Knobler, Shield-Rodipe, McLaughlin Win at Spring Preview
Brookland, TX – Jake Knobler shot back-to-back rounds of even-par 71 to win the Spring Preview’s Boys Division at Rayburn Resort. Aleah Shields-Rodipe fired the only under-par round of the weekend in the Girls Division to claim the win. Beckett McLaughlin claimed the Boys 14 & Under division with a scorching final round.
Winners: Sugar Lands’ Jake Knobler sat three shots back of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round after an opening round 71. Rayburn Resorts narrow fairways were a test to the entire field this weekend of which Knobler said “my ability to escape helped me out, I missed a lot of fairways especially on day two, but short game around the greens and confident putting helped.” That knack for escape helped him claim the title on hole 16 when his drive sailed into the trees right of the fairway and left him with his ball so close to one of Rayburns pine trees that a shot was almost impossible. Knobler was able to connect with the clubface on a punch shot that put him just off the green to get up and down for a bogey. He finished his round with back-to-back pars on holes 17 and 18 to claim a two-stroke victory over the rest of the field. Aleah Shields-Rodipe of Conroe came into Sunday tied atop the leaderboard with Muci Guo of Bellaire. They traded the share of the lead throughout Sunday’s final round, the girls both began on hole number 10 with Shields-Rodipe making bogey on both 10 and 11 to Guo’s par and birdie. Shields-Rodipe sat three strokes back after only two holes, steady golf would right the ship as she birdied three holes after her tough opening. On hole number 9 her second shot flew the green into the penalty area and from a bad lie with the ball well below her feet she was able to get up and down after sinking an 8-foot par putt. On the back nine Shields-Rodipe and Guo both made bogey on hole 1 but Shields-Rodipe found her composure making six pars and two birdies over her final eight holes to claim the Girls Division with an overall total of even par 144. In the Boys 14 & Under division Beckett McLaughlin’s wedges and putter all caught fire. He entered the day six strokes off the lead Wyatt Brindza of Celina had built after his opening round 67. McLaughlin would match his low round of the tournament with a stellar card featuring eight birdies including a string of four straight on holes 3 through 6 as he was chasing Brindza down on their back nine. McLaughlin’s four-under-par 67 would prove to be just the score needed, as a bogey on 18 from Brindza would put him one shot back of McLaughlin after 36 holes. McLaughlin posted a Spring Preview best two-under-par-140 overall to claim the Boys 14 and Under Division.
Top Finishers: A three-way tie for second place in the Boys Division saw Drew Dickens of Sugar Land fire the lone score under par for the final round in the Boys Division after shooting a one-under 70 to put him two strokes back of Knobler for the tournament. Tripp Depoy of The Woodlands continued his solid play throughout the tournament following up his opening round 71 with a two-over 73 to also finish at 144 overall. Ryan (Woojin) Lee of College Station rounded out the tie for second place, after coming into the final round tied for first place, he was not able to recreate the play he saw Saturday opening with a bogey that would be the first of five on the day. Rounding out the top 5 in the Boys Division were Daniel Trousdale of Tomball and Isaac Diaz of Del Rio who both finished at an overall 145 for the tournament. In the Girls Division Muci Guo gave Aleah Shields-Rodipe all she could handle throughout the tournament finishing Saturday tied atop the leaderboard. Guo produced one of only two eagles in the Girls Division on the weekend when she holed out for eagle on the par-4 18th hole. Elizabeth Bellendir of Coppell rounded out the top three in the Girls Division finishing the tournament at 9-over-par 153. In the Boys 14 & Under division Wyatt Brindza of Celina saw his six-stroke lead evaporate over the course of the final round due to stellar play from Beckett McLaughlin. Brindza would finish as the only other player under par for the entire event, however, at a one-under 141. Trevor Lane of Leander finished solo third after his own stellar final round shooting a three-under 68 with only one bogey on his card.
Weather: Sunday’s weather mirrored Saturday with temperatures opening in the low to mid 60s and finishing in the after in the high 70s. A slight breeze was present throughout the final round.
Host Course: 18-hole course features 150 feet of elevation change, along with new greens, tees, bunkers, and fairways designed to challenge golfers of all skill levels. The front nine was designed in 1968 by Jay Riviere, known for contributions on the restoration of Memorial Park Golf Course, Jackrabbit Course at Champions Golf Club, and the design of Panorma Golf Club. This stretch features only one hole with water but compensates with tree lined fairways and strategically placed bunkering around the greens. The back nine was designed by world-renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, whose portfolio includes Shady Oaks Country Club, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the Olympic Club Lake Course, and West Point Golf Course. This section of the course is characterized by four dog-leg holes and a tighter layout than the front nine.
Player of the Year Points: Jake Knobler, Aleah Shields-Rodipe and Beckett McLaughlin all earned 1,000 Player of the Year Points presented by Huntington Bank. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division. For more information about the LJT Player of the Year Points, click here.
Tournament History: The Spring Preview has been played every year since its inception in 2006. Past champions of this event include William Zalatoris, Maddie Szeryk, Stratton Nolen, Brad Dalke, Nathan Weant, Brendan Redfern, Travis Vick, Julia Beck, Cole Hammer, Hailee Cooper, Kyle Hogan, Turner Hosch, Shyla Brown and Hanna Alberto.
Next Up: The Legends Junior Tour heads to historic Willow Brook Country Club, site of the 113th Texas Amateur, on March 16-18 for the Texas Cup Invitational. The Texas Cup Invitational is the first Major event for the Boys Division in 2026.
To see all the scores from the Spring Preview, click here. For more information on the LJT Spring Preview, click here.