Frizzell, Vesely and Mierl Win George Hannon Junior Invitational
Briefly: Henry Frizzell of Frisco wins the Boys 15-18 Division at the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual following a final round 1-under-par 70 at The University of Texas Golf Club. Kaylee Vesely of Austin cards a final round 2-under-par 70 and wins the Girls 12-18 Division, while Austin’s Trenton Mierl captures the Boys 14 & Under title.
Leaderboard:
Boys 15-18
1) Henry Frizzell Frisco 71-70 | 141
T2) Jackson Davenport Austin 74-69 | 143
T2) Jacob Sosa Austin 70-73 | 143
Girls 12-18
1) Kaylee Vesely Austin 71-69 | 140
T2) Lauren Nguyen Katy 72-69 | 141
T3) Ashley Yen Houston 70-73 | 143
T3) Meagan Winans Richardson 72-71 | 143
Boys 14 & Under
1) Trenton Mierl Austin 66-69 | 145
T2) Andrew Petruzzelli Dallas 77-70 | 147
T2) Jonathan Kim Round Rock 75-72 | 147
Golf Course: The University of Texas Golf Club was built in 2003 and designed by Becholt Russell Golf Course Design. The par-71 championship golf course stretches across the Texas Hill Country and overlooks Lake Austin. The 7,412-yard layout offers challenging shots and some of the best views in Austin. It is the home of the University of Texas Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams and has played host to the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual four times. The final round was contested at 6,912 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division; 5,812 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division and 6,301 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division.
Weather: The temperature reached 104 degrees with a light breeze around 5 mph.
Winner’s Info: Henry Frizzell of Frisco began the final round two strokes behind the 18-hole leader. The 2020 Arkansas Tech University commit birdied the par-4 first hole and par-3 second to quickly claim a share of the lead.
“I got off to a hot start,” Frizzell said. “I felt good going into today, kind of stumbled there in the middle but played pretty well overall.”
The senior at Centennial High School made a clutch birdie at the par-4 17th hole to hold a two-shot lead with one to play. He finished with a par to card a 1-under 70 and win the championship by one stroke.
“This is toward the end of my junior career,” Frizzell said. “But this is still a very big win.”
In the Girls 12-18 Division, Kaylee Vesely of Austin took care of business on her home turf. The six-time UT Golf Club Junior Club Champion birdied her final hole, the par-5 ninth, to win by one stroke.
“I’ve struggled a lot this past year,” Vesely said. “Being able to step up and play a round of golf knowing I’m under pressure and in contention and be able to birdie out and make that happen it means a lot.”
Vesely leaned on her local knowledge throughout the championship. The senior at Vandergrift High School was the only player in the Girls Division to post both rounds at even or better.
“I really just used my knowledge around the greens,” Vesely said. “They tend to be pretty tricky, so that really helped.”
Trenton Mierl of Austin struggled in the final round, but the 13-year-old eighth grader held off the field to win the Boys 14 & Under Division. He carded a bogey-free 66 in Round 1 and led by nine strokes heading into Tuesday’s round. Despite a tough day, he remained patient and finished at 3-over par overall to win by two strokes.
“It was a little rough finish but I was able to get it done,” Mierl said. “It lets me know what I can get done in these hard competitions.”
In Contention: Jackson Davenport and Jacob Sosa of Austin posted 1-over par to finish tied second in the Boys 15-18 Division. Jack Wehman of Austin, Jacob King of Boerne, Kaelen Dulany of Keller and Zachary Kingsland of Austin all tied fourth at 3-over par.
Lauren Nguyen of Katy carded a final round 2-under-par 69 and finished one shot back in the Girls 12-18 Division. Ashley Yen of Houston and Meagan Winans of Richardson finished at 1-over par and tied third. Gabbi Bentancourt of Frisco rounded out the top-5 at 2-over par.
Andrew Petruzzelli of Dallas and Jonathan Kim of Round Rock tied second at 5-over par in the Boys 14 & Under Division.
What’s Next: The Legends Junior Tour season continues with the North Texas Classic at Tangle Ridge Golf Club in Grand Prairie September 14-15. You can view the entire Legends Junior Tour calendar here.
More Info: The Legends Junior Tour extends its sincere appreciation to the staff and members of UT Golf Club, the George Hannon Society and our volunteers for their integral part in making the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual a memorable and success event. For more information on the George Hannon Junior Invitational presented by Texas Mutual, click here.