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.

Victoria CC to host Texas Girls’ Invitational

ADDISON – The Texas Girls’ Invitational travels to Victoria Country Club for the first time in the 14th edition of the event. Set for Feb. 18-20, this will be the first major championship of the 2023 LJT season.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational will feature a 76-player, girls-only field. Over the past decade it has become one of the top junior events in Texas on the schedule. The inaugural playing of this event featured 12 players back in 2010, but now boasts one of the most competitive fields each year.

In 2019, the event became a 54-hole championship held in February with World Amateur Golf Ranking points up for grabs. Additionally, the tournament also offers numerous AJGA Performance Stars to the top finishers including 12 for the champion. Prior to 2019 the event was 36 holes and annually held in the fall.

This is the first LJT event to be played at Victoria CC. Originally built by E.L. Grunder as a nine-hole course in 1924, the current eighteen-hole layout was redesigned by Joe Finger. The course is considered one of the finest in South Texas and tips out at just under 7,000 yards.

“We are very excited to host the Texas Girls’ Invitational at Victoria Country Club for the first time as we welcome many of the best girls in the state,” Tournament Coordinator Katie O’Connell said. “The field for this event continues to get stronger each year. We are excited to crown our first major champion of the year.”

Austin’s Farah O’Keefe won by an impressive seven strokes last year at the Texas Girls’ Invitational by finishing two-under par. A field of rising stars and previous LJT winners will take on the Victoria CC this year and look to etch their name on the Nez Muhleman trophy.

The ’Nez Muhleman trophy is named after Inez “’Nez” Muhleman of Houston. She was long known for her dedication to junior golf.

Past champions of this girls-only championship include Kaci McCartan, Lakareber Abe, Maddie McCrary, Vanessa Ha, Jaravee Boonchant, Anne Chen, Makenzie Niblett, Hailey Jones, and Tillie Claggett.

This is the first Major Championship for the girls of the 2023 LJT season. For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, please click here.

Austin’s Farah O’Keefe Wins 12th Texas Girls’ Invitational

MONTGOMERY – Farah O’Keefe fires a final round even-par 72 at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf course on Monday resulting in a resounding seven-stroke victory at LJTs 12th Texas Girls’ Invitational.

Competing in her first Texas Girls’ Invitational, the Austin-native posted rounds of 76-66-72. She started her final round with a birdie on No. 2 and remained 1-under until a bogey on the par 4 sixth hole. She finished off the front nine with a birdie and turned at 1-under overall. Her next birdie came on No. 11 followed by four straight pars extending her lead. O’Keefe made two bogeys in her final 9-holes to get to even-par after 18-holes.

O’Keefe’s win at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club highlights what has been an amazing run lately on the links for the high school junior. She made history shooting a tournament low round of 6-under 66 on Sunday. O’Keefe, who made her LPGA debut last summer at the Volunteers of America Classic after earning an exemption through the Northern Texas PGA’s VOA Classic Girls Championship. She recently claimed first place at the Alamo Shootout this past December, the last event on the 2021 LJT schedule.

Leaderboard:
1) Farah O’Keefe, Austin 76-66-72—214
2) Ashleen Kaur, Cypress 77-72-72—221
3) Maye Huang, Katy 75-75-73—223
4) Darrelyn Webster, Austin 79-74-71—224
5) Chaemin Kim, Austin 78-73-73—224

Full Leaderboard

Cypress’s Ashleen Kaur tiptoed up to the leader group throughout Monday’s final round matching O’Keefe’s even-par score of 72. Kaur made birdie on the 166-yard par 3 third hole followed by a bogey on No. 5 where she remained even-par after 9-holes. The high school junior finished the week with a total of eight birdies in 54-holes.

Katy’s Maye Huang, class of 2025, finished third overall with a 7-over 223. Huang carded a final round of 1-over 73 which consisted of back-to-back birdies in her first 5-holes on No’s. 2 and 3. A bogey on the 492-yard par 5 seventh hole brought her back to 1-under where she went head to head with Kaur. She dropped two-strokes back after a bogey on No. 10 and double bogey on No. 14 but made birdie on the par 5 fifteenth hole to pull off a third place finish.

Rounding out the top five at 8-over 224 overall are Austin-natives Darrelyn Webster and Chaemin Kim. After a scorecard playoff, Webster’s final round 1-under 71 resulted in a fourth place finish followed by Kim, who carded a final round 1-over 73.

The weather at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club consisted of overcast skies and light drizzle in the morning. In the afternoon temperatures reached the high 70s as the sun came out. The wind was a factor in today’s round with rising up to 17 miles per hours making the back nine the most challenging.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational is a 54-hole stroke play event for girls that are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is one of the top-ranked tournaments in Texas.

Next up for the Legends Junior Tour is the Spring Preview at Firewheel Golf Park’s The Bridges course in Garland. For more information about the Spring Preview, click here.

For all the scores from Monday’s action at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club, click here. To learn more about the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.

O’Keefe Fires Bogey-free 6-under 66 to Take Lead at Texas Girls’ Invitational

MONTGOMERY – Austin’s Farah O’Keefe strung together a superb bogey free round of 6-under 66, the lowest round recorded at the Texas Girls’ Invitational, and leads by three strokes heading into the final round at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club.

O’Keefe is now 2-under overall following rounds of 76-66 on the first two days. Her birdie binge on today’s round started on the sixth and seventh holes, which led to No. 8 where her tee shot on the 145-yard par 3 left no doubt that a third straight birdie was coming. Making the turn at 3-under 33, O’Keefe fired another three straight birdies on No. 13, 14 and 15. The final result: six birdies total to close out a round of 66, which ultimately put her in the lead heading into Monday’s final round.

The Austin native looks to win her first Texas Girls’ Invitational and her second win with the Legends Junior Tour.

Leaderboard:
1) Farah O’Keefe, Austin 76-66—142
2) Bella Flores, Kingwood 74-70—144
3) Dresden Bounds, San Antonio 73-74—147
4) Jenna Madden, McKinney 73-75—148
T5) Ashleen Kaur, Cypress 77-72—149
T5) Caroline Dasch, Austin 76-73—149
T5) Jasmine Do, Cypress 77-72—149

Full Leaderboard

Trailing behind O’Keefe by two strokes is Bella Flores of Kingwood. Flores’ round today consisted of three birdies and a solo bogey on the 379-yard par 4 first hole which resulted in a 2-under 70. After 36 holes, she sits in second with an even-par 144 overall.

In solo third is round one co-leader Dresden Bounds of San Antonio. Bounds posted a 2-over 74 second round score consisting of five birdies and seven bogeys. She sits five strokes back from the lead with a 36 hole total of 147.

Holding onto fourth is Jenna Madden of McKinney, who was tied with Bounds for the lead after 18 holes. Madden carded a second round of 3-over 75 which consisted of three birdies on the front nine, but ran into some trouble on the back nine.

Ashleen Kaur of Cypress, Kate Bennett of McKinney, Caroline Dasch of Austin, and Jasmine Do of Cypress round out the top five at 149 overall.

The weather at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club consisted of overcast skies with temperatures peaking at the mid-60s. The wind was a factor in today’s round with breezes steady around 7 miles per out of the south, south east.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational moved to 54 holes in 2019. The championship was contested over 36 holes the previous nine years, but the LJT wanted to add a World Amateur Golf Ranking to the event as well as offer another 54-hole event on the schedule.

The final round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational is set to begin at 8:00 am on Monday, Feb. 21. Tee times will be redrawn according to scores with the leaders teeing off last. To see all the pairings for the final round, click here.

For all the scores from Sunday’s action at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club, click here. To learn more about the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.

Bounds and Madden Tied for Lead After First Round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational

MONTGOMERY – Dresden Bounds and Jenna Madden are tied for the lead after the first round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club. Both players posted opening-round scores of 1-over par and lead by two strokes heading into Sunday’s second round.

San Antonio’s Bounds got off to a great start with birdies on No. 1 and No. 8 but made bogey double-bogey on the par-5 seventh and turned at even-par. She had an up and down back consisting of two birdies, one bogey, and double. A bogey on No. 16 put her back to 1-over par to tie with Madden heading into Sunday.

McKinney’s Madden who played with Bounds in today’s round got off to a rough start with bogies on No. 4 and No. 6 making the turn at 2-over. Madden turned things around on the back with a solo birdie on the par-5 fifteenth which put her at 1-over for the day.

Leaderboard:
T1) Dresden Bounds, San Antonio 73
T1) Jenna Madden, McKinney 73
T3) Bella Flores, Kingwood 74
T3) Kate Bennett, McKinney 74
T5) Adrienne Ahn, Dallas 75
T5) Darcy Wright, Spring 75
T5) Maye Huang, Katy 75

Full Leaderboard

Three players sit in a tie for fifth place at 3-over-par, including Dallas’s Adrienne Ahn, Spring’s Darcy Wright and Katy’s Maye Huang. Three players also sit in a tie for eighth at 4-over-par, Tomball’s Zoe Hobbs, Austin’s Farah O’Keefe and Austin’s Caroline Dasch.

Bentwater Yacht & Country Club is hosting the Texas Girls’ Invitational for the seventh time in the tournament’s 12-year history. The Weiskopf course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish and features rolling fairways and greens that seem to emerge from the thick forests of hardwood pines. The Weiskopf course features a great closing nine that is highlighted by four holes that play along the shores of Lake Conroe.

The weather at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club accommodated for today’s round with temperatures starting in the low-50s and peaking to the low-60s in the afternoon. The sunshine was out all day and winds ranged from one mph in the morning, and only reached up to three mph in the late afternoon.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational moved to 54 holes in 2019. The championship was contested over 36 holes the previous nine years, but the LJT wanted to add a World Amateur Golf Ranking to the event as well as offer another 54-hole event on the schedule.

The second round of the Texas Girls’ Invitational will start at 11:00 am on Sunday, Feb. 20. Tee times were redrawn according to scores from the first round with the leaders teeing off last. To see all the pairings for the second round, click here.

For all the scores from Saturday’s action at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club, click here. To learn more about the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.

Texas Girls’ Invitational Returns to Bentwater Yacht & Country Club

ADDISON – The Texas Girls’ Invitational returns to Bentwater Yacht & Country Club for the third year in a row and eighth time overall. The tournament is set to be played February 19-21 on the Weiskopf Course.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational, a 72-player girls-only field, has become one of the top junior events in Texas on the schedule. The inaugural playing of this event featured 12 players back in 2010, but now boasts one of the most competitive fields each year.

In 2019, the event became a 54-hole championship held in February with World Amateur Golf Ranking points up for grabs. Additionally, the tournament also offers numerous AJGA Performance Stars to the top finishers including 12 for the champion. Prior to 2019 the event was 36 holes and annually held in the fall.

Bentwater Yacht & Country Club is hosting the Texas Girls’ Invitational for the eighth time in the championship’s history. Originally built in 1993, the dedicated TGA Member Club was designed by two renowned golf course architects, Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Their efforts created broad, rolling fairways and TiffDwarf greens that wind through the signature forests of hardwood and pines along Lake Conroe.

“We are very excited to host the Texas Girls’ Invitational at Bentwater again as we welcome many of the best girls in the state,” LJT Tournament Director Andrea Daly said. “We are also excited to work with Bentwater’s new Director of Golf Dave Troyer. Dave and his staff are phenomenal and will be instrumental in making this event a success.”

Tillie Claggett of The Woodlands won by four strokes last year at the Texas Girls’ Invitational after finishing the week four-under par. A field of rising stars and previous LJT winners will take on the Weiskopf Course this year and look to etch their name on the Nez Muhleman trophy.

The ‘Nez Muhleman trophy is named after Inez “Nez” Muhleman of Houston. She was long known for her dedication to junior golf.

“The Weiskopf course has a wonderful routing that will take the players inland and along the coast of Lake Conroe,” Director of Golf Dave Troyer said. “We are excited to showcase the course to some of the states’ best junior players.”

Past champions of this girls-only championship include Kaci McCartan, Lakareber Abe, Maddie McCrary, Vanessa Ha, Jaravee Boonchant, Anne Chen, Makenzie Niblett, Hailey Jones, and Tillie Claggett. This is the first Major Championship for the girls of the 2022 LJT season.

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

Claggett Claims Texas Girls’ Invitational Victory

MONTGOMERY— Tillie Claggett won the Texas Girls’ Invitational with an overall score of 4-under 212 at Bentwater Yacht & Country Club’s Weiskopf Course on Sunday. The victory marks Claggett’s second victory with the Legends Junior Tour, but first major victory. She joins the likes of fellow champions Jaravee Boonchant, Maddie McCrary and Anne Chen as players with their names etched onto the Nez Muhleman Trophy.

The Woodlands-native was the only player under par and posted rounds of 71-68-73. She started her final round with a birdie on No. 2, but dropped a shot with a bogey on No. 9 to turn at 5-under overall. She made a birdie on the par-5 11^th and finished with bogeys on holes 15 & 16 to get to 4-under and finish with four strokes ahead of the field.

The Texas Girls’ Invitational is a 54-hole stroke play event for girls that are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The event is one of the top-ranked tournaments in Texas.

Katy’s Maelynn Kim continued to improve her level of play as the tournament progressed. Starting the day three groups ahead of Claggett, Kim carded a final round 3-under 69 to finish in second place at even par 216. Kim was the only player under par in the final round and finished strong with three birdies in the final five holes.

Austin’s Darrelyn Webster finished third in the Texas Girls’ Invitational at 1-over 217. Webster matched her second round and posted a score of even-par 72 in the final round. Ashleen Kaur of Houston finished fourth in the event at 2-over 220. Cedar Park’s Jiyu Han and San Antonio’s Grace Jin both finished tied for fifth at 3-over 219, after matching final round scores of 5-over 77.

Yvonne Chamness of Austin finished in solo seventh at 4-over 220. Chaemin Kim of Austin and Sara Tomaszewski of Mexico finished tied for eight at 5-over 221, and San Antonio’s Lindsay Lee rounded out the top ten at 6-over 222.

Bentwater Yacht & Country Club hosted the Texas Girls’ Invitational for the sixth time in the tournament’s history. The event returned to the Weiskopf Course for the second year in a row. The course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish and stretched out to 6,125 yards for the tournament.

The day started with temperatures in the mid to low 70’s and rose into the low 90’s by the end of play. The sun was shining all day and winds remain relatively calm; wavering between 6-10 mph throughout the round.

Next up for the Legends Junior Tour is the North Texas Classic at Tangle Ridge Golf Course in Grand Prairie. The North Texas Classic routinely features one of the best tournament fields on the LJT Open event schedule.

To see all scores from the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here. For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.