Shellberg, Brambilla and Lee Win Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

SUPHUR SPRINGS – Ryan Shellberg shot 2 under par 70 to win the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Sulphur Springs Country Club. Chiara Brambilla won the Girls Division at 2-under, while Ryan (Woojin) Lee won the Boys 14 & Under Division finishing at 4 over par for the tournament.

TJGAI Leaderboard

Prosper’s Shellberg completed his wire-to-wire victory with rounds of 71-70 to get to 3-under overall and a one stroke victory over San Antonio’s Matt Pawly. Ryan had a clutch chip-in birdie on the tough par 3 17th hole to give him the cushion he needed to win. Ryan was the only player in his division to finish under par in both tournament rounds as the heavy wind played havoc with the golfers this weekend. This is Shellberg’s first ever victory on the Legends Junior Tour.

Trailing Shellberg was Matt Pawly of San Antonio who carded an impressive 3 under 69 in the tough conditions. Richmond’s Eli Walker Campbell finished third at 3 over par, one stroke ahead of Dallas’s Aiden Dortch and Fair Oak Ranches Phoenix Guerra.

Southlake’s Brambilla captured her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour this year after rounds of 71-71 to get to 2-under 142 overall. Brambilla made eight birdies over the weekend to finish with an eight stroke victory.

Austin’s Claire Wan came back from a rough first day to post 3 under par 69 on Sunday, tying for the best round of the tournament. Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn finished third in the Girls 12-18 Division and earned enough Player of the Year points to overtake Farrah O’Keefe for the honor.

College Stations’s Ryan (Woojin) Lee won the Boys 14 & Under Division after shooting matching 2-over par 74’s to finish the tournament at 4 over par 148. Ryan bested Garland’s Aiden Tiet and Houston’ Austin Le by one shot as the three players battled it out through the high winds all day long. Lantans’s Henry Jackson finished in fourth place at 8 over par.

The Course: Sulphur Springs Country Club is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. The course played to just under 6500 yards for the Boys 15-18 division, 6200 yards for the Boys 12-14 division and 5700 for the girl’s division.

The Weather: Temperatures crept up to the mid 80s on Sunday and winds were up again throughout the day blowing at 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

About the Event: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2021 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

Up Next: The Legends Junior Tour will take the Jackie Burke Cup Matches to The Hideout Golf Club and Resort in Brownwood on Nov. 12-13. The Alliance Invitational was the final event for players to earn points towards the Jackie Burke Cup and the North and South Teams will be announced on Monday, October 24th. The North has won or held the cup for the last seven years.

Player of the Year Winners: Congratulations to Austin’s Trenton Mierl who used his 6th place finish to overtake Fort Worth’s Conner Henry in the Boys Division Player of the Year race. Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn’s third place finish gave her enough points to overtake Austin’s Farrah O’Keefe and win the Girls POY honor. In the Boys 14 and Under Division, Jack Clancy from Dallas ran away with the honors this year posting 5 victories in his 8 events. Full POY Standings can be viewed here.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Shellberg, Brambilla and Lee Lead at the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Briefly: Ryan Shellberg shot a 1 under par round of 71 in the opening round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and leads the Boys Division. Chiara Brambilla leads the Girls Division, while Ryan (Woojin) Lee leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at Sulphur Springs Country Club. All of the players in the field fought windy conditions throughout the day with winds gusting as high as 40 mph.

2022 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational Leaderboard

Boy’s Division: Prosper’s Ryan Shellberg made 3 birdies and an eagle en route to a 1 under par 71 and a one-shot lead over Fair Oaks Ranches Phoenix Guerra. Included in a three-way tie for third is Richmond’ s Eli Walker Campbell, San Antonios’s Matt Pawley and Austin’s Trenton Mierl, all finishing at 1 over par 73. Mierl currently sits in the second spot in the LJT Player of the Year standings and is looking for a solid finish to overtake Conner Henry in this season’s final points event and earn Player of the Year Honors. Four players are tied for 6th at 2 over par and in all there are 14 total players within 4 shots of the lead.

Girls Division: Southlake’s Chiara Brambilla made 5 birdies in her round, and they seemed to come in bunches as she made 3 consecutive on holes 3, 4 and 5 and then two more on holes 10 and 11. Chiara posted the only under par round of the day and finishing at 1 under par 71. Chiara is looking for her first victory of the year on the LJT and will start Sunday’s final round with a 4-shot lead over Cypresses Jasmine Do. Edmond, Oklahoma’s Evyn Cannon and Tyler’s Sidney Robertson sit in a tie for third at 5 over par.

Boys 14 and Under Division: Ryan Lee from College Station holds a two-stroke lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division after fighting through the windy conditions to post 2 over par 74. Ryan is looking to break through for his first LJT win of the year after finishing 2nd, 2nd and 3rd in his last three tournaments. Houston’s Austin Le and Sulphur Spring’s own Nick Burney sit in a tie for 2nd at 4 over par. Four different players are tied for 4th at 5 over par going into the final round.

The Course: Sulphur Springs Country Club is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. The course played to just under 6500 yards for the Boys 15-18 division, 6200 yards for the Boys 12-14 division and 5700 for the girl’s division.

Weather: The temperatures started in the mid 60’s on Saturday reaching a high of 85 in the afternoon under partly sunny skies. The winds were the story of the day as the golfers experienced sustained winds of 20 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2022 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

Up Next: The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 am. Tee times will go off the No. 1 & 10 tees in the morning and the champions will be crowned once play has finished that afternoon.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Tan, Barber and Tiet Win Alliance Invitational

GLADEWATER – Andrew Tan shot 5-under 67 in the final round and wins the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Tempest Golf Club. Savannah Barber won the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over, while Aiden Tiet won the Boys 14 & Under Division in a playoff.

Austin’s Tan completed his wire-to-wire victory with rounds of 65-67 to get to 12-under overall and seven strokes ahead of the field. This is Tan’s second consecutive victory with the Legends Junior Tour after capturing the James A. Ragan Memorial earlier this month.

Trailing Tan was Sam Dossey of Austin and Noah McWilliams of Benton, La. at 5-under overall. Trevor Algya of Highland Village and Kevin Mu of Austin finished tied for fourth at 2-under, while Shaunak Nair finished sixth at 1-under and Eli Walker Campbell finished seventh at even-par.

Fort Worth’s Barber captured her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour this year after rounds of 75-71 to get to 2-over 146 overall. Barber, who paired with Alexa Saldana to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship earlier this year at Maridoe Golf Club, made four birdies in the final round, including the par-3 fourth and the par-5 sixth.

Dallas’ Sophie Biediger and Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han finished tied for second in the Girls 12-18 Division at 3-over. Both players were tied for the lead following the first round. Spicewood’s Emma Von Hoffmann finished fourth at 5-over and Mexico’s Saldana finished fifth at 6-over.

Garland’s Tiet won the Boys 14 & Under Division after shooting 2-under 70 in the final round and making a par on the first sudden-death playoff hole. Tiet overtook first round leader Coltrane Mittag in the playoff, which was held on the par-3 seventh. This was Tiet’s first win with the Legends Junior Tour.

Mittag finished runner-up after falling short in a playoff with rounds of 70-72 to get to 2-under 142 overall. Selma’s Shiv Parmar finished third at 1-over, while Houston’s Austin Le finished fourth and Elijah Estonilo and Kuan Zhou finished tied for fifth.

Tempest Golf Club hosted the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. Located in Gladewater, which is just outside of Tyler, Tempest Golf Club was opened in 2018 and the par-72 layout is a distinct look with it’s tall pine trees and hilly terrain. Jeffrey Brauer designed the course, which has now hosted USGA Qualifying as well as collegiate events in the short time it’s been open.

Temperatures crept up to the high 70s on Sunday but winds were still calm out of the north ranging around five miles per hour. Conditions were perfect despite a chill in the air each morning.

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2021 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

The Legends Junior Tour stays out east as the Jackie Burke Cup comes to Willow Brook Country Club on Nov. 13-14. The Alliance Invitational was the final event for players to earn points towards the Jackie Burke Cup and the North and South Teams will be announced on Monday, Nov. 1. The North has won or held the cup for the last seven years.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Tan Shoots 65 and Leads Alliance Invitational

GLADEWATER – Andrew Tan fires a 7-under 65 in the opening round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational and leads the Boys Division. Sophie Biediger and Jiyu Han are tied atop the Girls Division, while Coltrane Mittag leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at Tempest Golf Club.

Austin’s Tan continued his stellar play on the Legends Junior Tour by making eight birdies to one bogey in his first 18 holes. The Louisville commit is coming off a win at the James A. Ragan Memorial and seeking his second of the season as he currently sits third in the Player of the Year standings.

Trailing Tan in the Boys Division is Brooks Simmons of Dallas and Noah McWilliams of Benton, La. at 3-under, while Austin’s Kevin Mu and Sam Dossey are tied for fourth at 2-under. Dossey is the current leader in the Boys 15-18 Division Player of the Year Standings.

Cedar Park’s Han came into the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational as the leader of the Girls 12-18 Division Player of the Year standings and looks for her second win after capturing the Fall Challenge last month. Han made two birdies with no bogeys on Saturday and is tied with Dallas’ Biediger, who made a birdie on the par-4 18^th to get to 2-under. Biediger is also seeking her second win of the season with the LJT.

McKinney’s Jenna Madden joins the leaders in the final group on Sunday after shooting 2-over 74 at Tempest. Fort Worth’s Savannah Barber sits in fourth at 3-over, while Houston’s Cathilyn Lee is in fifth at 5-over.

Mittag holds a two-stroke lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division after the Nebraska native made five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on the par-5 10^th and the par-4 11^th. Mittag looks to win his first LJT event on Sunday with two runner-up finishes already under his belt this year.

Garland’s Aiden Tiet trails Mittag at even-par and they are joined by Brooks Harper of Dallas in the final group on Sunday. Selma’s Shiv Parmar is coming off a win at the James A. Ragan Memorial and is fourth at 2-over, while three players are tied for fifth at 3-over.

Tempest Golf Club is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the first time. Located in Gladewater, which is just outside of Tyler, Tempest Golf Club was opened in 2018 and the par-72 layout is a distinct look with it’s tall pine trees and hilly terrain. Jeffrey Brauer designed the course, which has now hosted USGA Qualifying as well as collegiate events in the short time it’s been open.

The temperatures started in the 40s on Saturday, but crept into the 70s in the afternoon to make for a near-perfect day. The winds remained calm around five miles per hour out of the north.

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event on the Legends Junior Tour schedule for 2021 and the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players that have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.

The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game, while preparing them for the next level.

The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 am. Tee times will go off the No. 1 & 10 tees in the morning and the champions will be crowned once play has finished that afternoon.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational Set for October 30-31

TEMPEST – The Legends Junior Tour’s Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational moves to Tempest Golf Club after spending the last two years at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. The 36-hole tournament is set for the weekend of October 30-31.

Tempest Golf Club is rated the #1 golf course in East Texas and a Top 50 course in the state. Tempest tabbed architect Jeffrey Brauer to reinvent the course in 2016 with renovations being completed in 2018. Since reopening in 2018 Tempest has hosted a USGA Amateur qualifier as well as the annual Tempest Intercollegiate Division III golf tournament.

“The Legends Junior Tour is excited to take the TJGA Invitational to east Texas,” LJT Tournament Manager Adam Schulte said. “The field of players is strong and we are excited to see some competitive golf.”

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational was first played in 2019 at Eagle Pointe Golf Club in Mont Belvieu, TX and the event returned to Eagle Pointe in 2020.

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is restricted to players with an active membership with the TJGA with the majority of players earning exemptions through North and South Texas PGA events, as well as LJT events. The tournament will be competed in three divisions, Girls 12-18, Boys 14 & Under, and Boys 15-18.

Colleyville’s Kevin Watts captured the Boys 15-18 championship in 2020 with a two-under-par 140. Jason Shwartz from Bellaire, TX won the Boys 14 & Under division shooting even for the tournament, and Lauren Nguyen of Katy, TX won the Girls Division also shooting even par.

Watts, Shwartz, and Nguyen joined the short list of champions with 2019’s champions Henry Frizzell, Daniel Zou, and Elina Sinz.

Along with competing for LJT Player of the Points players will be competing for exemptions into LJT events like next year’s Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, George Hannon Junior Invitational and other invitational events.

Tee Times for the first round will be published on the TXGA website on Friday, October 29. You can view the pairings by clicking here. The final round pairings will be redrawn according to scores from the first round and will begin Sunday at 8:00 am.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Watts, Nguyen and Shwartz Win at Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Mont Belvieu – Kevin Watts wins the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. Lauren Nguyen wins the Girls 12-18 Division, while Jason Shwartz wins the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Leaderboard:

Boys 15-18

1. Kevin Watts 140
2. Shoichiro Kato 141
3. Matthew Spaulding 141
4. Tyler Gardner 143
5. Will Jordan 145

Girls 12-18

1. Lauren Nguyen 142
2. Jiyu Han 150
3. Julia Vollmer 150
4. Maelynn Kim 152
5. Sydney Williams 152

Boys 14 & Under

1. Jason Shwartz 142
2. Blake Burt 145
3. Brooks Harper 145
4. Charlie Wylie 151
5. Finn Burkholder 151

Full Leaderboard

Champions: Colleyville’s Watts wins the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke after posting rounds of 68-72 to get to 2-under overall. This is Watts’ first victory with the Legends Junior Tour as he improved on his runner-up finish at this event in 2019. Katy’s Nguyen won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting consecutive rounds of even-par 71 at Eagle Pointe Golf Club. She added three more birdies in the final round bringing her total up to six for 36 holes. This is her second victory on the Legends Junior Tour in 2020. Bellaire’s Shwartz picks up his first victory with the LJT after shooting 3-under 68 in the final round. He accumulated seven birdies on Sunday to bring his total up to nine and finished three shots ahead of the field.

Top Finishers: Austin’s Shoichiro Kato and Spring’s Matthew Spaulding finished runner-up in the Boys 15-18 Division. Houston’s Tyler Gardner finished fourth, followed by The Woodlands’ Will Jordan in fifth and Beach City’s Grant Doggett in sixth. Jake Maggert and Preston Rouse tied for seventh in the division. Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han and San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer tied for second in the Girls 12-18 Division, while Katy’s Maelynn Kim and Frisco’s Sydney Williams tied for fourth.  Austin’s Blake Burke and Dallas’ Brooks Harper tied for second in the Boys 14 & Under Division, while Houston’s Charlie Wylie and The Woodlands’ Finn Burkholder finished tied for fourth.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance was formed in 2012 and offers junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The alliance is made up of the Legends Junior Tour, the Southern Texas PGA, the Northern Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association. The alliance allows players a chance to compete at all levels and to grow their games as they progress.

Weather: Temperatures started in the 60s but stayed in the low 70s throughout the afternoon in Mont Belvieu. The wind picked up on Sunday, staying around 10 miles per hour consistently and gusting upwards of 20 m.p.h.

Golf Course: Eagle Pointe Golf Club opened for play in 1999 and was designed by Rick Forester. The rolling hills and elevation changes make Eagle Pointe very different from most Houston area course. The fairways are surrounded by towering pine trees and the Cherry Point Gully weaves its way through the course, while the Old River is the boundary on several holes. The course stretches out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,500 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,900 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

What’s next: The Legends Junior Tour season finishes up with the Jackie Burke Cup matches at The Clubs at Houston Oaks on Nov. 14-15. The Jackie Burke Cup features the top players from the LJT Player of the Year Standings competing against each other in 12-player teams based on their locations. The North Team looks to win its seventh straight this year and leads the overall series 8-7 over the South Team.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Watts, Nguyen and Burkholder Lead Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational

Mont Belvieu – Kevin Watts shoots 3-under 68 at Eagle Pointe Golf Club and leads the Boys 15-18 Division of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. Lauren Nguyen leads the Girls 12-18 Division at even-par, while Finn Burkholder leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 1-under.

Leaderboard:

Boys 15-18

1. Kevin Watts 68
2. Bryant Hiskey 69
3. Preston Rouse 69
4. Shoichiro Kato 70
5. Two tied 71

Girls 12-18

1. Lauren Nguyen 71
2. Maelynn Kim 76
3. Emily Mu 77
4. Avery Thompson 77
5. Chaemin Kim 77

Boys 14 & Under

1. Finn Burkholder 70
2. Brooks Harper 71
3. Blake Burt 72
4. Jason Schwartz 74
5. Two Tied 75

Full Leaderboard

Leaders: Watts is looking to win his first LJT event after finishing second at the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational in 2019. The Dallas native made three birdies and zero bogeys on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead in the Boys 15-18 Division. Nguyen, who is the reigning LJT Girls Player of the Year leads the Girls 12-18 Division after making three birdies and three bogeys in the first round. She finished sixth in last year’s Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. The Woodlands’ Burkholder started his first round with a double-bogey 7 on No. 1, but settled down making four birdies in his final 17 holes including a bogey-free final nine holes.

In Contention: Trailing Watts in the Boys 15-18 Division are Houston’s Preston Rouse and Bryant Hiskey, who both sit at 2-under 69. Austin’s Shoichiro Kato sits alone in fourth at 1-under, while Van Miller of Katy and Matthew Spaulding of Spring are tied for fifth at even-par. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Katy’s Maelynn Kim trails Nguyen by five strokes after shooting 5-over 76 on Saturday. Five players are tied for third in the division at 6-over. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Dallas’ Brooks Harper is in second at even-par, followed by Austin’s Blake Burt at 1-over and Bellaire’s Jason Schwartz at 3-over.

Event Format: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is a 36-hole stroke play event with players competing in three divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. The field was selected using exemptions from Texas Junior Golf Alliance Events throughout the year and through the LJT Player of the Year Standings which players earn points in by competing in Alliance events.

About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance was formed in 2012 and offers junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The alliance is made up of the Legends Junior Tour, the South Texas PGA, the North Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association. The alliance allows players a chance to compete at all levels and to grow their games as they progress.

Weather: Temperatures stayed in the mid-60s throughout the day and crept up to 70 degrees on Saturday. Players faced little to no wind in the first round and enjoyed sunshine throughout the afternoon.

Golf Course: Eagle Pointe Golf Club opened for play in 1999 and was designed by Rick Forester. The rolling hills and elevation changes make Eagle Pointe very different from most Houston area course. The fairways are surrounded by towering pine trees and the Cherry Point Gully weaves its way through the course, while the Old River is the boundary on several holes. The course stretches out to almost 7,000 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,500 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,900 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.

What’s next: The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for an 8:00 am start on Sunday, Nov. 1 with tee times going until 12:00 pm off the No. 1 tee. At the conclusion of play on Sunday, the top finishers will be awarded.

What’s at Stake: The event is ranked by Golfweek as well as Junior Golf Scoreboard and players are competing for points towards the LJT Player of the Year Award and a spot on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Legends Junior Tour Players of the Year will be determined following this weekend.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.

Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational Set for Oct. 31 – Nov. 1

MONT BELVIEU – The Legends Junior Tour will host the second Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational at Eagle Pointe Golf Club in Mont Belvieu from Oct. 31 – Nov. 1.

In 2012, the four most prominent junior golf tours in the state joined forces to create the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The goal was to give junior golfers greater access to top-tier statewide competition while lessening the burden of travel expenses. The partnership between the TGA’s Legends Junior Tour, Northern Texas PGA, Southern Texas PGA and the Houston Golf Association has been a success.

To add another elite junior golf tournament to the Alliance’s schedule, the LJT hosted the first Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational last year. Now in its second year, the event will welcome one of the strongest fields of the season.

“We were very encouraged about the addition of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational to our LJT schedule last year,” LJT Tournament Coordinator Adam Schulte said. “This event has welcomed a strong field both years, and we’re excited to crown a new set of champions this weekend.”

Home of the most competitive junior golf in the state, the LJT wanted to increase its Alliance partners’ opportunities for their tournament winners to earn spots in LJT’s elite championships. That’s how the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational field was determined. Winners of select events from the NTPGA, STPGA and HGA’s junior tours received invitations to the tournament as well as players ranked high on the current LJT Player of the Year Points Lists.

Last year, Henry Frizzell of Frisco claimed his second LJT title after consecutive rounds of 3-under-par 68. He totaled 10 birdies and an eagle through 36 holes and recently started his collegiate golf career at Arkansas Tech University.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Elina Sinz of Katy also picked up her second LJT victory of the 2019 season. She carded back-to-back rounds of even-par 71 to hold off Tillie Claggett by three strokes. Sinz just began her freshman year as a member of the Auburn University Women’s Golf Team.

Daniel Zou of The Woodlands won the Boys 14 & Under Division after posting 8-under-par 134 for the championship. He carded nine birdies and only one bogey en route to a six-shot victory. This year, Zou will look to win a Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational title in the Boys 15-18 Division.

Collectively each year the four organizations provide playing opportunities to more than 6,000 junior boys and girls in 500-plus tournaments. The NTPGA’s All-American Tour and STPGA’s Prestige Tour serve as qualifiers into Legends Junior Tour Invitationals.

“We are always looking for new ways to get juniors into elite competitions,” STPGA Executive Director Thomas Hutton said. “The Alliance has allowed all of us to work together, grow junior golf participation and create opportunities all over Texas.”

The final championship of the season to count toward LJT Player of the Year Standings will feature a field of 84 players. Three divisions compete separately: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. Matthew Comegys of Plano leads the Boys 15-18 Division; while Lauren Nguyen of Katy leads the Girls 12-18 Division and Trenton Mierl of Austin leads the Boys 14 & Under Division.

The first round begins at 8 a.m. on Oct. 31. Final Round pairings will be redrawn according to first round scores and begin at 8 a.m. the next day.

For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.