Hurd, Lynch, and Portlock Win at Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic
BURNET – Austin’s Sterling Hurd cards final round 6-over par 78 to win the Boys 15-18 Division with a two-day total of two-over-par 146 and his third consecutive win in this event. Lydia Portlock of San Antonio won the Girls 12-18 Division by three shots with a two-day total of two-over-par 146. JP Lynch of Austin captured the Boys 14 & Under Division title with a two-day total of nine-over-par 153.
Champions: Hurd continued his steady play on Sunday to three-peat as champion of the Boys 15-18 Division at the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. Hurd’s stellar play over the weekend included six birdies, and a hole-in-one albatross on the par-4 seventeenth hole. His two-day total of two-over par 146 was good enough to win the division by two strokes.
Portlock played consistent golf throughout the entirety of her round, going out on the back at 2-over par and coming in at 2-over par to grind it out in tough conditions and post a final round score of 4-over par 76. Portlock’s two round total of two-over-par 146 was enough to win the division by three strokes. This was Portlock’s first LJT victory.
Austin’s JP Lynch played consistent golf throughout the weekend, battling tough conditions to find his way to first place on Sunday. His second round three-over-par 75 included three birdies. His two-day total of nine-over-par 153 was enough to win the Boys 14 & Under Division by two strokes.
In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Montgomery’s Tyler Sanford, Garland’s Garrett McMellon, and Kellen Young of Midland all tied for second with two-day totals of four-over-par 148.
In the Girls 12-18 Division, Isabel Emanuels of Austin shot a five-over-par 77 to finish second at 5-over 149 overall. Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco shot a ten-over-par 72 to finish third at eight-over-par 152 for the championship.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Cedar Park’s Hakon Hundhausen shot three-over-par 75 on the day to finish in second place with a two-day total of eleven-over-par 155. Oliver McFadden of Austin carded a nine-over-par 81 on Sunday, leaving him in third place at fourteen-over-par 158.
Weather: Temperatures for the final round at Delaware Springs Golf Course started in the low 50’s and reached the mid 60’s towards the end of play. Wind played a large factor in today’s final round with 15-25mph winds and gusts reaching upwards of 40 mph.
Course: Delaware Springs Golf Club is located in the heart of Hill Country in Burnet, TX. The course is cradled by the trees and gentle rolling hills near the Highland Lakes. Picturesque and challenging, this course played from 6,800 yards for the Boy’s Division, 6,300 for the Boy’s 14 and Under Division and 5,900 yards for the Girl’s Division.
Tournament Format: The Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions: Boys 15-18, Girls 12-18 and Boys 14 & Under. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and has AJGA Performance Stars that will be handed out to the top finishers.
Player of the Year Points: Lydia Portlock, Sterling Hurd and JP 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.
What’s Next: The LJT will host the Texas Girls’ Invitational on February 17-19 at Eagle’s Bluff Country Club. For information about the tournament, click here.
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.
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