Burkholder, Diaz, Brindza and Lee Lead George Hannon Junior Invitational
Briefly: Finn Burkholder fired a 4-under 67 in the opening round of the George Hannon Junior Invitational leading the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke. Wyatt Brindza and Isaiah Diaz are tied for the lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division at the University of Texas Golf Club with an opening round of 3-under par 68. Eileen Lee played a solid round of bogey free golf to post a 4-under par 67 to lead the pack in the Girls Division.
The Woodland’s Finn Burkholder shot 4-under 67, on Monday at the UT Golf Club. Closing out his round on the front 9, Burkholder finished strong carding 3 of his 4 birdies on his final nine. Burkholder’s bogey-free round earned him a one-stroke lead heading into tomorrow’s final round. Burkholder, a 2026 grad, has already committed to playing his collegiate golf for the Bulldogs of Mississippi State.
Plano’s Eileen Lee stands alone as the leader of the Girls Division. Her 4-under par round of 67 consisted of 4 birdies and 14 pars that included a stretch of 3 birdies in a row from holes #12 – #14. Lee will take a 2-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round and look to add another LJT summer victory to her resume after winning the Collegiate Preview in June.
In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Del Rio’s Isaiah Diaz and Celina’s Wyatt Brindza shot matching 3-under par 68’s as they head into a showdown on the final round at UT Golf Club.
In Contention: Austin’s Kaden Frierson, fresh off his victory in the Optima International World Championship at Doral, got himself in contention for his first Legends Junior Tour win after a bogey free 3-under par 68. Two Players are tied for third place at 2-under par 69 including the 2023 George Hannon Junior Invitational champion Rhett O’Rear from Plano, along with Houston’s Grant DeLorenzo. Five players are tied for 5th place at 1-under par including College Station’s Ryan (Woojin) Lee, Dallas’s Stone Fancher, Arlington’s Matthew Lewis, Austin’s Dylan Knox and J.P. Lynch. Lynch, the 2024 LJT 14 and Under Player of the Year is looking for his first LJT win in the overall boy’s division and employed last year’s George Hannon champion Adam Villanueva as his caddie this week.
Trailing the leaders by one stroke in the Boys 14 & Under is Bryar Murphy from Prosper with an impressive 2-under par 69. Last year’s champion Austin Anderson from Gunter is in 4th place and only 2 strokes behind after an opening round of 1-under par 70.
In the Girls Division, Dallas’s Shyla Brown, a member of the United States National Development Team, fought back from an early triple bogey on the third hole to shoot 2-under par 69. Brown’s final-9 32 was spurred by a flurry of birdies on holes #11, #12, #13 and #15. Austin’s Claire Wan sits in 3rd place after an even-par 71.
Golf Course: The University of Texas Golf Club was designed by Bechtol Russell and opened in 2003. The course is set along the Colorado River and features stunning Texas Hill Country views along with a challenging par-71 layout. The course overlooks Lake Austin and borders the Balcones Natural Wildlife Preserve and has hosted the George Hannon Junior Invitational ten times now, including the last eight years. During the first round, the par 71 UT Golf Club layout played at 6904 yards for the Boys Division, 5713 yards for the Girls Division and 6267 yards for the Boys 14 and Under Division.
Weather: Temperatures started in the mid 70’s under sunny skies on Monday morning, with an afternoon high temperature in the mid 90’s and a heat index around 100 degrees. A calm north wind did not give the players much relief from the heat.
Tournament Format: The George Hannon Junior Invitational is a 36-hole stroke play event for players that have earned an exemption through the Texas Junior Golf Alliance or the Hannon Society. The 96-player field is one of the strongest in the state as they play 18 holes each day.
Player of the Year Points: 1500 points in the 2025 Player of the Year Point Race are up for grabs for the winners this week at the George Hannon Junior Invitational. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division. 2025 LJT Player of the Year Points Standings
About George Hannon: George Hannon, who was affectionately called “Coach”, coached the University of Texas golf team for 18 seasons. Coach Hannon saw his Longhorns win two National Championships in 1971 and 1972, 12 Southwest Conference Titles and three individual titles. Hannon’s Horns included Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Mark Brooks, Phil Blackmar, Brandel Chamblee, Rik Massengale and Paul Thomas.
Hannon Cup Association: The Hannon Cup Association contributes to golf scholarships, supports the Austin Junior Golf Academy and hosts the George Hannon Junior Invitational and Hannon Cup Matches. Mark Coward and Brent Buckman were instrumental in conceiving the idea and in organizing and forming the initial committee for the Hannon Cup. Support was provided by a group of individuals and businesses that became known as the Hannon Society. To date the Association has distributed more than $145,000 worth of secondary education scholarships through the Southern Texas PGA Foundation.
About Texas Mutual: Texas Mutual is the presenting sponsor of the George Hannon Junior Invitational and has been caring for hardworking Texans for more than 25 years. Taking care of people is what Texas Mutual does and that’s why they invest time, energy and resources into increasing safety, wellness and education for all Texans. Texas Mutual has been the presenting sponsor of this event for the last five years.
Texas Junior Golf Alliance: The Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The goal of the Alliance was to allow junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. Each of the three tier-two organizations (STPGA, NTPGA, HGA) conduct events that serve as qualifiers into the statewide tier-one events run by the Legends Junior Tour (LJT). This allows players to compete in local events in which they can earn spots to play in statewide tournaments.
Next Up: The Final Round of the George Hannon Junior Invitational is scheduled for Tuesday with tee times starting at 7:30 AM off the No. 1 and 10 tees. Following Tuesday’s Final Round, awards will be handed to the top five in the Boys Division and top three in the Girls and Boys 14 & Under Divisions.
For more information on the George Hannon Junior Invitational, click here. To see all the scores from UT Golf Club, click here.