Dossey, Von Hoffmann and Roberts Win George Hannon Jr Invitational
Briefly: Austin’s Sam Dossey won the Boys Division of the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual after going bogey free over 36 holes at University of Texas Golf Club. Emma Von Hoffmann of Spicewood endured a seven-hole playoff after Tuesday’s Final Round to capture her first victory with the Legends Junior Tour, while Reese Roberts of Dallas won the Boys 14 & Under Division with a crucial late birdie.
Leaders: Dossey picked up his first win of the season with the Legends Junior Tour and the second of his career after going 70-69 and winning the division by one stroke. Dossey was the only player in the division to go bogey free for both rounds and picked up his three birdies on the par-4 first, the par-4 seventh and the par-5 14th. The Austin-native picked up the win at his home course. Emma Von Hoffmann was tied with Sophie Biediger following 36 holes at 3-under 139 overall. The two went to a sudden-death playoff starting on the first hole and proceeded to match each other for six holes, before Von Hoffmann made par on the par-4 seventh. Reese Roberts completed the wire-to-wire victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division with rounds of 71-74 to get to 3-over 145 overall. After starting the day on No. 10, he was tied going into the par-3 eighth, but made a birdie on the 160-yard hole and took a one-stroke lead. He finished with a par on the par-5 ninth and picked up his second victory with the LJT in 2021.
In Contention: In the Boys Division, Eyan Edsall of Montgomery shot 3-under 68 on Tuesday to finish runner-up to Dossey. Austin’s Prayaag Oruganti finished third, while Andrew Tan and Luke D’Alise tied for fourth and Jeffrey Zatorski and Kellan McGinnis tied for sixth. Jarrett Grinnell, Tyler Blackwell and Preston Cooper tied for eighth in the division. Dallas’ Sophie Biediger finished runner-up in the Girls Division after falling short in the playoff. Tillie Claggett of The Woodlands finished third, while Maye Hang and Lindsay Lee tied for fourth. Austin Hofferkamp of The Woodlands and Nicholas Logis of Austin tied for second in the Boys 14 & Under Division, while Luke Colton finished fourth and Mitchell Maier finished fifth.
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.
Weather: Temperatures were in the high 90s again on Tuesday with the heat index reaching 105 degrees. The winds were out of the south again at 10-12 miles per hour which offered a challenge for the field.
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.
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.
Tournament History: The George Hannon Junior Invitational finished it’s 12 year on the Legends Junior Tour schedule and features past champions such as Maxwell Miller, Cole Hammer, Chandler Phillips, Tayler Termeer, Hailee Cooper, Joe and Julia Beck, Matthew Comegys, Keaton Vo, Henry Guan and Nicole Vivier. This event has been held at UT Golf Club for the last four years.
Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to Bentwater Yacht & Country Club for the Texas Girls’ Invitational, which was rescheduled after the February storm. The George Hannon Junior Invitational caps off a busy and exciting summer for the Legends Junior Tour.
For more information on the George Hannon Junior Invitational, click here. To see all the scores from UT Golf Club, click here.