Ballotta, Hubbard, Miller, and Rodriguez lead at TJGA Invitational
Briefly: William Ballotta and Colton Hubbard card rounds of 5-under 67 to tie for the lead in the Boys Division at the 2026 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. Adrielle Miller fires a first round 4-under 68 to lead the Girls Division and Reed Rodriguez posted a round of 2-under 70 to lead the Boys 14U Division.
2026 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational Leaderboard
Southlake’s Colton Hubbard sits tied atop the Boys Division leaderboard, thanks to his opening round 67. Hubbard rolled in 7 birdies, tearing apart the New Course at White Bluff Resort. Tied with Hubbard is William Ballotta of Dallas who had a steady round carding 6 birdies to just a lone bogey. Two players, Evan Evola of Highland Village and Fort Worth’s Deacon Barnard, sit two shots back of the co-leaders after rounds of 69. Just 3 shots back and very much still in contention are Christopher Crawford, Micah Stewart, Hayden Gold, and Cullen Jerke.
McKinney’s Adrielle Miller holds a three-shot lead in the Girls Division after round one. Miller’s consistent play allowed her six birdies and only two bogeys on the day. Dallas’ Jianne No sits alone in second after a solid 1-under 71. Rounding out the Top 3 are Fair Oaks Ranches Pippa Fikes and Dallas’ Jacqueline Zhang who both handed in rounds of 1-over 73.
Atop the Boys 14U Division is Aledo’s Reed Rodriguez. Rodriguez’ round of 2-under par 70 gives him a two-shot lead heading into the final round. Granbury’s Jude Mourning is two shots back in second at even-par 72, and Houston’s Mason Hwang sits in third at 1-over par 73.
The Course: White Bluff Resort (New Course) is hosting the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational for the second time. Located in Whitney, Texas, White Bluff has hosted multiple Legends Junior Tour events over the past several years including the 97th Texas Junior Amateur. The course played to just under 6934 yards for the Boys division, 6548 yards for the Boys 14 & Under division, and 5995 for the Girl’s division.
Weather: The TJGA Invitational experienced nearly ideal scoring conditions during the opening round. Temperatures started in the upper 50s before climbing to a comfortable 80 degrees by the time players completed their rounds. A light breeze provided the only notable weather challenge throughout the day.
About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational: The Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is the final event in October on the Legends Junior Tour schedule and one of the last chance players have to earn points towards the Player of the Year Standings and earn spots on their respective Jackie Burke Cup teams. The Invitational is open to all players who have an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players earn exemptions into the field through the Alliance Partners.
The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA, and Southern Texas PGA. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. The players transition from regional events like the NTPGA and STPGA into statewide events like the LJT. The elevation of tours allows junior golfers a chance to grow their game while preparing them for the next level.
Up Next: The Final Round of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 am. Tee times will go off the No. 1 & 10 tees in the morning and the champions will be crowned once play has finished that afternoon.
For more information on the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.