Around the Green

James A. Ragan Memorial Set for Oct. 11-12

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Legends Junior Tour will host the sixth annual James A. Ragan Memorial at Corpus Christi Country Club from Oct. 11-12.

“James’s experiences at Legends Junior Tour tournaments and the friends he made always meant a lot to him,” said Mecklin Ragan, James’s sister and co-founder of the unique foundation, Triumph Over Kids Cancer. “It’s incredibly humbling to see an organization continue to honor James’ memory and help Triumph Over Kids Cancer raise awareness for pediatric cancer by hosting the James A. Ragan Memorial.”

James Ragan was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2006 at the age of 13. Despite undergoing a grueling treatment regimen of chemotherapy, surgeries, radiation and experimental drug trails, Ragan started playing in LJT events just two years after his diagnosis. He became not only one of the top junior golfers in the state, but also one of the most inspirational.

The Corpus Christi native recorded three top-25 finishes on the LJT and won the 2010 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. He was a member of the 2010 Jackie Burke Cup South Team and was awarded the LJT Sportsmanship Award. He played in more than 20 events on the LJT before playing collegiately for Rice University in 2011.

After two seasons competing for the Owls, Ragan’s battle with cancer drew to a close in February of 2014. Ragan’s foundation Triumph Over Kids Cancer continues to raise money for cancer research. Today, the fund exceeds $3 million and is dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer.

In 2015, the LJT created the James A. Ragan Memorial to remember the legacy of Ragan and his character. Now in its sixth year, the championship returns for the fourth time to Ragan’s home course.

“The LJT is honored to host this event as James was a great golfer but an amazing person,” LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “To team up with Triumph Over Kid Cancer makes this event special and gives players a chance to give back and help James’ cause.”

Last year, Austin’s Andrew Tan captured the Boys 15-18 Division after carding rounds of 68-68. His impressive 36-hole total of 6-under-par 136 was five shots clear of the field. Tan will look to defend his title this year and capture his first LJT victory of the season.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Meagan Winans of Richardson claimed her first LJT title with rounds of 73-67, while Andrew Petruzelli of Dallas won the Boys 14 & Under Division.

The LJT season has only one tournament remaining to earn points toward the race for Player of the Year. As the season comes to end, players are jockeying for the final few spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Jackie Burke Cup will consist of the top-12 players from North and South Texas. The teams will be made up of eight players from the Boys 15-18 Division, two players from the Girls 12-18 Division and two from the Boys 14 & Under Division. The teams will be based on the final Player of the Year Points Standings. Matthew Comegys of Plano leads the Boys 15-18, while Lauren Nguyen of Katy leads the Girls 12-18 and Trenton Mierl of Austin leads the Boys 14 & Under standings.

For more information at the James A. Ragan Memorial at Corpus Christi Country Club, click here. To learn more about the Triumph Over Kids Cancer Foundation, click here.