Welcome to the Texas Junior Golf Tour - "The Road to College Golf"

There were two big tour events (along with a mini-tour event) going on this past weekend on the TJGT. The Alamo Junior Classic and the Kingwood Junior Classic made up the TJGT double-play weekend.
First up, the Alamo Junior Classic.
The Alamo Junior Classic was played January 3rd-4th 2009 at the beautiful Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas. Over 80 players players teed it up in this 36-hole nationally-ranked event. We had a fog delay on Saturday and temperatures in the low 80’s.  Sunday was cold and windy with temperatures in the mid 40’s. Once again there were college coaches in attendance. The Boys 16-18 played 6,971 yards, the Boys 12-15 played 6,424 yards, and all Girls played 5,752 yards.
The Boys 16-18 saw two playoffs… Curtis Reed won the championship with a par on the 2nd playoff hole over Polo Lopez.  Brian Smith captured third place with a victory on the 1st playoff hole.

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The Alamo Mini-Tour Shootout was played January 3rd-4th 2009 at the Hyatt Hill Country Golf Club on the Lakes-Creeks course
The Boys 12-13 played 5,752 yards, the Boys & Girls 10-11 played 4,939 yards, and the Boys & Girls 8-9 played 3,670 yards in this 36-hole nationally-ranked event. The weather on Saturday started out foggy but then turned beautiful and Sunday saw windy and cold weather.

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The TJGT Holiday Mini Tour Classic was played December 28th-30th, 2008 at the Lakeway Golf Club on the Yaupon and Live Oak course. This nationally-ranked 54-hole event had the players playing the following yardages:
Live Oak
5,728 yards – Boys 12-13
5,235 yards – Boys 11-12 & Girls 11-12
3,700 yards – Boys & Girls 8-9
Yaupon
5,400 yards – Boys 12-13
5,115 yards – Boys & Girls 11-12
3,715 yards – Boys & Girls 8-9

In the Boys 8-9:  Daniel Martinez continues to dominate the boys 8-9 division…outstanding final round 69 earns him another victory.  This was the second consecutive event that he shoots under par in the last round to come back and win. Cole Hammer gave Martinez all he could want by firing two rounds of even par golf at Live Oak.  Noah Goodwin played very consistent to finish in third place.

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The Morgan Stanley Holiday Classic was played December 28-30th, 2008 at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. The Boys 16-18 played 6,630 yards on the Barton Creek Crenshaw Course and the Boys 12-15 played 6,290 yards and all Girls played 5,602 yards on the Barton Creek Foothills Course in this 54-hole Golfweek-ranked event. 208 players from six states and Mexcio and South America teed it up in chilly temperatures in the morning that warmed up nicely throughout the day. Outside of the beautiful golf course and all of the resort amenities the highlight of the event may very well have been the College Coach Q&A that has become popular at the TJGT invitationals. Some of the schools represented were:
UT, Houston Baptist, Meridian Mississippi Community College, Stephen F. Austin, Southwestern Kansas, St. Edwards, New Mexico, Odessa Jr. College, Bowling Green, and Lubbock Christian.

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With most players being out of school for winter break, the three TJGT events played this week were played on Monday-Tuesday versus the traditional Saturday-Sunday schedule. Well, even though the players are on break Mother Nature wasn’t with two of the three events being shortened due to cold, wet weather. In spite of that college coaches were at all three events and one of the main reasons is because they like to see how players handle adverse conditions. Once again the TJGT players were up to the challenge and posted good scores despite bad weather.

The Missouri City Jr. Classic was played at Sienna Plantation December 22-23, 2008. The Boys 16-18 played 6,882 yards, the Boys 12-15 played 6,497 yards, and all Girls 12-18 played 5,791 yards in weather conditions that were miserable and bitter cold, (5 degrees from unplayable) on Monday and slightly better on Tuesday with very windy conditions but temperatures in the mid-50’s. As is the case at most TJGT events there were college coaches in attendance.

This was two days of extreme conditions, freezing one day, windy the next. Sienna Plantation was a good test for the Houston area players. Jenny Kang proved once again that she is one of the players to beat in junior golf as she cruised to a 4 shot victory over another very good player, Christina Cantu.

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The TJGT is proud to announce that the Boys winner of the TJGT Tour Championship, played February 7th-8th at the Horseshoe Bay Resort, will receive an exemption into the Western Junior Championship June 15th-19th, 2009 at the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas. This comes on the heels of the TJGT securing exemptions into the Dixie Amateur for the Boys winner and top three Girls at the Traditions Invitational.

The Western Golf Association officially founded the Western Junior Championship – the first national junior championship – in 1914. Since then, the tournament has been held annually with the exception of 1918 and 1943-45 due to the two world wars.

The Western Junior consistently has been regarded as one of the premier junior golf tournaments in the nation. Each year the tournament draws the top junior players from around the country and throughout the world. For some, it has even been a prestigious stepping stone to the PGA TOUR. Past participants who have played on the TOUR include 1977 medalist Fred Couples, 1971 medalist Jay Haas, 1967 runnerup Andy North, 1978 champion Bobby Clampett and 1988 co-medalist Phil Mickelson. Other past participants in the Western Junior who have made their marks on the TOUR include Tiger Woods, Chip Beck…

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The TJGT had a very busy weekend hosting three separate 36-hole events across the state this past weekend. Players from seven different states and Mexico were all taking part in what the TJGT had to offer.

First up is The Lodge Lumber Open which was played at River Ridge Golf Club, Sealy TX December 13-14 2008. This 36-hole nationally-ranked event had the Boys 16-18 playing approximately 6,850 yards, the boys 12-15 playing 6,400 yards, and all Girls playing right at 5,600 yards. Crazy wind on both Saturday and Sunday (gusts up to 35 mph) made even putting a treacherous task. College coaches were in attendance and players as far away as Virginia teed it up.
In the end Sealy’s own Jesse Droemer defends his home turf with a great birdie on the 36th hole to win the boys 16-18 by 1 shot. 

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The Aggieland Mini Tour Classic was played Dec 6 & 7 2008 at Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station, Texas.
The Boys 12-13 played 5,780 yards, the Boys 11-12 played 5,360 yards, and all Boys & Girls 8-9 played 4,000 yards.
Tournament notes:
Kade Keith wins in his first event with the EMT with great second round of 78.  He came back to defeat Garrett Leek by one stroke. Leek was the first round leader with a 79.  Finishing in third place was Canon Cothran, who had the best two rounds that he has played all year on the Elite Mini Tour.
In the boys 10-11 division, Hunter Glenn and Stephen Culin went head to head with Glenn winning by a stroke. 
Johnathan Vasquez earns his second Nike Jr. All-Star exemption in as many weeks by winning back-to-back events on the tour.

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Traditions at Texas A&M Invitational
Dec 6-7 2008

58 Banners lined the entrance and practice tee of the Traditions club signaling to all the caliber of golfer needed to play such a grueling, relentless golf course.  Traditions at Texas A&M definitely showed its teeth against some of the best high school talent in the country. Beautiful conditions and tricky greens gave several of the top college coaches around plenty of opportunity to observe target players under very stressful conditions.

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Two people have a conversation on a long plane trip from New York to Cairo Egypt. One is an Olympic Silver Medalist; the other is someone that will offer a truly unforgettable story that will take you, along with the medalist, to a new understanding of the origins of mental power.

From Lanny Bassham’s new book, inspired by true events and real people, Freedom Flight is an unforgettable story of survival and attainment, of becoming and accomplishment, as one man’s experiences empower another man’s future.

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