Depoy, Rubis, and Nijhawan Win at Lanny Wadkins JC

Briefly: The Woodland’s Tripp Depoy claims his first LJT victory with a final round 3-under par 68 finishing at 2-under par 140 for the tournament. Houston’s Syna Nijhawan made up a two-shot deficit during the final round to win her first Legends Junior Tour event with a 6-over total in the Girls Division. Zachary Rubis from Farmers Branch also won his first LJT event the Boys 14 & Under Division finishing at 4 over-par 146.
Tournament Leaderboard
Champions: Tripp Depoy entered Sunday’s final round four strokes behind the leader. His 3-under par 68 in windy conditions was enough to overcome the deficit and claim his first LJT victory by one-stroke. Depoy’s round included 7 birdies as he finished the tournament at 2-under par 140.
Houston’s Syna Nijhawan won the Girls 12-18 Division after shooting rounds of 73-75 to finish the championship at 6-over par. Nijhawan battled through the windy conditions to claim her first Legends Junior Tour victory with a slim one-shot victory.
Zachary Rubis from Farmers Branch won the Boys 14 & Under Division at 4-over 141. Rubis held a 4-shot lead going into the final few holes and survived a double bogey on his final hole to secure his first LJT victory.
Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, New Braunfel’s Vincent Porras finished runner up after shooting rounds of 73-68 to finish at 1-under par 141. Fort Worth’s Charlie Dial, the first round leader, shared third place with Keller’s Gable Roach and Arlington’s Matthew Lewis with all three players finishing at 1-over par 143. Lakeway’s Mackey Beckett finished in sixth place at 3-over par 145.
In the Girls 12-18 Division, Plano’s Eileen Lee and Dallas’s Leya Glazer finished runner up at 7-over 149. Lee’s even par round was the lowest round of the tournament in the Girl’s Division while Glazer fought hard to maintain her first round lead. The Woodland’s Makenzie Minshew finished in solo 4th with a 36-hole total of 11-over 153.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Roanoke’s Tyce Fossum and Veer Dev of Lucas finished in second place, only two-strokes behind the leader. Frisco’s Oliver Decker, Gunter’s Austin Anderson and Cedar Park’s Hakon Hundhausen tied for fourth place at 8-over par 150.
Golf Course: Opened in 1951, Golf Club of Texas A&M serves as the university’s campus course. Designed by Ralph Plummer, known for his work at Colonial Country Club, Champions Golf Club, and Dallas Athletic Club, the course has been a fixture in College Station for over 60 years. A comprehensive renovation by Texas A&M alum Jeff Blume in 2013 enhanced the course, which now spans just over 7,000 yards and poses challenges for even elite golfers.
Weather: Temperatures began in the low 60’s under a partly cloudy sky and a 10 mph wind. The high reached 80 degrees in the afternoon as the winds freshened up to 15 mph with gusts in the 25-mph range which really challenged the competitors.
Tournament Format: The Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship is a 36-hole stroke play event for players aged 12-18 years old. Membership with a Texas Junior Golf Alliance Partner is required to play in Legends Junior Tour events.
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.
Player of the Year Points: Tripp Depoy, Syna Nijhawan and Zachary Rubis all earned 1000 points in the 2024 Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour will head to Olmos Basin Golf Course on December 7-8 for the Alamo Shootout.
For more information on the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship, click here. To see all the scores from The Golf Club at Texas A&M, click here.