George Hannon Junior Invitational Set for Aug. 10-11

AUSTIN — The George Hannon Junior Invitational is set to cap off another great Legends Junior Tour summer schedule when the 36-hole event returns to the University of Texas Golf Club August 10-11. Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the proud presenting sponsor for the second straight year as part of a two-year deal with the Hannon Cup Association.

“Having a partnership with Texas Mutual is such a blessing to the Hannon Cup Association,” Hannon Cup Association Managing Director Randi Long said. “When we set out to have a junior tournament, the goal was to host one of the best ones in Texas. Along with Texas Mutual and the Legends Junior Tour, I believe we have accomplished that goal.”

Texas Mutual Insurance Company is one of the state’s leading workers’ compensation providers. Texas Mutual Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement Jeremiah Bentley said the company is proud to be associated with this year’s championship.

“We’re happy to have the opportunity again to contribute to the organization’s mission,” Bentley said. “As a leader in the workers’ compensation industry, Texas Mutual is always seeking to partner with other leading organizations. This tournament is a high-quality event that provides value to sponsors and exposure to a first-class audience.”

George Hannon was born in Kemp, Texas, and had a 59-year PGA career, including an 18-year term as the University of Texas Men’s Golf coach. Hannon’s career at UT included NCAA titles in 1971 and 1972, as well as 12 Southwest Conference Championships. Hannon coached legends such as Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Mark Brooks, Phil Blackmar, Brandel Chamblee, Warren Chancellor, Rik Massengale and Paul Thomas. He was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1991 and was the Golf Coaches Associations’ 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The Legends Junior Tour has conducted the George Hannon Junior Invitational since the Hannon Cup Association created the event in 2009. It brings together the top 96 boys and girls in and around the state. Three divisions compete separately: Boys 15-18, Boys 14 & Under and Girls 12-18.

The field will take on UT Golf Club’s par-71 layout. Since it opened for play in 2003, the demanding Bechtol Russel design has always had a championship pedigree. The Austin-based club is the home of the University of Texas Men’s and Women’s golf teams, including the 2012 NCAA Men’s Golf National Champions. It’s played host to NCAA Regional Championships, the Betsy Rawls Invitational as well as TGA Major Championships, including the 99th Women’s Texas Amateur in July.

Over the years, the club has welcomed some of the highest profile players in the game of golf. These include 3-time major champion Jordan Spieth, PGA Tour winners Dylan Frittelli, Cody Gribble and Jhonattan Vegas, 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler, 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion Sophia Schubert and the 13th ranked female amateur golfer in the world Kaitlyn Papp.

This is the fifth time in the tournament’s 12-year history for UT Golf Club to host. It’s a challenging test of golf complemented by scenic Texas Hill Country views and always delivers a great championship.

“We’re always excited to head to Austin for the George Hannon Junior Invitational,” LJT Tournament Coordinator Adam Schulte said. “It’s a great event year after year and we can’t thank the Hannon Cup Association enough for making it all possible.”

Frisco’s Henry Frizzell trailed by two strokes to begin the final round at last year’s championship. Following a solid opening nine, Frizzell held a one-stroke lead standing on the par-4 17th. He made a clutch birdie to extend his lead and closed out his round with a par on the par-4 18th to win the Boys 15-18 Division by two strokes.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Kaylee Vesely of Austin fired a final round 2-under-par 69. The UT Golf Club member birdied the par-5 ninth (her finishing hole) to post 2-under overall for the championship and win by one stroke. Austin’s Trenton Mierl won the Boys 14 & Under Division after carding rounds of 66-79 to win by two shots. This year, he’ll look defend his title and add another LJT victory to his resume.

The George Hannon Junior Invitational is held in the Austin area annually and features one of the top-ranked fields on the LJT Schedule. Past champions of this event include Max Miller, Joe and Julia Beck, Scottie and Callie Scheffler, Brendan Redfern, Cole Hammer, Thomas Critch, Levi Valadez, Alexandra Rossi, Chandler Phillips, Hailee Cooper and Stephen Campbell Jr.

The George Hannon Junior Invitation will award players with additional points towards the LJT Player of the Year Points List. Sam Dossey of Austin 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.

For more information about the George Hannon Junior Invitational, click here.

Texas Father-Son Heads to Capital City

AUSTIN – The Fazio Foothills Course at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa will host the 40th playing of Texas Father-Son from July 10-12.

Designed by Tom Fazio and opened for play in 1986, Fazio Foothills is one of four courses at the expansive, 4,000-acre luxury resort. Expertly routed through the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Fazio Foothills features dramatic elevation changes, rolling fairways, limestone cliffs and caverns, cascading waterfalls and narrow approaches to small, tilted green complexes. Newly renovated in 2018, the course has five sets of tee boxes that provides golfers of all ages and skill levels with a fun and challenging experience.

The Texas Father-Son is one of the most popular events on the TGA’s annual schedule, and is a longstanding summer tradition for many families. To make this unique tournament more accessible to a wider range of players, the 80 teams in the starting field are pre-assigned to one of six flights based on combined Low Handicap Indexes over a one-year period ending on July 1.

The Championship Flight consists of 40 teams with the lowest combined handicap indexes and will play four-ball stroke play the first two rounds. After 36 holes, the low 20 teams (and ties) continue on in the Championship Flight and will play combined score (individual stroke play using both players scores) in the final round. The three-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Teams not making the 36-hole cut in the Championship Flight will compete in the President’s Flight and play another round of four-ball stroke play. The format for all other flights is 54-hole net four-ball stroke play.

At the 2019 Texas Father-Son, held at Comanche Trace in Kerrville, Matt Griffin of San Antonio and Will Griffin of Austin posted a three-day, 19-under-par total of 269 in route to a nine-stroke victory over Peach and Jay Reynolds of Austin and Gregory and Andrew Spears of Flower Mound. It was the second title for the Griffins, who won their first in 2011 at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco.

Live scoring updates and daily recaps, as well as tee-times and pairings, will be available at txga.org once the action gets underway from Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.

For additional information about the Texas Father-Son or any competition conducted by the TGA, please call the office at (214) 468-8942.

ABOUT THE TGA: Founded in 1906 as the governing body of amateur golf in Texas, the TGA is an official representative of the United States Golf Association and the only licensed distributor of USGA GHIN Handicaps. We serve all golfers across Texas with elite competitive championships and recreational playing opportunities for men, women, seniors and juniors. The TGA is represented by hundreds of public and private facility Member Clubs throughout the state. It is our honor and responsibility to promote, protect and grow the game of golf on all levels. To learn more, click here.