Stout Crowned Champion of the 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship

Dallas – Preston Stout officially claimed his wire-to-wire victory Thursday at the 22nd Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship. The Richardson J.J. Pearce High School junior finished the 54-hole championship with a 6-under-par 207 total and won by two strokes over runner-up Jase Summy from Keller.

Playing from the lead since the first round, Stout posted a 1-over 72 in the final round. Near the midway point of final 18 holes, Stout led by as many as four shots, but that advantage shrunk to two as he traversed the final two holes at historic Lakewood Country Club. Stout persevered and handled the challenges thrown his way thanks to a good attitude and strong mental game.

“There’s so many great players out here, so it took a lot out of me to stay in it,” Stout said. “I didn’t have my best stuff today, but I was able to stay in it.”

Stout got off to a strong start Thursday morning with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes. He wobbled shortly after with two front-nine bogies, but a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole allowed him to turn at 1-under for the day.

As it did for Stout in the second round, the back nine started out a little shaky. This time, Stout took a double bogey on the par-4 10th hole. He was able to get one stroke back with a birdie three holes later. Holding a three-shot lead with two holes to play, Stout bogeyed the par-5 17th hole. With his two-shot cushion, he made a routine par on his 54th hole of the tournament to clench the 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship victory.

Stout joins an elite group of winners after Thursday’s round, including three-time professional major champion Jordan Spieth who won the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship three consecutive years from 2008-10. Spieth set Lakewood’s competitive course scoring record in 2009 with a second-round score of 62.

“It feels great, a lot of great players have won this tournament,” Stout said. “It feels good to add myself to the list.”

Other past winners include Charlie Holland (2004), Cody Gribble (2007), Luke Dossey (2017) and Pierceson Coody (2018). 

These prominent names have led the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship to be considered the premier junior boys’ tournament in Texas, if not the entire southwest region of the country. With his victory, Stout earned an exemption into the 112th Texas Amateur, set for June 17-20 at Midland Country Club.

Save for two years during course renovations, Lakewood Country Club has hosted the tournament every year since its creation in 2000. Built by architect Thomas Bendelow in 1912, Lakewood has continuously supported the TGA and its efforts to support junior golfers.

In 2017, Lakewood hosted three of the TGA’s major events: the 108th Texas Amateur, U.S. Open Final Qualifying and the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship. All of these prestigious events were hosted by the club in a short, frantic three-week span.

Back in 1944, Byron Nelson won the Texas Victory Open at Lakewood Country Club. The win at Lakewood was Nelson’s catalyst that resulted in a 26-win streak over the course of two golf seasons, including his run of 11 straight wins in 1945.

The Texas Victory Open was eventually renamed the Byron Nelson Championship, which is the ninth longest-running tournament on the PGA Tour and certainly one of the most competitive and is greatly celebrated by golf fans nation-wide.

The competitors in the 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas.  

The LJT Staff extends its sincere gratitude to Lakewood, its members and staff, as well as the LJT volunteers, who all played integral roles in creating a memorable championship week.

For more on the 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, click here.

Stout Maintains Veritex Byron Nelson Junior Championship Lead

DALLAS – Preston Stout, a rising junior from J. J. Pierce High School in Richardson, closed Round 2 on Wednesday at the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship with an eagle on No. 17 and a birdie on No. 18 at Lakewood Country Club. Stout finished with a 2-under-par 69 to extend his overall lead and total score to 7-under 135 for the tournament.  

Stout took off early in the round, carding three birdies to shoot a to 3-under on his front nine. His score soared to 8-under, but Wednesday’s round wasn’t without its battles. On his back nine, Stout stumbled with four bogeys; suddenly he was 1-over par through 16 holes on his second round.

“I had a little trouble reading some of those putts early on the back nine,” Stout said of his early back-nine struggles. “I lost a couple iron shots to the right and couldn’t get up and down.”

Stout fought back, however, and answered with an eagle on 488-yard, par-5 17th hole.

“I hit a really good drive down there and had about 175 yards in,” Stout said. “I hit a cut 7-iron to about 6 feet and made the putt.”

With the momentum coming off 17, Stout then birdied the final hole at Lakewood, a 416-yard rollercoaster of a par 4. Stout said he never gave up and trusted his game.

“I just told myself to stay in it, you’re always in the golf tournament,” Stout said. “There were a lot of holes left to play. I just tried to stay in it and hit some good golf shots coming down the stretch.”

Stout said he plans to get in some more practice later today and then rest for the final round tomorrow.

“I’ll get a good night’s rest and be ready to come to play tomorrow,” Stout said.

That’s a good thing, too, because Keller’s Jase Summy is just two shots back from Stout. Summy fired a 4-under 67 in the second round to climb to 5-under 137 for the tournament.

“Nothing’s really going to change from what I did today,” Summy said regarding his final round game plan. “I just have to play smart and hit more smart shots.”

Sharing third place through two rounds of the 54-hole championship are Ben Gregg from Dallas and Plano’s Matthew Comegys. They both grinded Wednesday to finish at 4-under 138. Gregg shot 1-under 70 in the second round; Comegys came in 3-under 68.

Not far behind and tied for 5th place at 139 are Ben Delarosa from Dallas and Jack Beauchamp of Westlake.

Thirty-five players survived the championship’s 36-hole cut at 4-over 146. They’ll get going for the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship’s final round Thursday at 8 a.m. For more information, including complete scoring, click here.

J. Holland Humphries Wins Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship

DALLAS – J. Holland Humphries of Austin wins the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship after a final round of 1-under-par 70. The 2021 Southern Methodist University commit made historic Lakewood Country Club look easy carding red numbers in all three rounds. This is Humphries’ first Legends Junior Tour win which adds to his already decorated junior golf career.

“It means a lot, especially considering how many great players were in the field this year and in the past,” Humphries said.

On Thursday, he stood on the first tee box before the final round with a three-shot lead. The combination of an impressive golf game and a confident mindset made for a perfect duo. His carefree mentality never wavered from start to finish.

Coming into the par-5 ninth, Humphries was 1-under and held a four-shot lead. However, he lost his tee shot left out of bounds, followed by struggles in a greenside bunker leading to a triple bogey. Humphries closed his front nine with a 2-over 38.

“Instead of worrying about where I was the whole time I kind of believed I was going to win,” Humphries said. “It didn’t really phase me that I made a triple because I still felt like I was in the tournament the whole time.”

Humphries was unphased by his triple bogey and continued his steady play on the back nine. The 17-year-old played his final nine holes 3-under, making six pars and three birdies. His game plan was to play one shot at a time. He posted 12-under par for the tournament and claimed the title by four shots.

Nathan Petronzio of Bee Cave carded five birdies and an eagle on Thursday. The 2020 Southern Methodist University commit’s final round of 5-under 66 earned him a solo second finish at 8-under par. Petronzio adds this runner-up finish to a third finish in the 2017 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.

Austin’s Jackson Davenport, a 2020 West Virginia University commit, Cole Sherwood, a 2020 Vanderbilt commit, and 14-year-old Daniel Zou of The Woodlands finished tied third at 6-under-par 207.

Keaton Vo of Austin finished sixth at 5-under-par 208. Andrew Spaulding of Spring finished seventh at 4-under-par 209. Gaven Lane of Argyle finished eighth at 3-under-par 210. Hanseung Chang of Cedar Park finished ninth at 2-under-par 211. Jaivir Pande of Houston, Matthew Watkins of Heath, Jase Summy of Keller and Evan Vo of Austin rounded out the top ten at 1-under-par 212.

The Legends Junior Tour extends its warmest and most sincere appreciation to Veritex Bank, the staff and members of Lakewood Country Club as well as our volunteers for their integral part in making the 21^st Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship a memorable and successful event. For more information about this championship click here.

J. Holland Humphries Leads Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship

DALLAS – J. Holland Humphries came into this week with one goal: play with a carefree mindset. On Wednesday, the No. 1 ranked junior golfer in Texas displayed confidence and poise en route to a 7-under-par 64. He leads the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship at Lakewood Country Club by three strokes at 11-under with 18 holes left to play.

“I just tried to not make too much of it today,” Humphries said. “I have kind of had a carefree mindset this entire tournament and I have been working on that.”

The 2021 Southern Methodist University commit walked down the par-5 ninth at even par on the day. After just missing the putting surface in two, Humphries drained a 40-foot eagle putt from the fringe to card 2-under 34 on his opening loop.

“After the eagle, I just kind of got lost and started hitting really good shots,” said Humphries, a senior at Westlake High School.

He birdied six of his next seven holes and would go on to shoot 5-under 30 on the back nine. Humphries sits at 11-under par through 36 holes.

The overnight leader, Daniel Zou of The Woodlands, followed his opening round 7-under-par 64 with a 1-under-par 70. Though he didn’t card seven birdies and an ace in Round 2, the 14-year-old’s consistent ball striking led to another round in red figures. He is 8-under through 36 holes and just three shots back of Humphries.

“My full swing was still really good today,” Zou said. “My plan is to play like it is the first round again and forget all the scores and just focus on my game.”

Gaven Lane of Argyle was not to be forgotten this year. The defending champion fired a bogey-free 7-under-par 64 to climb nine spots up the leaderboard. Since the sixth hole of his opening round, Lane has carded 11 birdies and zero bogeys.

“I mean I hit the ball great and the times I didn’t hit the ball great I scrambled well,” Lane said. “I really just tried to stay calm. Even when I hit bad shots I tried to keep my composure and moved on, hitting the best shots I could.”

The 2023 Oklahoma State University commit is four shots off the lead and will look to become the first back-to-back winner since Jordan Spieth won three in a row between 2008-10.

“It came together and I put together a good round,” Lane said. “Hopefully, I can go low tomorrow and take it away.”

Keaton Vo of Austin is fourth at 6-under-par 136. Zach Heffernan of Fair Oaks Ranch, a 2021 Baylor University commit and 2019 Texas Junior Amateur champion, is fifth at 5-under-par 137.

Cole Sherwood of Austin, a 2020 Vanderbilt University commit, is sixth at 4-under-par 138. Nathan Petronzio of Bee Cave, a 2020 Southern Methodist University commit, is seventh at 3-under-par 139. Jackson Davenport of Austin, a 2020 West Virginia University commit, and Andrew Spaulding of Spring are tied eighth at 2-under-par 140. Dallas Hankamer of Temple, a 2021 Texas A&M University commit, rounds out the top ten at 1-under-par 141.

Following Round 2, the field was cut to the top-39 players and ties (44 players made the cut at 6-over par or better). The final round will begin Thursday at 8:00 a.m. For more information on the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, click here.

Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship Set for June 2-4

DALLAS – The Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, one of the most prestigious junior championships in the state, is set for June 2-4 at Lakewood Country Club in Dallas. Due to recent executive orders from Texas Governor Greg Abbott regarding public health and COVID-19, the Legends Junior Tour is confident and committed to hosting a safe tournament for all players, spectators, volunteers, staff and the general public.

“The Legends Junior Tour is working to ensure the safety of our players, spectators, volunteers and staff members while still maintaining the competitiveness and prestige that the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship has to offer,” LJT Tournament Director Kevin Porter said. “This will be one of the strongest tournament fields we’ve had in recent years.”

This year’s Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship will be the first competitive golf tournament managed by the LJT since early March. The LJT staff has implemented new guidelines to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved with the championship. This year’s new guidelines include but are not limited to the following:

• Caddies will NOT be permitted for the 2020 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.
• Spectators will be permitted on site for the 2020 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.
• Spectators will be required to follow social distancing guidelines outlined by the Legends Junior Tour.
• The Clubhouse at Lakewood Country Club will be OFF LIMITS to all players and spectators.
• Tee Times for all three rounds will be off the No. 1 tee and times will be spaced in 12-minute intervals.
• Players will be allowed to arrive no earlier than one hour before their tee time to begin using the practice facilities.
• Practice areas will be monitored and players will be required to follow social distancing guidelines.

“Spreading out the tee times allows us to space players and spectators throughout the day around the course,” Porter said. “Fortunately, golf is played in an expansive space and allows for minimal contact between players and staff.”

Veritex Community Bank, one of the leading financial institutions in Texas, is the title sponsor for the second consecutive year. Longtime Lakewood Country Club member and Veritex Bank CEO/President Malcolm Holland was a part of a small group that created the Byron Nelson Junior Championship in 1999. Veritex Bank is excited to be a part of this monumental tournament as competitive golf in Texas resumes in the safest way possible.

“Veritex Bank is honored to be associated with such a prestigious junior championship and getting back to competitive golf,” Holland said. “As a leader in Texas banking, we want to be a leader in getting our state back to a new normal. We are committed to serving the game, promoting junior golf and hosting a safe championship for everyone involved.”

Lakewood CC will host the championship for the 13th time since the LJT took over the event in 2006. Lakewood opened in 1912, and the golf course was designed by Scotsman, Tom Bendelow, whose prolific career included more than 400 golf courses. Texan Ralph Plummer redesigned the layout in 1947, offering subtleties and mysteries from tee to green that take time to master.  The team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore completed a facelift of Lakewood in 1995 and then again in 2014. The par-71 layout features bermuda fairways and bentgrass greens throughout the 6,750-yard course.

“I’m grateful to the Lakewood leadership for agreeing to host it,” Lakewood CC Director of Golf Gilbert Freeman said. “We have a commitment to the Legends Junior Tour and to golf to hold the event. There will be a lot of restrictions that will be new to us all, but we are committed to working with the Legends Junior Tour to keep the players and spectators safe.”

Over the years, the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship has crowned many worthy champions. Jordan Spieth was a three-time winner from 2008-10, which included setting the Lakewood course record in 2009 with a 9-under 62. Fellow University of Texas alums, Cody Gribble and Charlie Holland are also past champions of this event. Chandler Phillips won the event in 2014 and would go on to become the career tournament win leader for Texas A&M University.

Along with those players, fellow past champions include Ryan Baca (2000-01), Alex Moon (2006), Eric Durbin (2005), Vincent Martino (2011), Ryan Grider (2015), Justin Fraley (2002), Levi Valadez (2016), Luke Dossey (2017), Pierceson Coody (2018) and 2019 champion Gaven Lane.

Lane won last year after getting to 5-under 208 overall and two strokes ahead of the field. The Argyle-native made 16 birdies in three rounds, including eight in the first round, when he shot 4-under 67. Lane, a 2023 Oklahoma State University commit, etched his name on the trophy and will look to defend his title this summer.

The 84-player field will play 54 holes of stroke play competition. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the low 30 players and ties for the final round. The tournament is World Amateur Golf, Golfweek and Junior Golf Scoreboard ranked. Numerous AJGA performance stars will be handed out to the top finishers, including “Fully Exempt” status.

For more information on the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, click here.