Legends Junior Tour heads to The Bearkat Course for the 2025 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational 

The Legends Junior Tour will head to the home of Sam Houston State University Golf for the 2025 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational. The final tournament of October is set for Oct. 25-26 at The Bearkat Course. 

“We are looking forward to another great event at a collegiate-level course,” said Tournament Director Adam Schulte. “It’s fun to have an event at a course that’s home to a great collegiate program. We have a handful of LJT players currently competing there, and it’s a great test for the future collegiate players on the LJT right now.” 

In addition to its leading role in higher education, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville is also deeply involved in promoting the game of golf in Texas. Along with being home to the state’s only PGA Golf Management program, the university boasts one of the best and most accessible college golf courses in the region. 

In 2020, the university purchased Raven Nest Golf Club from the city of Huntsville and renamed it The Bearkat Course after the school’s mascot. Located southwest of the main campus along Interstate 45, Bearkat opened for play in 2003 and was designed by renowned architect Tripp Davis. Sitting on more than 165 acres, the par-71 course rolls across varied terrain with grassy meadows, stands of hardwoods and towering pines, and several lakes and ponds. 

Though owned and operated by SHSU, the course remains open to the public and consistently receives high marks for its quality and affordability. Much of its appeal lies in Davis’ imaginative design, which features a variety of hole shapes and a mix of wide-open tee shots and narrow corridors. Approach play is key at Bearkat, with green complexes protected by deep bunkers and closely mown runoff areas that make recovery shots a challenge. 

With four sets of tees ranging from 6,943 yards to 5,416 yards, The Bearkat Course provides an enjoyable experience for players of all ages and abilities. 

Now in its seventh year, the Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational is one of the youngest tournaments on the Legends Junior Tour. The 84-player, exemption-based event will be played over 36 holes of stroke play and is divided into three divisions: Boys, Boys 14 & Under, and Girls. 

The 2025 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational will serve as the final LJT event before the Player of the Year points list determines teams for the Jackie Burke Cup and Player of the Year honors. William Mangione of Austin leads the Boys Division, Plano’s Eileen Lee tops the Girls Division, and Gunter’s Austin Anderson holds the edge in the Boys 14 & Under Division. 

At the 2024 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, held at White Bluff Resort’s New Course, Mackey Beckett of Lakeway captured the Boys Division title. Beckett, a Michigan golf commit, carded rounds of 72-70 2-under to force a playoff with Nebraska’s Coltrane Mittag, an Oklahoma golf commit. Beckett birdied the first playoff hole to secure his first LJT title and clinch his spot on the South Team for the 2024 Jackie Burke Cup. 

In the Girls Division, Lisa Zhang of Frisco earned her first LJT title with rounds of 74-76 6-over. Zhang previously finished eighth at the 2024 North Texas Classic and later represented the North Team at the Jackie Burke Cup. 

In the Boys 14 & Under Division, JP Lynch of Austin claimed the title by four strokes after rounds of 74-68, 4-under. The victory marked Lynch’s fourth win of the 2024 season and locked up the Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year title, along with his place on the South Team for the Jackie Burke Cup. 

The Texas Junior Golf Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern Texas PGA, and Southern Texas PGA. The Alliance was created to provide junior golfers with a clear path to the top tournaments in Texas. Players progress from regional events hosted by the NTPGA and STPGA to statewide competitions on the LJT, allowing them to develop their games and prepare for higher levels of competition. 

Round 1 of the 2025 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational will begin Saturday, Oct. 25. 

To learn more about the 2025 Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, click here.