Ahn Leads Texas Girls’ Invitational

VICTORIA – Adrienne Ahn of Dallas fired a 1-under 71 in the first round of the 14th Texas Girls’ Invitational to take the early lead at Victoria Country Club on Saturday.

Ahn rolled in five birdies en route to the only even par or better round of the day. Her birdies came on holes 4, 7, 11, 13, and 18. The 2022 LJT Girls Player of the Year has continued her stellar play from last year and will look to carry that momentum through the rest of this Championship.

“Well, I had an interesting practice round yesterday,” Ahn said. “So, today I was like let’s just try to get my shots mostly on the green and try to make pars because it’s extremely hard to putt here. Luckily, I was able to read my putts well. I had some birdies and some bogeys, but I’m still really happy with my score today.”

The Texas Girls’ Invitational is a 54-hole stroke-play event for girls and is playing as the first Major Tournament on the Legends Junior Tour Schedule. Players earned their way into the field by playing in Texas Junior Golf Alliance Events. Ahn is seeking her first major victory at the Texas Girls’ Invitational.

Trailing Ahn by three strokes is Southlake’s Chiara Brambilla after she carded a 2-over 74. Brambilla was 6-over after seven holes but battled back by going 4-under in her final eleven holes of the first round.

“I started out a little rough,” Brambilla said. “I didn’t have a good feel of the greens, but I made birdie on the eighth hole and kind of turned it around. I had some good putts on the back nine and gave myself good opportunities.”

Plano’s Summer Lee occupies third place after turning in a first round 3-over 75 on Saturday. Her round included birdies on the first and last hole at Victoria Country Club.

In a tie for fourth at 4-over is host club exemption Harper Edwards of Victoria and Pearland’s Krysta Loftin. McKinney’s Anika Singh, San Antonio’s Michelle Lee, Austin’s Breanna Hoese, and Austin’s Claire Wan all sit in a tie for sixth at 5-over.

This is the first LJT event to be played at Victoria CC. Originally built by E.L. Grunder as a nine-hole course in 1924, the current eighteen-hole layout was redesigned by Joe Finger. The course is considered one of the finest in South Texas and tips out at just under 7,000 yards.

The weather at Victoria Country Club has been cold and windy between Friday’s practice round and Saturday’s first round. Temperatures on Saturday started in the mid-30’s and got as high as 62 degrees in the middle of the afternoon. Sunday and Monday’s forecast look to be a little more favorable to the players.

Sunday’s second round will begin off the No. 1 and No. 10 tees starting at 8:00 AM. To see all the pairings, click here.

To see all the scores from the first round, click here. For more information on the Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here.