Mierl, Sanford tied for the lead at the Texas Cup Invitational

Tyler Sanford of Montgomery and Trenton Mierl of Austin share the lead after the First Round at the 2024 Texas Cup Invitational. Both players fired off a 3-under 68 to propel themselves to the top of the leaderboard at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club which is hosting the Texas Cup Invitational for the first time.

“I’m feeling good. My game felt sharp out there today,” shared Sanford. “I didn’t have any big mistakes out there, so it was a smooth round.” Sanford started his round with back-to-back birdies that helped set him up for a great round. After making a bogey on hole No. 7, he went on to score two more birdies on the back nine to stay at the top of the leaderboard. “I can take advantage of the par fives and get my driver out and go for it. I played the par threes well too which was an advantage for me.”

Mierl came into the Texas Cup right off his win at the 2024 Spring Preview Championship at Cedar Crest Golf Course. “It was a slow start out there,” shared the high school senior who started on No. 10 today. “I took it one shot at a time.” Mierl made five birdies on his back nine today including three straights to complete the round. “I got hot at the end especially after I chipped in on nine. I put myself in good positions and took advantage when I could.”

Tied for second are San Antonio’s Cameron Villarreal, Montgomery’s J.J. Worrell, and Round Rock’s Cole MacMillan after a two-under 69 for the First Round. “The course is nice, and the greens are rolling well. The par threes played long today but there were also some par fours that you can get after,” shared Worrell. “I got to stay feeling good and work on my tee shots tomorrow morning on the range. I need to keep the shots straighter and not have as many wayward shots.”

In a tight group tied for fifth are Charlie Dial of Fort Worth, Preston Hiller of San Antonio, Mitchell Maier of Richmond, Shiv Parmar of Selma, and Dylan Villarreal of McAllen after a First Round 1-under 70.

Colder weather welcomed the players in the morning with temperatures in the low 50’s. By the time all players made the turn, temperatures rose into the mid-to-high 60’s with a light breeze that made for a great day for golf.

Hole 13 played the toughest on the course today with an average score of 3.66. The 208-yard Par 3 sits in the pine trees where a crosswind from the south plays a major factor in landing on the green with a bunker on each side.

Official yardage for the First Round was 6,790 yards.

The Texas Cup Invitational, the first of the two boys-only majors on the LJT annual schedule, is the LJT boy’s first 54-hole event of the year.

The Second Round of the Texas Cup Invitational is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12 with tee times beginning at 8:30 AM. To see pairings, click here.

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

Mierl, Bellendir, Dent Win at Spring Preview

Dallas, Texas – Trenton Mierl claims the Spring Preview’s Boys 15-18 Division title with late round theatrics. Alicia Bellendir overcomes a two-shot deficit to win the Girls 12-18 Division and Declan Dent goes wire to wire to win the Boys 14 & Under Division.

Winners: Austin’s Trenton Mierl emerged victorious from a crowded leaderboard in the Boys 15-18 Division. Mierl started the final round three shots off the lead, but stayed within striking distance entering the back nine. After playing the first 15 holes 3-over par, Mierl holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 16^th and rolled in a clutch birdie putt on the par-4 18^th to record an even-par 70 and finish at 1-under par 139 for the championship. This is Mierl’s first LJT victory in the Boys 15-18 Division. Playing in the final group, Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir began the final round two shots off the division lead. Bellendir recorded birdies on the par-5 14^th, par-4 18^th, and par-4 4^th enroute to a final round score of 4-over par 74. Bellendir finished the championship at 8-over par 148 after posting consecutive rounds of 74. This is Bellendir’s first victory with the LJT. Grapevine’s Declan Dent slept on a three shot lead after recording a first round 70, but completed the wire to wire victory after posting 1-over par 71 in the final round. Dent recorded five birdies in his final round, including three in a row between holes 14-16.

Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson finished runner up at even-par 144 after recording a pair of even-par 70’s for the championship. Overnight leader Eli Walker Campbell finished third at 1-over par 141 after a final round 75. Rockwall’s Lucas Latimer recorded the low round of the day, 1-under 69, to move up into fourth place at 2-over 142. Wylie’s Jacob Lewallen, Norman’s Collin Bond, Dallas’s Andy Lieu, and Oklahoma City’s Ben Lathrop all finished tied for fifth at 4-over par 144. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco claims the runner-up title at 10-over 150, after a final round score of 1-over par 71. McKinney’s Kenzi Cho and Katy’s Maye Huang finished tied for third at 11-over par 151. McKinney’s Daniela Sitompul and Wichita’s Meg Tilma rounded out the top five tied for fifth at 12-over 152. In the Boys 14U Division, The Woodlands’ Anthony Butt finished in second, three shots off the pace at 4-over 144. Edmond’s Ainslie Stanford III and Tyler’s Davis Green finished tied for third at 8-over par 148. Flower Mound’s Nathan Lee rounded out the top five at 9-over par 149.

Weather: Sunday’s weather started with temperatures in the upper 50’s and rose throughout the day topping out at 80 degrees.  A challenging south wind blew all day long at 15-20 mph with 30 mph gusts adding another layer of difficulty.

Host Course: Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a clubhouse in 2001 and was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course is a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.  

Cedar Crest Golf Course is home to the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 area youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

Tournament History: The Spring Preview has been played every year since its inception in 2006. Past champions of this event include William Zalatoris, Maddie Szeryk, Stratton Nolen, Brad Dalke, Nathan Weant, Brendan Redfern, Travis Vick, Julia Beck, Cole Hammer, Hailee Cooper, Kyle Hogan, Turner Hosch and Hanna Alberto.

Player of the Year Points: With their wins today Trenton Mierl, Alicia Bellendir, and Declan Dent all earn 1000 points toward the 2024 Player of the Year Standings.

Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Bullard on March 11-13 for the Texas Cup Invitational. Eagle’s Bluff Country Club is hosting the first Major event for the Boys in 2024, after hosting the Texas Girls’ Invitational earlier this month.

To see all the scores from the Spring Preview, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here.

Campbell, Tilma, and Dent lead at Spring Preview

Dallas, Texas – Eli Walker Campbell fired a 4-under par 66 in the opening round of the Spring Preview to lead the Boys 15-18 Division at the historic Cedar Crest Golf Course. Meg Tilma leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over par 72, while Declan Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division with an even-par 70.

Leaders: Richmond’s Campbell had the low round of the day at Cedar Crest with a round that included 4 birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 16^th.  After making the turn from his first nine, 3-under par start, Campbell birdied holes #1 and #2 to take a commanding lead in the boy’s 15-18 division. Tilma, who travelled in from Wichita, Kansas to compete got off to an up and down start with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys on the first 4 holes but settled into her round by playing her last 10 holes at even par to finish with a one-stroke lead over her closest competitor.   Grapevine’s Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by three strokes after shooting an even par 70. He had an eventful round that included 5 birdies while playing his final 5 holes at 2-under par.

In Contention: Four players are tied for second at 1-under par 69 including Houston’s Hayden Halaska, Oklahoma City’s Ben Lathrop, Maumelle, Arkansas’ Hayden Robertson, Austin’s Trenton Mierl and Montgomery’s Brody Knolton.  Mierl’s round was probably the most exiting with a sizzling finish with birdies on 4 of his last 6 holes.  Dallas’s Andy Lieu, Norman, Oklahoma’s Collin Bond and Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson are all are tied for 7^th at even par. Katy’s Maye Huang sits in solo second with a 3-over par 73 helped by an impressive 3-under par back nine that included 4 birdies in a row on holes 13-16.  Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir sits alone in third place, 2 shots behind the leader.  In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Davis Green of Tyler, Anthony Butt of The Woodland’s and Austin’s Dylan Knox sit in a tie for second at 3-over par.

Weather: The morning started off chilly temperatures in the high 40’s with calm winds. As the sun came out, temperatures crept up to 77 degrees in the afternoon with calm winds throughout the day.

Host Course: Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a clubhouse in 2001 and was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course is a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.  

Cedar Crest Golf Course is home to the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 area youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

What’s at Stake: This is the third Open Event on the LJT schedule in 2024 and player of the year points are going to be awarded to the top half of each division. Along with points, the top finishers will get AJGA Stars and exemptions into future LJT Majors like the Bluebonnet Championship, Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and Texas Junior Amateur. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek.

Next Up:  Pairings for the Final Round of the Spring Preview are available and can be viewed by clicking here. Players will be teeing off of both #1 and #10 tees between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.

To see all the scores from Saturday’s first round, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here

#LJT#

LJT Spring Preview heads to Historic Cedar Crest Golf Course Feb. 24-25

ADDISON – The Legend’s Junior Tour Spring Preview heads to Cedar Crest Golf Course on Feb 24-25 for the first time in its 19-year history.

 “We are excited to bring this popular event to a great course,” shared Tournament Coordinator Preston Vinzant. “The kids are going to play a great layout which has an incredible history. A lot of golfers know about Cedar Crest, and we can’t wait to introduce these kids to the history behind it.” 

 The Spring Preview is an 84-player field across three age groups. The high-talent field will compete over 36 holes of stroke play and add their name to a great list of winners. Previous winners of the Tournament include Will Zalatoris, Cole Hammer, Anne Chen, Hailee Cooper, Cole Sherwood, and Andrew Petruzzelli. 

 Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind Texas courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Brackenridge Park,  Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a new clubhouse in 2001 and the course was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course remains a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.

 Cedar Crest Golf Course is the creator behind the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”.  IAMGF has engaged over 650 areas of youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here. 

 In last year’s event at the Golf Club at Texas A&M, Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas won the Boys 15-18 Division with a 13-under 129. Shyla Brown of Dallas won in a playoff against Maelynn Kim of Katy in the Girls 12-18 division with an even-par 142 total. Henry Jackson of Lantana won the boys’ 14&U division with a three-over-par 145.  

 The Boys 15-18 Division winner will receive exemptions into The Texas Cup Invitational, Bluebonnet Championship, Byron Nelson Jr., Texas Junior Amateur, George Hannon Jr, and the Texas Jr. Golf Alliance. The Boys 14& Under winner will receive exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, George Hannon Jr., and TX Jr. Golf Alliance. The Girls 12-18 Division winner will receive exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, George Hannon Jr., Tx Jr. Golf Alliance, and the 16^th Texas Girls Invitational.  

Exposito Wins the 15th Texas Girls’ Invitational

BULLARD – Veronika Exposito of The Woodlands wins The 15^th Texas Girls Invitational. Exposito started the day with a two-shot lead over the rest of the field. The University of Louisville commit gets her first-ever win on the LJT and takes home the first major of the LJT season.

The 2024 grad grew her lead to 3 shots at one point throughout the round but still had the field chasing her, especially through the back nine. She never let that bother her though as she tapped in for par on the 18^th green to claim the Nez Muhleman Trophy. “It’s so awesome to have my name on that trophy. I was so glad I could push through and get the win,” shared Exposito.

“It was a fight all day long. Congrats to Claire, she fought hard and was great competition today. It was a blast,” Exposito shared. “You never know what can happen, especially on the last hole like it did today. It’s about being present.” Exposito made par on three of the four toughest holes of the final round. She had one bogey on the front nine that helped maintain the lead going into the back nine. With this victory, the senior will get exemptions into the Bluebonnet Championship, the 98^th Texas Junior Amateur and the George Hannon Junior Invitational

Finishing runner-up was Austin’s Claire Wan after a total of 14-over par for the tournament. Wan went hole for the hole with Exposito all day. On the 17^th hole, Wan hit her approach shot from 130 yards to six feet and would make par on the hole and give her a chance to win going into the final hole.

Dresden Bounds of San Antonio finished third at 15-over par. Bounds had three birdies in four holes on the front nine to finish strong on the final day. In a three-way tie for fourth were Flower Mounds’ Emile Chile, Jersey Villages Daniela Palmeros, and Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir. Chile had an incredible final 36 holes that moved her position from 43^rd to 4^th in the final 2 rounds.

Conditions lightened up on the course for the final day. After a frost delay that pushed tee times back an hour, temperatures remained in the 40’s. Afternoon temperatures reached the low 60s with wind ranging from 5-10 mph and gusts reaching 15 mph.

The Par 4 10^th hole played the hardest again today. The wind switched to a Southwest direction which challenged the players tee shot and approach shot.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational was the first of two majors for the girls this season. The 98^th Texas Junior Am is scheduled for July 29-31, 2024.

Legend Junior Tour would like to thank Eagles Bluff Country Club for being a wonderful host and providing a wonderful experience for the players, staff, and volunteers.

For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.

Exposito leads after Second Round at 15th Texas Girls’ Invitational

Bullard – Veronika Exposito of The Woodlands, fought to the top of the leaderboard after a 1-under 70 on Sunday. The Senior will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the first LJT Major of the season.

“I’m feeling good. It was a solid round overall,” shared Exposito. “Yesterday was much tougher than today and all I was thinking about was the next shot and not getting ahead of myself.”

Exposito fought all day after scoring 4 birdies to move up the leaderboard. The University of Louisville commit will seek her first-ever LJT Major trophy.

“I’m not thinking about the good or bad stuff that happens,” said Exposito “I’m going to focus on my game and try to do my best and see if it gets me there.”

Austin’s Claire Wan sits in second after a second-round 2-over par 73. Wan had an up-and-down day that included two birdies to keep her in the title chase. Wan finds herself in familiar ground after she was in the Top Ten after the second round in the 14^th Texas Girls Invitational.

In a tie for third are Mansfield’s Alyssa Stewart and Los Lunas’ Rylee Salome. Salome, the first-round leader was frustrated with her play today but knows she is still in a race. “I just need to place the ball in the right spots. I need to be where if I do miss, I can still get up and down” Salome shared.

Exposito, Wan, and Stewart will be in the final group tomorrow teeing off at 9:50 a.m. off the No. 1 tee.

Conditions were calmer in the second round with temperatures in the mid-to-high 30’s by the first tee time. Wind speeds reached 5 mph with gusts around 7mph. Due to the low temperatures, the committee delayed tee times until 9 a.m. due to frost.

The toughest hole of the day was the Par 4 16^th with an average score of 5.36. The hole stretches 347 yards with a tight fairway that has a pond running down the left side and out of bounds on the right.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational, one of two majors for the girls on the LJT schedule is the first 54-hole format of the year.

The Final Round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 19^th with tee times beginning on the No. 1 and No. 10 tee at 8 a.m.

Salome leads after First Round at 15th Texas Girls’ Invitational

BULLARD – Rylee Salome, a senior from Los Lunas, NM finished with a 2-over 73 on Saturday afternoon to separate herself from the field. The first LJT Girls’ major of the year was welcomed with cold weather in the 40s and strong wind gusts.

“I felt good. It was windy and cold, but I missed in good spots, and I had a few good ups and downs that helped my round,” said Salome.

Her opening round 73, put her 4 shots ahead of the next competitor in a talent-loaded field. She does not shy away from the tough competition though. Salome won the 4A New Mexico State Championship last year after winning the NM-WT Women’s Amateur the year before at just 15 years old.

“I slow everything down and make sure to keep my tempo and when I miss, I miss in the right spots. You don’t want to miss where you can’t get up and down,” said Salome.

Chasing Salome is Junior Riya Bapna of Coppell after a first-round 5-over 76. Daniela Sitompul of McKinney is in third after a 6-over 77.  A notable group to watch today featured some familiar individuals to the LJT and Texas Golf Association. Dresden Bounds of San Antonio is currently in an eight-way tie for fourth fresh off her LJT Winter Classic win. In the same group was Sydney Givens who finished runner-up at this same course for last year’s 102^nd Women Texas Amateur.

The conditions today played the biggest factor in every player’s round today. The temperature for the first tee time was in the high 30s with a slight breeze. After all players had teed off, temperatures rose into the middle 40’s where it remained for the rest of the day. The max wind speed was 17mph with a consistent wind of around 10mph.

The par-4 18th hole was the toughest on the course today with an average score of 5.30. The hole was blowing left to right all day leaving difficult shots into the green that sits beside a pond.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational, the of two majors for the girls on the LJT schedule is the first 54-hole format of the year.

The Second Round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18^th with tee times beginning on the No. 1 and No. 10 tee at 9 A.M. due to imminent frost on the course.

For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.

The 15th Texas Girls’ Invitational set for Feb. 17-19

Addison – The 15^th Texas Girls’ Invitational heads to Eagle’s Bluff Country Club on February 17-19, for the first major championship of the 2024 Legends Junior Tour season. This event returns to East Texas for the first time since 2017.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational is an 84-player field modeled after the Byron Nelson Junior Championship and Texas Cup Invitational. The tournament quickly grew and has taken its own identity and is a favorite event among the girls on the LJT schedule. In 2019, the event changed from a 36 to 54-hole format held in February with World Amateur Golf Rankings points to play for.

The winner of this year’s tournament will have her name engraved on the Nez Muhleman Trophy.  Inez “Nez” Muhleman is known for her dedication to junior golf. Nez had gone to the annual U.S. Girls Junior Championship for 31 straight years and was awarded the USGA Joe Dey award In 2011.

This is the second LJT event that Eagle’s Bluff Country Club has hosted in the last year. The Jackie Burke Cup was staged here last November, and the Texas Cup Invitational is set to come out to Bullard next month. The golf course was designed by Carlton Gibson in 1999 and stretches 6,997 yards from the back tees. The par-71 layout is known for its beauty as the course runs through the tall pine trees of East Texas.

“We are very excited for this year’s Texas Girls’ Invitational at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club.  We have a very strong field of not only Texas players but also competitors from six other states coming in to compete for the Nez Muhleman Trophy,” shared Tournament Director Scott Davidson.

 “Eagle’s Bluff has been a great host for the Texas Golf Association and the Legend Junior Tour. The club took on our 103^rd Women’s Texas Amateur last year along with the LJT Jackie Burke Cup. They are going to host our boy’s Texas Cup Invitational in March as well. Everyone there is first class, and they truly enjoy hosting the incredible golfers we have on our tour.”

 Adrienne Ahn of Dallas won the 14^th Texas Girls’ Invitational by three strokes last year. Another impressive field of junior girls’ players with compete to have their name on that trophy this year.

 Past Champions of the championship include Farah O’Keefe, Kaci McCartan, Lakareber Abe, Maddie McCrary, Vanessa Ha, Jaravee Boonchant, Anne Chen, Mackenzie Niblett, Hailey Jones, and Tillie Claggett.

 For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, please click here.

Hurd, Lynch, and Portlock Win at Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic

BURNET – Austin’s Sterling Hurd cards final round 6-over par 78 to win the Boys 15-18 Division with a two-day total of two-over-par 146 and his third consecutive win in this event. Lydia Portlock of San Antonio won the Girls 12-18 Division by three shots with a two-day total of two-over-par 146. JP Lynch of Austin captured the Boys 14 & Under Division title with a two-day total of nine-over-par 153.

Full Leaderboard

Champions: Hurd continued his steady play on Sunday to three-peat as champion of the Boys 15-18 Division at the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. Hurd’s stellar play over the weekend included six birdies, and a hole-in-one albatross on the par-4 seventeenth hole. His two-day total of two-over par 146 was good enough to win the division by two strokes.

Portlock played consistent golf throughout the entirety of her round, going out on the back at 2-over par and coming in at 2-over par to grind it out in tough conditions and post a final round score of 4-over par 76. Portlock’s two round total of two-over-par 146 was enough to win the division by three strokes. This was Portlock’s first LJT victory.

Austin’s JP Lynch played consistent golf throughout the weekend, battling tough conditions to find his way to first place on Sunday.  His second round three-over-par 75 included three birdies. His two-day total of nine-over-par 153 was enough to win the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Montgomery’s Tyler Sanford, Garland’s Garrett McMellon, and Kellen Young of Midland all tied for second with two-day totals of four-over-par 148.

In the Girls 12-18 Division, Isabel Emanuels of Austin shot a five-over-par 77 to finish second at 5-over 149 overall. Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco shot a ten-over-par 72 to finish third at eight-over-par 152 for the championship.

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Cedar Park’s Hakon Hundhausen shot three-over-par 75 on the day to finish in second place with a two-day total of eleven-over-par 155. Oliver McFadden of Austin carded a nine-over-par 81 on Sunday, leaving him in third place at fourteen-over-par 158.

Weather: Temperatures for the final round at Delaware Springs Golf Course started in the low 50’s and reached the mid 60’s towards the end of play. Wind played a large factor in today’s final round with 15-25mph winds and gusts reaching upwards of 40 mph.

Course: Delaware Springs Golf Club is located in the heart of Hill Country in Burnet, TX. The course is cradled by the trees and gentle rolling hills near the Highland Lakes.  Picturesque and challenging, this course played from 6,800 yards for the Boy’s Division, 6,300 for the Boy’s 14 and Under Division and 5,900 yards for the Girl’s Division.

Tournament Format: The Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under.  The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and has AJGA Performance Stars that will be handed out to the top finishers.

Player of the Year Points: Lydia Portlock, Sterling Hurd and JP Lynch all earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race.  Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.

What’s Next: The LJT will host the Texas Girls’ Invitational on February 17-19 at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club.  For information about the tournament, click here.

About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The Tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Tour has provided more than $250,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.

#TGA#

Funkhouser, De Marco, Portlock, and Lehner Lead Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic

Burnet – College Station’s Jackson Funkhouser leads the Boys 15-18 Division following the first round of the 2024 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. He carded an impressive 6-under-par 66. Stephanie De Marco of Southlake and Lydia Portlock of San Antonio both posted rounds of 2-under-par 70 and lead the Girls 12-18 Division. Edward Lehner of Dallas leads the Boys 14 & Under Division following an opening 2-over-par 74.

Full Leaderboard

Division Leaders: Funkhouser was the definition of consistency en route to his first-round lead of the Boys 15-18 Division. He carded a bogey-free round with six birdies, including two on par-3’s. Funkhouser, who is looking to build momentum going into his final LJT season, leads his division by two strokes with 18 holes left to play. In the Girls 12-18 Division, De Marco battled her way to the top of the field. She carded five birdies and three bogeys to put herself in contention. Portlock played consistent golf throughout the round, carding one birdie per nine to put herself in a tie for the lead with De Marco at 2-under-par. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Lehner carded two birdies in his first round to jump out to a commanding three-stroke lead headed into Sunday’s final round.

In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Austin’s Sterling Hurd and posted a 4-under-par 68. He sits one shot off the lead thanks to five opening round birdies and a hole in one albatross on the par-4 seventeenth hole from 297 yards out. San Antonio’s Preston Hiller also sits one shot off the lead carding a 4-under-par 68, consisting of six birdies and two bogeys. In the Girls 12-18 Division, there is a two-player tie for second place. Austin’s Isabel Emanuels and Mansfield’s Lauren Madson both sit two strokes off the lead following first round scores of even-par 72. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Oliver McFadden of Austin sits three strokes off the lead in second place. His opening round 5-over-par 77 included just one birdie. There is a three-player tie for third place in the division after Kerrville’s Braxton Simpson, Austin’s JP Lynch, and Evan Hofferkamp of The Woodlands all carded 6-over-par 78’s.

Course: Delaware Springs Golf Club is located in the heart of Hill Country in Burnet, TX. The course is cradled by the trees and gentle rolling hills near the Highland Lakes.  Picturesque and challenging, this course played from 6,800 yards for the Boys Division, 6,300 for the Boy’s 14 and Under Division and 5,900 yards for the Girl’s Division.

Weather: Moderate rain showers rolled through overnight which brought cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 50’s for the duration of the morning.  Afternoon temperatures brought slightly warmer weather with sunshine, partly cloudy skies, and highs in the mid 60’s. Winds ranged from 5 to 15 miles per hour throughout the round.

Tournament Format: The Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under.  The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and has AJGA Performance Stars that will be handed out to the top finishers.

What’s Next: The Final Round of the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic is scheduled for Sunday, February 4th with tee times going off the No. 1 and 10 tees. To see pairings for the final round, click here.

For more information on the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic, click here.

About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern PGA and Houston Golf Association. The tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the tour has provided funds to promote junior golf initiatives while conducting some of the state’s top junior championships including the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Junior Amateur and the Texas Girls’ Invitational as well as the Texas Cup Invitational.