Petruzzelli Wins Texas Cup Invitational

GLADEWATER – Dallas’ Andrew Petruzzelli fired a scorching 6-under 66 in Wednesday’s final round to win the Texas Cup Invitational. The TCU signee began the day three shots back of the lead and ended it three shots ahead of the field by carding the low round of the tournament. This is Petruzzelli’s second consecutive LJT victory after he won the Spring Preview at The Golf Club at Texas A&M back in February.

The class of 2023 senior saw his lead grow to as many as four shots on the back nine as he poured in birdies at Tempest Golf Club. The first time major champion went out in 4-under 32 and came in with a 2-under 34.

“I just tried to stay really patient,” Petruzzelli said. “I was three back heading into to today and knew I had to make some birdies. I focused on hitting good shots and making some putts and luckily that happened for me.”

Petruzzelli’s final round included six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. As he approaches the end of his junior golf career, today’s victory won’t soon be forgotten.

“It means a lot. I hadn’t won much lately until these last couple LJT events. It just feels good that good golf is coming at the right time,” he said.

Finishing runner-up was Frisco’s Luke Colton who made a valiant effort in the final round by shooting a 5-under 67. He finished at 4-under for the championship and two shots ahead of a trio of players tied that for third.

Dallas’ Brooks Harper, 36-hole leader Grayson Sebastian, and Selma’s Shiv Parmar finished at 2-under overall and rounded out the top five in the major championship.

Ryan Shellberg joined the group under par for the week by finishing 1-under overall and in sixth place. Defending champion Connor Henry of Fort Worth put forth a great effort in his title defense but came up just short as he placed tied-ninth for the tournament.

The par-4 third hole which had played the hardest in the first two rounds saw ample improvement in the final round as it played tenth hardest. The par-4 14th hole played hardest as it played to 4.54 scoring average.

The Texas Cup Invitational was the first of two boys-only majors on the LJT schedule. The Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship is the second one and will be played on June 6-8 at Lakewood Country Club in Dallas.

The Legends Junior Tour would like to thank Tempest Golf Club for being a wonderful host and providing a spectacular experience to all our staff and players.

For more information on the Texas Cup Invitational, click here.

Zamarano and Massa win North Four-Ball

Briefly: First round leaders Ryan Zamorano and Bobby Massa of Dallas win the North Four-Ball at the Courses at Watters Creek. Massa, our 2022 North Four-Ball Champion, had a new partner this year. Teaming up with Ryan Zamorano proved to be a solid strategic move that resulted in a wire-to-wire championship win.   

Zamorano and Massa outlasted the teams of Colby Pickavance and Logan Liam of Dallas, and Sean Heidrick of McKinney and Kolton Crawford of Azle. These two teams finished at 16-under-par for the championship. 

Golf Course: Opened in 1986, the Traditions Course at Watters Creek, located in Plano, was originally designed by Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin. It was remodeled by D.A. Weibring and Golf Resources Group in 2012. 

Weather: Players were greeted with less-than-ideal conditions during Saturday’s round. The wind was relatively calm out of the North/Northwest as temperatures hovered around the low to mid 40’s with heavy cloud coverage throughout the day. Sunday’s round saw different playing conditions with slightly stronger winds out of the south and the temperature steadily rising from mid 50’s the upper 60’s by the afternoon. 

Top Finishers: Zamorano and Massa played consistent golf over the two rounds carding just a singular bogey on the scorecard between the two combined for a 36-hole total of 19-under-par 125. This is Massa’s second straight North Four-Ball title but first with Zamorano.  

The duos of Colby Pickavance and Liam Logan and Sean Heidrick and Kolton Crawford finished their second-round tying Zamorano and Massa for the low round of the day with a 9-under-par 63. Both teams played strong on Sunday, but with Zamorano and Massa’s first round of 62, they were extremely tough to catch.  

Finishing in a four-way tie for fourth place at 9-under-par, were the teams of Zach Atkinson and Brad Gibson, Alden Crissey and Will Strickler, Colby Amparan and Gary Ezmerlian, and Gant Bills and Scott Maurer. 

Regional POY: North Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top finishers at the 2023 North Four-Ball. The winning team will receive 400 points, followed by 250 for second, 200 for third, 150 for fourth, and 100 for fifth. Points will be awarded to both players on the team individually. For Regional POY information, click here. 

What’s Next: The North Regional Series will head to Rockwall Golf & Athletic Club for the 2023 North Mid-Amateur. The event will be played March 24-26.

Registration for the 114th Texas Amateur is currently open and will close on March 29 at 5:00 PM. For more information and to register for the Texas Amateur, click here.  

More Info: The Texas Golf Association extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of The Courses at Watters Creek as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the North Four-Ball a memorable and successful event. For more information on the North Four-Ball, click here. 

Loh and Tardy Win Women’s Texas Pinehurst

Briefly: Arlington’s Melissa Loh and Dallas’ Camry Tardy carded rounds of 67-68 for a tournament total of 9-under 135 to win the 2022 Women’s Texas Pinehurst by five strokes at the Lakes Course at Indian Creek Golf Club in Carrollton. Loh and Tardy credit similarities in their game for allowing them to work well as a team.

Following Monday’s round, the team of Loh and Tardy led the field by a single stroke after sinking a combined total of eight birdies – six of which were made on the front 9. The duo began their final round by firing back-to-back birdies on the first three holes, making the turn at 3-under. The birdies continued for Loh and Tardy on the par 5 eleventh hole and par 4 thirteenth until a solo bogey on the par 5 fourteenth hole. The pair captured their victory with a final-round score of 4-under 68.

Full Leaderboard

Golf Course: Indian Creek Golf Club, a 36-hole facility, has played host to many qualifiers on its Creeks Course but this is the first time the TGA will conduct an event on the Lakes Course. Fully renovated by Jeff Brauer in 2019, the Lakes Course at Indian Creek has new greens, fairways, and cart paths. At 7,000 yards, this par-72 nature-lined course is a sanctuary for birds and golfers alike. Strategic club selection off the tee will be pertinent and the ability to shot shape should prove to be advantageous as well.

Weather: Monday’s round provided overcast skies with light drizzle to begin the day, with temperatures remaining in the mid to high 70s. The sun came out for the final round of the Women’s Texas Pinehurst, where temperatures reached the high 70s with a consistent southeast wind at 8mph.

In Contention: Finishing tied for second with scores of 4-under 140 were the team of Mina Hardin of Fort Worth and Nancy Beck of Dallas and the team of Megan Moake of Houston and Claudia Ramirez of San Antonio.

Moake and Ramirez carded back-to-back rounds of 2-under 70 and fired an incredible five birdies in a row in their final round. Claudia Ramirez’s T2 finish at the Women’s Texas Pinehurst will award her enough points to win the 2022 Women’s Senior Player of the Year by 25 points.

In the second flight, Dallas natives Wendy Rettinger and Lee Ann Riley win by three strokes after firing a final-round score of 1-over 73. In the third flight, the team of Lisa Papes of Allen and Sonja Jackson of Farmers Branch pull off a one-stroke victory with their final round score of 6-over 78. Lili Taufa of Austin and Teresita Aguilar of Temple win the fourth flight with their final round score of 9-over 81.

Player of the Year: Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top 5 teams in the Women’s Texas Pinehurst.

The Texas Golf Association would like to extend our immense gratitude to the staff at Indian Creek Golf Club for hosting and making this event memorable for all who took part.

For more information on the Texas Golf Association, Women’s Events, and more, please visit www.txga.org.

Fresh Look Coming for Corpus Christi Country Club

By Adam Rohrbough, TGA

Corpus Christi Country Club renovation photos and sketches.

Null, Robertson, and Vargas Claim North Texas Classic Titles

Null, Robertson, and Vargas Claim North Texas Classic Titles

Briefly: Corbin Null shot a 4-under 67 on Sunday to win the Boys Division of the North Texas Classic by 4 shots. Sidney Robertson, captured the Girls Division Title with a second round 1-under 70, while Asher Vargas ran away to a 14 shot victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division at 10-under par overall.

Champions: Waco’s Corbin Null went wire to wire to claim the North Texas Classic Victory. He finished an impressive weekend with a final round 67 to win at 9-under 133. Null accumulated 9 birdies & 1 eagle over both tournament rounds. Tylers’s Sidney Robertson completed a second round come back to win the Girls Division. Starting the day one shot back and posted a 1-under par 70 to take the victory. Springs’s Asher Vargas extended his 3 shot first round lead to 1 14 shot victory, thanks to a final round of 6-under 65. Vargas finished the event with 9 birdies and 2 eagles.
Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Boerne’s Price Hill couldn’t quite catch Corbin Null as the two matched 67’s in the second round to finish second at 5-under 137. The trio of Brooks Harper from Dallas, Ryan Shellberg from Prosper and Trenton Mierl from Austin finished tied for third place at 4-under par 138. Dallas’s Andrew Petruzzelli and Reese Roberts both finished in a tie for sixth at 3-under par 139.
In the Girls Division, Austin’s Darrelyn Webster finished second as her second round 73 wasn’t enough to hold the lead she held after round 1 as she finished the tournament with a 1-under par total of 141. Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han finished the tournament in third place with an even par 142 36-hole total. Rounding out the top 5 were Nirjara Gulhane of Cedar Park and Leya Glazer of Dallas.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, College Station’s Ryan Lee and Austin’s Ethan Hoffman finished tied for second at 4-over par 146. Rounding out the top 5 were Aiden Tiet of Garland and Austin Le from Houston. Both players finished in a tie for fourth at 6-over par 148.
Player of the Years Points: Corbin Null, Sydney Robertson and Asher Vargas all earned 500 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
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 Rockwall, 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 continued to be great for the second round with temperatures starting in the high 60’s and reaching the upper 80’s by mid-afternoon. The players were faced with breezy conditions with wind around 10-12 mph throughout the day.
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 Nutcracker Golf Club in Granbury for the Fall Challenge on October 1-2.

Chase Clayton and Josh Logan Win Texas Four-Ball 

Schultz Repeats to Claim 2022 North Amateur Championship

Granbury – Jason Schultz of Allen repeats as the 2022 North Amateur Champion at Harbor Lakes Golf Club in Granbury, TX. He carded rounds of 72-69-67 (208) to claim the championship.

Leaderboard:
Pos. Player City To Par R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Jason Schultz Allen -8 72 69 67 208
2 Joe Seth Murphy Flint -6 73 68 69 210
3 Kevin Doskocil Benbrook -2 70 72 72 214
4 Adam Valickus Fort Worth -1 72 69 74 215
T5 Sam Sewell Argyle 1 73 75 69 217
T5 Clayton Smith Dallas 1 73 71 73 217
T5 Christopher Wheeler Addison 1 70 71 76 217

Click here for complete results

Leaders: Jason Schultz of Allen opened his final round with five straight birdies posting a final round score of 5-under 67 to claim the North Amateur Championship. Schultz stayed consistent throughout the first and second round shooting even par 72 his first time playing the course and following it up with a five birdie second round that ended him at 3-under-par 69 and 3-under-par for the tournament. He carried this momentum into the final round where he took the early lead with his stellar bogey-free front nine. This is Schultz’s third Texas Golf Association win of the year and second North Amateur title in a row. He previously won the North Mid-Amateur at Paris Golf and Country Club in late March and the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play at Denton Country Club last month.

In Contention: Joe Seth Murphy of Flint, TX finished second to Schultz shooting a tournament total of 6-under-par 210. Murphy carded four birdies and a bogey free back nine to stay in contention. Murphy finished four strokes in front of Benbrooks’ Kevin Doskocil who claimed solo third place with rounds of 70-72-72 to finish 2-under-par for the championship.
Course: Harbor Lakes Golf Club is a design masterpiece created by renowned architect Dick Phelps. Located just south of Fort Worth along the shores of Lake Granbury, the course is characterized by its unique architecture and breathtaking natural settings, drawing inspiration from both seaside links courses as well as the rolling terrain of the Texas Hill Country. The course presents golfers a perfect blend of challenge and aesthetics, providing a truly world-class golf experience.

Tournament History: The North Amateur Championship is open to male golfers residing in the North Texas region (31’ parallel, Salado, TX and South is the break point) with a certified WHS Handicap Index of 8.4 or less. The North Amateur Championship was established in 2003, prior to 2022 the championship was most recently held at The Bridges Golf Club in Gunter, TX.

POY Points Race: By winning, Schultz was awarded 1000 points towards Regional Player of the Year standings. Joe Seth Murphy claims 800 Regional Player of the Year Points, and Kevin Doskocil will receive 700 Player of the Year Points. POY Points will also be awarded to all other players that finished Top 30 at the North Amateur.

What’s Next: Next on the state championship schedule is the Texas Four-Ball. With registration closed, the Four-Ball will be contested August 19-21 at Comanche Trace in Kerrville. Texas Mid-Amateur qualifying is underway for the TGA with sites scattered across the state for the next two months. The Texas Mid-Amateur will be hosted Abilene Country Club September 23-25.

About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game.

For more information about the North Amateur, click here. To see all the scores from Harbor Lakes Country Club, click here.

Emma McMyler Repeats as Women’s Texas Amateur Champion

HUMBLE – Prior to this week, Xavier University junior Emma McMyler was already part of Texas golf history. On Friday at the Golf Club of Houston’s Tournament Course, she elevated herself to a new level entirely: two-time Women’s Texas Amateur champion.

With a 3&2 victory in the Final Match against Kansas State University sophomore Remington Isaac of Montgomery, McMyler won the 101st edition of the prestigious amateur championship. It was a successful title defense, as the San Antonio native also won the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur last summer at River Crest Country Club in Fort Worth.

“It means a lot. To be able to do it twice is a cool thing to do,” said McMyler, who also won the 2021 Women’s Stroke Play Championship. “Doing it at this course is pretty special with it being a PGA Tour course. The field was pretty strong this week, and I had a lot of tough matches. But I played really well and was able to pull out the win. It’s pretty special.”

McMyler is the first to win consecutive Women’s Texas Amateurs since Texas Golf Hall of Famer Mina Hardin did it 1999-2000. Hardin, the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion, was the Senior Medalist this week at the Tournament Course during the Qualifying Round and advanced the Championship Bracket. A veteran of more than 50 USGA national championships, Hardin also won back-to-back Women’s Texas Amateur titles in 1996-97.

The Final Match was tight throughout the front nine. Both players held leads at one point, but they were tied as they reached the 10th tee box. Over the next 40 minutes or so, McMyler ripped off three straight birdies to take a commanding 3-up lead. Long off the tee and precise with her irons, she put herself in position to capitalize again and again. McMyler poured in a 12-footer on the 10th, then made 25-foot bomb on the 11th, and capped off the string with a 6-foot birdie on No. 12.

With her father Brian on the bag as caddie, McMyler also birdied the par-3 14th to go 4 up.

“I was kind of feeling it with the putter,” she said.

For her part, Isaac never backed down and continued the fight until both players bogeyed the par-3 16th, which ended things. The former Montgomery High School standout made four birdies on the front nine, but McMyler’s birdies kept besting Isaac’s pars early on the inward loop.

“I have definitely gotten mentally stronger because of this week,” said Isaac, who won seven of her 10 events during her high school senior and led her team to a runner-up finish at the 2021 UIL state championships.

Isaac employed her good friend and mentor Hailee Cooper as her caddie in the Final Match. The two were high school teammates for a year – Isaac was a freshman during Cooper’s senior year – and Isaac defeated Cooper in the Thursday’s Semifinals at the Tournament Course. Despite the tension of the match and what was at stake, Isaac and Cooper smiled and joked with each other throughout the round. The good friends clearly enjoyed the experience, regardless of the final outcome.

McMyler, a two-time Big East Golfer of the Year who won twice for Xavier last season, earned 21st seed in the Championship Match Play Bracket after recording 3-over-par 75 in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round. In the Round of 32, she defeated No. 12 seed Lauren Nguyen of Katy, 3&2. McMyler then took down 28th-seed Ellie Rippee of McKinney, 2&1, in the Round of 16.

In the Quarterfinals, McMyler beat No. 29 seed Hunter Nugent of Irving, 3&2. The Xavier standout then toppled No. 1-seeded Camryn Carreon of San Antonio in the Semis, 1 up.

“The week being so long, it’s really challenging,” said McMyler, who recently finished T26 playing as an amateur at the Epson Tour’s Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA powered by the A2 Sports Commission. “It was super-hot out here, so staying hydrated and staying fresh for the entire week was important.”

In addition to the McMyler-Isaac showdown, six other flights in the tournament held their final matches Friday.

In the First Flight, Paige Wood of McKinney defeated Chelsea Romas of Coppell, 5&4. In the Second Flight, Elina Sinz of Katy beat Faith Kilgore of Wimberley, 3&2. In the Third Flight, Trinity King of Arlington took down Federica Tavelli-Westerlund of San Marcos in 19 holes. In the Fourth Flight, Maria Jose Martinez Almeida of Houston defeated Brooke Morales of McKinney, 7&6. In the Fifth Flight, Simone Campise of Lewisville scored a 1-up victory against EG Messenger of Montgomery. In the Sixth Flight, Molly Murray of McKinney defeated Aidan McLachlan of Dallas, 4&3.

The Texas Golf Association extends its gratitude to the Golf Club of Houston, including its staff and membership, for their support, hospitality, and generosity during the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur. We greatly appreciate the efforts from the club, as well as the TGA volunteers, for helping us create a memorable championship week. For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.

McMyler, Isaac to Play for 101st Women’s Texas Amateur Championship

HUMBLE – After winning their third and fourth grueling matches of the week on Thursday, defending champion Emma McMyler from San Antonio will face Montgomery’s Remington Isaac on Friday for the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur title on the Tournament Course at the Golf Club of Houston.

A junior at Xavier University, the 21st-seeded McMyler held off No. 1 seed Camryn Carreon, also from San Antonio, in a back-and-forth Semifinals match that came down the final hole. Up 1 in the match, McMyler laced a long iron from the fairway bunker on the par-4 18th that found a piece of the left side of the green. Carreon, a senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, missed the green from the fairway. She nearly holed her chip shot, but her ball bounced past the cup.

Carreon conceded her opponent’s short par putt to give McMyler the 1-up victory.

“Camryn’s been playing well all year,” said McMyler, who won twice for XU last season. “It was a great match, a hard-fought match. It was fun to play against someone who is also from San Antonio. I’ve known her for a while. It was a lot of fun, and a really great match.”

The other Semifinal match featured two talented players who also knew each other well. Both No. 31 seed Remington Isaac and 30th-seeded Hailee Cooper are from Montgomery. They played on the same Montgomery High School golf team; Isaac was a freshman when Cooper was a senior. Together, they led a talented team to the UIL Class 6A Regionals in 2018.

Thursday at the Tournament Course, Isaac came out on top with a 1-up victory. The two longtime friends both shot even-par 36 on the front nine, then proceeded to match each other – par for par – from the 10th to the 17th hole. Isaac poured in an 11-foot birdie on No. 18 to capture the win and advance to the Final Match.

“We were pretty much all square the whole round,” said Isaac, a sophomore at Kansas State. “My putt on 18 was downhill, breaking hard left. I didn’t want to run it too far by because then I needed to make the par putt if I missed the birdie. It just barely dribbled in. It was a pretty good putt.”

Earlier Thursday morning, in a Quarterfinals battle of two participants in the upcoming 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in August, Carreon outlasted University of Illinois sophomore Alise Knudson from Dallas in 19 holes. Carreon took a 1-up lead on the 17th hole and had a ticklish 4-footer for par to end the match on the par-4 18th.

She pushed it.

Carreon didn’t have to wait long to exact revenge. She drilled a 10-footer for birdie to win the match on the first extra hole.

“Honestly, I was upset after I missed that little putt on 18,” she said. “On the first playoff hole, I said to myself, ‘It’s all or nothing.’ I really crunched my drive. I didn’t hold anything back. My putts weren’t falling all round, but I finally got one when I needed it.”

In other Quarterfinals action from the Championship Bracket, McMyler took care of 20th-seeded Hunter Nugent, a UTSA senior from Irving, 3&2. Isaac defeated University of Houston senior Annie Park from Houston, 3&2. Cooper beat last year’s runner-up at the 100th Women’s Texas Amateur Megan Winans, an Oklahoma freshman from Richardson, 2&1.

In addition to the Final Match in the Championship Match Play Bracket, Friday also brings the Finals in six lower flights. All the competitors who finished 33rd or worse in Tuesday’s Qualifying Round were seeded into flights based on their scores.

For more information on the 101st Women’s Texas Amateur, click here.