An, Bandelier lead after Round 1 of the 116th Texas Amateur Presented by Hytera US
WACO – Mason An of Houston and Jaxon Bandelier of Austin came out firing on Thursday, each carding a 5-under 65 to grab a share of the lead after the opening round of the 116th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US.
Despite soggy conditions from overnight storms, the field of 144 top amateur golfers from across Texas teed it up at Ridgewood Country Club with one thing on their minds — a run at the H.L. Edwards Trophy.
An and Bandelier, both part of the morning wave, wasted no time climbing the leaderboard. Their stellar play helped them stand out from a stacked field in Round 1.
An, who started on No. 10, stayed bogey-free through his first nine and caught fire late. The Class of 2028 standout poured in three birdies and an eagle over his final five holes to storm into the lead.
“Yeah, my front nine was pretty solid — and my back nine as well,” An said. “I had a strong finish over the last couple holes and made a few putts. I left a lot out there still, but it was a solid round.”
Bandelier, a recent high school graduate and Oklahoma State commit, also opened on No. 10. After a steady front nine featuring two birdies and a bogey, he flipped the switch with a sizzling 31 on his back nine to join An atop the leaderboard.
“Yeah, today went really well,” Bandelier said. “The biggest thing was hitting every fairway besides the last hole. I didn’t putt great, but I had so many birdie looks, a few were bound to drop.”
The wet course made every shot demand precision, and both players credited mental focus as a key to their success.
“Today I was just aware of my surroundings,” An said. “Honestly, I just tried to make committed swings.”
Bandelier had a similar approach.
“Again, I think it was just about hitting fairways,” he said. “The ball was plugging, so getting it in play was huge.”
An and Bandelier hold a one-shot lead headed into Friday’s second round.
Close behind at 4-under 66 are Adam Villanueva of Austin, Michael Heidelbaugh of Dallas, Raines Watson of College Station, Ryan O’Rear of Leander, Kaelen Dulany of Keller and Toby Wilt of Fort Worth — all within striking distance heading into what’s sure to be a thrilling Moving Day.
Three players are tied for 10th after rounds of 3-under 67: Chase Williams of Odessa, Logan Vargas of Lubbock, and Tyler Sanford of Montgomery.
The most difficult hole in Round 1 was No.15 with an average score of 4.42. The shorter Par 4 that leads out to Lake Waco saw only nine birdies on the day.
All 144 players return to Ridgewood on Friday with one goal: to make the 36-hole cut and earn a shot at the title. After Round 2, the field will be trimmed to the low 54 players and ties as the chase for the H.L. Edwards Trophy heats up heading into the weekend.
Round Two of the 116th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US will commence at 7:30 AM tomorrow off of No. 1 and No.10 tee. To learn more about the 116th Texas Amateur presented by Hytera US, click here. To view results from Round One, click here.