Knobler, Marquardt, and Chen Lead Flodder Financial Shootout after First Round
Briefly: Jake Knobler of Sugar Land leads the Boys Division after an opening round of 3-under par 69. Knobler round consisted of four birdies on the day and just one bogey. Knobler, already a 2026 champion on the Legends Junior Tour, is looking to add his name to a prestigious group of multi-time winners on the LJT.
Sarah Marquardt of Tomball currently holds a one-shot lead in the Girls Division. Marquardt recorded 1 birdie on the day and carded an opening round of 4-over par 76. Marquardt is seeking her first win on the Legends Junior Tour.
Ryan Chen of Houston leads the Boys 14 & Under Division at 3-under par. Chen recorded 5 birdies and an eagle on the day to help create a 4-shot lead over the rest of the field. Ryan, a member of the 2025 Jackie Burke Cup South Team, is searching for his first LJT victory.
In Contention: In the Boys Division, there are seven players within three shots of the lead. Alexander Lee of The Woodlands sits one stroke behind Knobler after a 4-birdie performance as well. Cullen Jerke of Austin, Kaleb Orshalick from Lucas, and Jack Eygnor of The Colony are all tied for third after rounds of 1-under par 71. Mingde Yan from Frisco and Hudson Rankin of Katy are tied for sixth at even par 72.
In the Girls Division, Boerne’s Julia Hansen sits in second place one shots behind Marquardt with a 5 over-par 77. Following Hansen is Gracyn Stewart of Seabrook in third at 10 -over par 82. Hansen and Stewart will look to track down Marquardt in tomorrow’s final round.
In the Boys 14 and Under Division, Shenandoah’s Pablo Mora sits in second place, four shots off the lead, after an opening round of 1-over par 73. Horseshoe Bay’s Brody Tharp and Mason Hwang of Houston follow in third place with first round 74s.
Golf Course: The Club at Falcon Point is hosting the Flodder Financial Shootout for the ninth straight year. Designed by Bruce Devlin and Robert von Hagge, the golf course features 18 championship holes forcing players to hit a variety of shots. The course is playing just over 6,600 yards in the Boys Division and almost 6400 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division. The Girls Division course played at 5,900 yards.
About the Sponsor: The Flodder Financial Group has sponsored the Flodder Financial Shootout since it’s inception in 2010. The group’s goal is to provide the most complete and accessible set of applications to help monitor and manage accounts. Kyle Flodder is the Managing Director of Client Strategies and played junior golf in Texas before going on to play collegiately at TCU. President of the group is Steven Flodder, who enjoys coming out and watching the players during the Flodder Financial Shootout.
Tournament Format: The Flodder Financial Shootout is a 36-hole stroke play event for players ages 12-19 that have a valid membership with a member of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. The tournament field features three divisions: Boys, Boys 14 & Under and Girls.
Weather: Round 1 of the Flodder Financial Shootout featured clear blue skies throughout the day with little to no wind. The players teed off this morning with temperatures in the upper 70’s and finished their rounds with temperatures in the low 90’s. The typical Houston humidity was out at 52%, making it a warm final nine holes for most players.
What’s at Stake: The top half of each division field will be awarded points towards the LJT Player of the Year Standings presented by Huntington Bank. The tournament is ranked by Golfweek and Junior Golf Scoreboard. Several future LJT Tournament Exemptions will be handed out to the top finishers in each division.
Player of the Year Points: 1000 points in the 2026 Player of the Year Point Race presented by Huntington Bank are up for grabs this weekend at the Flodder Financial Shootout. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
What’s Next: The final round of the Flodder Financial Shootout will begin at 7:30 am on Tuesday, August 4th. Players will tee off the No. 1 and No. 10 tees throughout the morning with champions being crowned upon completion of the final round.
For more information about the Flodder Financial Shootout, click here. To see all the scores from Monday’s action, click here.