag Oruganti
H) Top 3 – 2021 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational: Andrew Tan
I) Champion – 2022 Winter Classic: Sam Jenkins
J) Champion – 2022 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic: Sterling Hurd
K) Champion – 2022 Spring Preview: Byungho Lee
L) Champion – 2022 Flodder Financial Shootout: Ethan Law
M) Top 3 – 2022 Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship:
N) 2021 LJT Tournament Champions: Preston Cooper, Palmer Valdez
O) Top 10 – 2022 LJT Player of the Year Points List (Through Bluebonnet Championship): Andrew Petruzzelli, Chandler Cooke, Aiden Tiet, David Martinez
P) 2021 Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year: Rhett O’Rear
Q) Top 5 – 2022 Junior Golf Scoreboard Class (As of June 1): Matt Comegys, Keaton Vo, Zach Kingsland, Jacob Sosa
R) Top 5 – 2023 Junior Golf Scoreboard Class (As of June 1): Thomas Morrison, Jack Usner, Ethan Fang, Alex Papayoanou
S) Top 5 – 2024 Junior Golf Scoreboard Class (As of June 1): Jackson Hymer, Daniel Zou, Bowen Ballis, Blake Keen
T) NTPGA: Martin Kemp, Gage Gallo, Blake Taylor, Hudson Reagan, Cole Waymire, Michael Chevalier, Declan Dent, Michael Chevalier, Lucas Latimer, Hubert Kim, Chase Williams, Sam Perkins, Grayson Freeman, Vince Sanouvong, Sam Wolfe, Nicholas Picardo
U) STPGA: Mitchell Maier, Jaivir Pande, Asher Vargas, Abhay Duggal, Kevin Mu, Corbin Null, Armond Walker, Whit Bartlett, Carson Darby, Tyler Sanford, Ben Jones, Luke Hagen, Andrew Tucker, Jackson Funkhouser, Jaxon Donaldson, Cole Macmillan, Aiden Wright, Benjamin Potter, Mackey Beckett, Anthony Roa
V) Host Club Exemptions: Luke D’Alise
The LJT reserves the right to select players to be in the field. Exempt players must enter by the published deadline or they will lose their spot in the field.
Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Maelynn Kim and Aaron Pounds Win 95th Texas Junior Amateur
KINGWOOD – Maelynn Kim of Katy dominated the final day of the 95th Texas Junior Amateur finishing the 54-hole championship with a total 5-under 211 to hoist the trophy. The Woodlands’ Aaron Pounds battled from start to finish Wednesday to clinch the title at The Clubs of Kingwood’s Island course. Pounds walked off the 18th green of the Island course with a three-day total score of 11-under par 205.
Kim held the lead all three days, finally closing the tournament Wednesday afternoon. She entered the clubhouse with a final round of 3-under par 69, claiming the championship eight strokes over runner-up Kendall Jackson of Pearland. Kim started off hot with three consecutive birdies early on the front nine. She bogeyed the par-3 6th, but quickly bounced back with a birdie on the 9th hole, turning at 3-under 33. Kim wavered on the back, starting off with a bogey on 10. She followed that up with back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16, a bogey on 17 for an even-par back nine 36.
“Everything worked out great today,” Kim said of her winning round. “I missed a few putts, but I couldn’t ask for a better round.”
The 16-year-old said winning this tournament ranks at the top of her all-time list.
“It feels amazing, I’m speechless,” Kim said. “I was on 18 and I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Pounds played under par all week, carding 69-70-66 for a grand total of 205 for the championship. He fired off four birdies on the front nine, turning at 4-under 32 going into the final nine holes.
“Yesterday I had a good stretch through the front nine and I had one again today, so I just tried to stay calm and play my game on the back nine,” Pounds said of his mentality today.
The 16-year-old fended off 18-year-old runner-up and playing partner Kevin Watts of Colleyville throughout the final round. Watts finished one stroke back from Pounds with three under-par rounds of 71-68-67 for a total of 206 for the 54-hole championship.
“It was definitely hard to stay focused at the end, but I tried to take it one shot at a time and hit every shot with confidence, that’s all I can really do,” Pounds said.
Pounds competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship only a week ago before teeing it up for the opening round at the Clubs of Kingwood Monday. Pounds said after competing in this tournament several times, he’s dreamed of hoisting the trophy.
“It feels amazing, today feels like a blur right now, I’m speechless,” Pounds said after his round. “It was a fun round overall and a great battle. I’ve been playing in this tournament for a while now and to finally win it is such an honor.”
The Legends Junior Tour extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of the Clubs of Kingwood as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the 95th Texas Junior Amateur a memorable and successful event.
For more information on the Texas Junior Amateur, click here. For the full leaderboard, click here.