Roach, Shields-Rodipe and Lynch Win at the Fall Challenge
Briefly: Gable Roach of Keller cruised in with a 69 on the final day to finish the tournament at 7-under par and secure the Boys Division of the Fall Challenge at Nutcracker Golf Club in Granbury. Conroe’s Aleah Shields-Rodipe won the Girls Division at 2-under, while J.P. Lynch from Austin won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 1-under. This was the first Legends Junior Tour win for Roach and Shields-Rodipe and Lynch’s third LJT victory in 2024
Division Winners: Gable Roach finished his final round with a strong back nine that included 3 birdies to break out of a bunched leaderboard and secure his first LJT victory. His birdie on the par 5 16th was enough to give him a 2-stroke victory. In the Girls Division, Aleah Shields-Rodipe fired a 3-under par round of 69 to finish with a 6-stroke victory. The 2029 graduate started her final round trailing the leader by 4 strokes but quickly erased that deficit with consecutive birdies on holes #13 and #14. J.P. Lynch played an up and down final round with 5 birdies, 4 bogeys and a double. His 1-over par final round was enough to hold on for a 2-stroke victory, his third of the year.
Top Finishers: In the Boys Division, Broussard Louisiana’s Noah Chauvin fired rounds of 71-68 to secure his runner up finish. Rockwall’s Lucas Latimer, Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson and Andover Kansas’s Colt Farrow tied for third place at 3-under par 141. In the Girls Division, Joshua’s Kaylee Yuan finished second with a 4-over par 148 while Katy’s Maye Huang finished up in third place at 5-over par 149. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin’s Henry Talarico shot a final round 1-under par 71 to close out his runner-up finish and McKinney’s Brayden Verret finished in third place with a 2-over total of 146.
Golf Course: Nutcracker Golf Club, located in Granbury, TX is hosting the Fall Challenge for the second time. It was designed by Lee Singletary and opened in 1992. The course was initially carved out of the Leonard Bend Pecan Orchard and still features those same Pecan trees which line its fairways. The course will play to 6805 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,495 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and 5,944 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.
Weather: Temperatures started in the lower 60s for the final round and crept up into the mid 80s. Bright sunshine and a light breeze made for perfect conditions.
Tournament Format: The Fall Challenge is a 36-hole stroke play event with players ages 12-18 that have an active membership within the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The 84-player field is split into a Boys Division, Girls Division and a Boys 14 & Under Division.
Player of the Year Points: Gable Roach, Aleah Sheilds-Rodipe and J.P. Lynch all earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division. Learn more about the LJT Player of the Year Points, click here.
Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is 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. Each of the three tier-two organizations (STPGA, NTPGA, HGA) conduct events that serve as qualifiers into the statewide tier-one events run by the Legends Junior Tour (LJT). This allows players to compete in local events in which they can earn spots to play in statewide tournaments.
What’s Next: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Corpus Christi for the James A. Ragan Memorial on Oct. 9-10. The 84-player field will take on the Lozano Golf Center as players continue to position themselves for Player of the Year and Jackie Burke Cup team places.
About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The Tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Tour has provided more than $250,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.
For more information on the Fall Challenge, click here.