An incredible follow up to the Holiday Mini Tour Classic at Grey Rock, the New Year’s Mini Classic hosted by the Texas Junior Golf Tour was a great event. Coaches from Texas Lutheran and Trinity University saw players from Texas and Mexico battle it out. The Boys 12-13 played 5,752 yards; the Boys 10-11 & Girls 12-13 played 4,939 yards; and the Boys & Girls 8-9 played 3,700 in this 36-hole nationally-ranked event.
Twenty boys and three girls teed it up for the event in cold conditions. The first day, players met with below freezing temperatures that caused an hour and forty-five minute frost delay. The mini tour players were greeted by staff from the Texas Junior Golf Tour and given some great Nike gifts that included two sleeves of premium Nike golf balls and another Nike gift of their choice, which was either a shirt or a pullover. Due to the temperatures, most players chose the pullover!!! The highlight of the first round was the 73 shot by TK Schultz in the boys 8-9 division. Noah Goodwin started things off on the right foot with a 78 in the boys 10-11 division, while Jorey Knutson took the opening round lead with an 85 in the boys 12-13 division. The girls 8-9 division was the most hotly contested event as both Hanna Liu and Cordelia Lopez each started off with opening rounds of 93. Sydney Roberts fired a 109 in the girls 12-13 division.
Day 2’s round was much better for most players. In the girls 8-9 division, Hanna Liu and Cordelia Lopez battled it out for the gold. Cordelia had the lead at the turn by three, but it was Hanna Liu taking the title with an even par back nine that included one birdie and only one bogey. Hanna had an incredible up and down for par on hole 8 that kept her momentum going into the final hole, a tremendous finish for this young lady. In the boys 8-9 division, overnight leader TK Schultz began the round with a double bogey and concluded the round with a double bogey, but the 16 holes in between he played in four under to finish at even par for the day and one over total for the tournament. Coming in second was Jake Wittschiebe who fired an impressive 78 the second round to secure his second place finish. Scott Roden came back to wrestle third place away from Andres Anzaldua. Roden fired a final round 90 to claim third. In the boys 10-11 division, young Noah Goodwin played two solid rounds of golf to take home the title. He followed up an opening round 79 with a solid 82 to win by five strokes over hard charging Lawson Klotz. Klotz fired the low round of the day in this division with an 80. Klotz birdied the par 3 8th by rolling in a downhill right to left breaking putt from about 25 feet. San Antonio’s own Christian Fanfelle claims third with a two day total of 186. In the boys 12-13 division, Jorey Knutson led Jake Budde by two after the first round, but increased his lead with a second round 80 to win the gold. Jake fired two rounds of 87 to take second place, while another San Antonian, Mauricio Cohn finished third. In the girls 12-13, Sydney Roberts shot rounds of 109-50 to win the title.
The Elite Mini Tour will be back in action January 23-24 at the Blackhorse Golf Club in Cypress. The season will conclude at the tour championship on February 13-14 at Horseshoe Bay Resort with the Mini Tour Championship on the Slick Rock Golf Course. Thanks to all the players and parents for their help this weekend at Hyatt Hill Country. Hope to see you at Blackhorse.
Boys 12-13:
1st Place: Jorey Knutson; Amarillo; 2016; 85-80-165
2nd Place: Jake Budde; Lakeway; 2015; 87-87-174
3rd Place: Mauricio Cohn; San Antonio; 2104; 96-85-181
Boys 10-11
1st Place: Noah Goodwin; Corinth; 2018; 79-82-161
2nd Place: Lawson Klotz; Austin; 2017; 86-80-166
3rd Place: Christian Fanfelle; San Antonio; 2017; 96-90-186
Boys 8-9
1st Place: T.K. Schultz; Bulverde; 2019; 73-72-145
2nd Place: Jake Wittschiebe; Fair Oaks Ranch; 2018; 83-78-161
3rd Place: Scott Roden; Dallas; 2020; 88-90-178
Girls 12-13
1st Place: Sydney Roberts; Brownwood; 2016; 109-50-159
Girls 8-9
1st Place: Hanna Liu, Austin, TX; 2019; 93-82-175
2nd Place: Cordelia Lopez; Nuevo Leon, Mexico; 2020; 93-91-184
