Around the Green

The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

Jackie Burke Cup Set for Nov. 14-15

HOCKLEY – The state’s top 24 junior golfers from North and South Texas will gather at The Clubs at Houston Oaks for the 16th Annual Jackie Burke Cup from Nov. 14-15.

“The Legends Junior Tour is very fortunate to be able to bring the Jackie Burke Cup to The Clubs at Houston Oaks,” LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “This is one of the most incredible properties in the state and the top-rated course will pose a great challenge to our teams this year.”

The new Chet Williams-designed golf course, which in 2020 was ranked by the Dallas Morning News as the second-best course in Texas, will welcome the Legends Junior Tour for the first time. After a 17-month reimaging and overhaul of the existing property, the modern-day Houston Oaks course was unveiled in 2017. Williams’ stunning 7,007-yard, par-71 layout if framed by groves of oak trees, natural water features and vast native areas.

“The Clubs at Houston Oaks is proud to be the host venue for the Jackie Burke Cup in 2020,” Head Golf Professional Nick Holligan said. “The Jackie Burke Cup is not only the best of junior golf in Texas, it also allows funds to be raised for fantastic causes. I’m sure the smooth fast greens, pure fairways and challenging bunkers will be a delight for the competitors to show off their vast array of skills. Texas has so many fantastic golf courses, and we could not be happier to be the chosen venue for the premier tournament on the junior calendar.”

First conducted in 2005, the season-ending Jackie Burke Cup is by invitation-only and features the top 12 players from North Texas squaring off against their counterparts from South Texas in a Ryder Cup-style competition. Each team consists of eight players from the Boys 15-18 Division, two from the Girls 12-18 Division and two from the Boys 14 & Under Division.

The teams will face off in four-ball, foursome and singles matches over the two days. Matches are worth two points and a tied match is split: one point for each team. The matches start with six four-ball matches Saturday morning followed by six foursome matches in the afternoon. On Sunday, players are selected for 12 singles matches, leaving 48 possible points to be earned throughout the weekend. The North Team will need 24 points to retain the cup, while the South Team will need 25 points to win the cup.

Players earned their way onto their respective teams by accumulating points throughout the year in designated LJT and Texas Junior Golf Alliance tournaments. North and South regions are defined as either being above or below the 31’ parallel (Salado, Texas).

“Both teams always feature the players that played the best all year on the Legends Junior Tour and it’s a fun event to sit back and watch from an administration standpoint,” Porter said. “These players have consistently finished toward the top all season. Now, they get a chance to compete with each other in a team event and have some fun to finish off another great LJT season.”

The North Team has won the last six Jackie Burke Cup matches and leads the overall series 8-7. Leading the North in 2020 is Plano’s Matthew Comegys, who earned Player of the Year honors in the Boys 15-18 Division. Connor Adams of Dallas, Trevor Algya of Highland Village, Ben Delarosa of Dallas, Gage Doyle of Colleyville, Ethan Fang of Plano, Matthew Foster of Dallas and Davis Ovard of Frisco round out the older boys competing for the North Team. North Texas will also be represented by Savannah Barber of Fort Worth and Sophie Beidiger of Dallas. Plano’s Rhett O’Rear, the Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year, and Brooks Simmons of Dallas will round out this year’s North Team.

The South Team, which looks to win its first Jackie Burke Cup since 2013, will consist of Austin’s Sam Dossey, who finished second in the Boys 15-18 Player of the Year Standings, Spring’s Andrew and Matthew Spaulding, Houston’s Preston Rouse, Austin’s Andrew Tan, Trevor Mierl and Keaton Vo. Following the players from Boys 15-18 Division, the South will be represented by San Antonio’s Julia Vollmer, who finished second in the Girls 12-18 Player of the Year Standings, and Grace Jin of San Antonio. Daniel Zou of The Woodlands and Trenton Mierl of Austin will represent the South from the Boys 14 & Under Division.

At the 2019 Jackie Burke Cup, hosted by Wichita Falls Country Club in Tyler, the North Team claimed their eighth overall victory and sixth straight win over the South Team 34-14.

For more information on the 16th Jackie Burke Cup, click here.

NORTH TEAM:

Name

City

Age

Top Finishes

Connor Adams

Dallas

Boys 15-18
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – 3rd
  • Bluebonnet Championship – T5
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 3

Trevor Algya

Highland Village

Boys 15-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Ahead Bagpipe Open – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 2nd
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Challenge at The Tribute – T7
    • Starts: 9 | Top-10s: 4

Matthew Comegys

Plano

Boys 15-18
  • North Texas Classic – Champion
  • Bluebonnet Championship – Champion
  • Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship – 3rd
    • Starts: 6 | Top 10s: 5

Ben Delarosa

Dallas

Boys 15-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Spring Finale – 2nd
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T7
  • Bluebonnet Championship – T7
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 6

Gage Doyle

Colleyville

Boys 15-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Azalea Trail Junior Classic – 3rd
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Srixon / Cleveland Golf Cowboys Classic – T4
  • Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic – T18
    • Starts: 12 | Top-10s: 7

Ethan Fang

Plano

Boys 15-18
  • Winter Classic – Champion
  • Texas Cup Invitational – T2
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – T28
    • Starts: 3 | Top-10s: 2

Matthew Foster

Dallas

Boys 15-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour October Open – Champion
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Round-Up at Rockwall – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – T10
    • Starts: 11 | Top-10s: 7

Davis Ovard

Frisco

Boys 15-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour North Texas Junior Showcase – 2nd
  • Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship – T4
  • James A. Ragan Memorial: 5th
    • Starts: 13 | Top-10s: 4

Savannah Barber

Fort Worth

Girls 12-18
  • NTPGA All-American Tour Spring Finale – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 6th
  • Texas Girls’ Invitational – T12
    • Starts: 8 | Top-10s: 5

Sophie Biediger

Dallas

Girls 12-18
  • Bluebonnet Championship – 2nd
  • NTPGA All-American Girls Series #6 – T3
  • Collegiate Preview – T4
    • Starts: 12 | Top-10s: 6

Rhett O’Rear

Plano

Boys 14 & Under
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – Champion
  • Bluebonnet Championship – 2nd
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 9

Brooks Simmons

Dallas

Boys 14 & Under
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur (Boys 14 & Under) – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – T3
  • Winter Classic – 4th
    • Starts: 8 | Top-10s: 7

 

SOUTH TEAM:

Name

City

Age

Top Finishes

Sam Dossey

Austin

Boys 15-18
  • Collegiate Preview – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Mid-Summer Showcase – Champion
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 4th
    • Starts: 10 | Top-10s: 5

Trevor Mierl

Austin

Boys 15-18
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – 2nd
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Aggieland Classic – T3
  • Winter Classic – T4
    • Starts: 15 | Top-10s: 6

Preston Rouse

Houston

Boys 15-18
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Challenge – Champion
  • North Texas Classic – T4
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T7
    • Starts: 13 | Top-10s: 8

Andrew Spaulding

Spring

Boys 15-18
  • Texas Cup Invitational – T5
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – T5
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – 7
    • Starts: 5 | Top-10s: 4

Matthew Spaulding

Spring

Boys 15-18
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T2
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T2
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Summer Preview – T2
    • Starts: 6 | Top-10s: 4

Andrew Tan

Austin

Boys 15-18
  • STPGA Prestige Tour San Antonio Open – T2
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – 3rd
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – T6
    • Starts: 11 | Top-10s: 5

Keaton Vo

Austin

Boys 15-18
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – Champion
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – 6th
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur – T12
    • Starts: 3 | Top-10s: 2

Daniel Zou

The Woodlands

Boys 15-18
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Fore Challenge – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Summer Preview – T2
  • Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship – T3
    • Starts: 6 | Top-10s: 6

Grace Jin

San Antonio

Girls 12-18
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Aggieland Classic – Champion
  • STPGA Prestige Tour Shootout In The Hills – Champion
  • James A. Ragan Memorial – 8th
    • Starts: 14 | Top-10s: 10

Julia Volmer

San Antonio

Girls 12-18
  • STPGA Prestige Tour New Braunfels Showcase – Champion
  • Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational – T2
  • George Hannon Junior Invitational – T7
    • Starts: 12 | Top 10s: 8

Bowen Ballis

Shenandoah

Boys 14 & Under
  • Bluebonnet Championship – Champion
  • Flodder Financial Shootout – 2nd
  • 94th Texas Junior Amateur (Boys 14 & Under) – T2
    • Starts: 7 | Top-10s: 7

Trenton Mierl

Austin

Boys 14 & Under
  • North Texas Classic – Champion
  • Spring Preview – Champion
  • Winter Classic – Champion
    • Starts: 9 | Top-10s: 9