Dent, Taylor, and Bounds Win Winter Classic
Dallas – Grapevine’s Declan Dent captures the LJT title at the 2026 Winter Classic carding a very impressive 8-under 64. Joseph Taylor of Prosper had a tremendous round to claim the Boys 14 & Under division after a final round of one-under par 71. San Antonio’s Dresden Bounds claims the Girls 12-18 Division title with a one-over 73 in Sunday’s final round.
Division Leaders: Grapevine’s Declan Dent steals the show with an 8-under 64 to claim the title of LJT Winter Classic Champion. Dent showed dominance with five birdies and two eagles on the day. Prosper’s Joseph Taylor claimed his first LJT win after carding a one-under 71. He was on the hunt for birdies, and it ended up firing off 6 in his final round. After a final score of 73, Dresden Bounds from San Antonio took home the Girls 12-18 Division title. Bounds had an incredible birdie on her second hole, to vault her into the lead and claim her LJT title.
In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Austin’s Bennett Kuhns finishes at solo second with a 3-under 139. In third place is Southlake’s Andrea Birolini carding an even-par 72. Finishing in fourth was Maddox Mowad of Monroe, Louisiana with a score today of 75. Waxahachie’s Knox Barnard and Lakeway’s Mackey Beckett finished tied for fifth with a two-day total of 146. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Mansfield’s Jacob Babb finishes in second with a 73 in the final round. Tyler’s Reid Habermehl, Prosper’s Owen Layton, Celina’s Wyatt Brindza, and Del Rio’s Isaiah Diaz all finish for third with a two-day total of 149. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Coppell’s Elizabeth Bellendir takes a solo second carding a 71. Lantana’s Alivia Bravo, and Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco finished third with a two-day total of 151.
Weather: Temperatures for the final round at Dallas Athletic Club started in the low 40’s and climbed to 63 degrees in the afternoon. Players enjoyed these warm conditions with moderate winds.
Course: Dallas Athletic Club is hosting the Winter Classic and will be conducted on The Blue Course which was originally designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1986. Nicklaus won the 1963 PGA Championship, which was held at Dallas Athletic Club. The course plays 6,672 yards in the Boys Division, 6,174 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and close to 5900 yards in the Girls Division. DAC was the host of the 2024 U.S. Open Final Stage qualifier, held on both their Blue and Gold Courses.
Tournament Format: The Winter Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions. 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: Declan Dent, Jospeh Taylor, and Dresden Bounds 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. For more information on the LJT Player of the Year click here.
What’s Next: The LJT travels to the hill country for the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic at Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet, Texas on January 31-Febuary 1st. You can find more information on the tournament homepage 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 $300,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.
To learn more about the Winter Classic, click here.