Campbell, Tilma, and Dent lead at Spring Preview
Dallas, Texas – Eli Walker Campbell fired a 4-under par 66 in the opening round of the Spring Preview to lead the Boys 15-18 Division at the historic Cedar Crest Golf Course. Meg Tilma leads the Girls 12-18 Division at 2-over par 72, while Declan Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division with an even-par 70.
Leaders: Richmond’s Campbell had the low round of the day at Cedar Crest with a round that included 4 birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 16th. After making the turn from his first nine, 3-under par start, Campbell birdied holes #1 and #2 to take a commanding lead in the boy’s 15-18 division. Tilma, who travelled in from Wichita, Kansas to compete got off to an up and down start with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys on the first 4 holes but settled into her round by playing her last 10 holes at even par to finish with a one-stroke lead over her closest competitor. Grapevine’s Dent leads the Boys 14 & Under Division by three strokes after shooting an even par 70. He had an eventful round that included 5 birdies while playing his final 5 holes at 2-under par.
In Contention: Four players are tied for second at 1-under par 69 including Houston’s Hayden Halaska, Oklahoma City’s Ben Lathrop, Maumelle, Arkansas’ Hayden Robertson, Austin’s Trenton Mierl and Montgomery’s Brody Knolton. Mierl’s round was probably the most exiting with a sizzling finish with birdies on 4 of his last 6 holes. Dallas’s Andy Lieu, Norman, Oklahoma’s Collin Bond and Duncanville’s Daniel Ferguson are all are tied for 7th at even par. Katy’s Maye Huang sits in solo second with a 3-over par 73 helped by an impressive 3-under par back nine that included 4 birdies in a row on holes 13-16. Coppell’s Alicia Bellendir sits alone in third place, 2 shots behind the leader. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Davis Green of Tyler, Anthony Butt of The Woodland’s and Austin’s Dylan Knox sit in a tie for second at 3-over par.
Weather: The morning started off chilly temperatures in the high 40’s with calm winds. As the sun came out, temperatures crept up to 77 degrees in the afternoon with calm winds throughout the day.
Host Course: Cedar Crest Golf Course is located in South Dallas and opened in 1919. The former Country Club that turned public in 1946 was designed by A.W. Tillinghast who also is the creator behind courses such as Brook Hollow GC, Dallas CC, Lakewood CC, Colonial CC, and Oak Hills CC. The course hosted the 1927 PGA Championship won by 11-time major winner Walter Hagen. The course also hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 won by Macdonald Smith and the USGA Public Links Championship in 1954. The course built a clubhouse in 2001 and was eventually renovated in 2004 by D.A. Weinberg. The course is a favorite amongst Metroplex golfers.
Cedar Crest Golf Course is home to the “I Am a Golfer Foundation”. Established in 2018, IAMGF’s mission is to be a “Catalyst for community renewal and transformation in South Dallas through Programming, Preservation, and Promotion”. IAMGF has engaged over 650 area youth in instructional programming, created and hosted over 90 paid internships, and awarded more than $300,000 in college and higher education scholarships. For more info on the IAMGF click here.
What’s at Stake: This is the third Open Event on the LJT schedule in 2024 and player of the year points are going to be awarded to the top half of each division. Along with points, the top finishers will get AJGA Stars and exemptions into future LJT Majors like the Bluebonnet Championship, Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship and Texas Junior Amateur. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard and Golfweek.
Next Up: Pairings for the Final Round of the Spring Preview are available and can be viewed by clicking here. Players will be teeing off of both #1 and #10 tees between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
To see all the scores from Saturday’s first round, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here
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