Louie maintains lead on moving day at 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division
BOURNE – Jamison Louie of Sugar Land maintained her lead after an up-and-down second round at the 98th Texas Junior Amateur. Louie carded an even-par 72 to hold a three-stroke advantage heading into the final round.
“Conditions were tough, but it was actually fun today,” Louie said.
Players were greeted with light rain and mist in the morning to start the second round. That didn’t faze Louie, who began her round 3-under through the first four holes.
“It was an up-and-down day,” said the Fort Bend Christian Academy junior. “I played well on the front nine, then I double-bogeyed No. 8, but we came back after that.”
Bounce back she did. Turning onto the back nine, Louie birdied the tough uphill par-3 11th to help solidify a strong second round. She will lead the pack heading into the final round, seeking her first Legends Junior Tour Major Championship title.
Chasing her is Alicia Bellendir of Coppell, who sits in solo second. Bellendir finds herself in a familiar position on the Legends Junior Tour. The Coppell junior has already claimed victories at the 2024 George Hannon Junior Invitational and the 2024 Spring Preview, along with a top-four finish at the 2024 Texas Girls’ Invitational.
“Overall, today was pretty good,” Bellendir said with a smile. “I made some mistakes, like missing a two-foot putt and hitting a couple of bad shots, but I also had three tap-in birdies.”
Her 2-under 70 in Round 2 tied for the lowest round of the day and secured her spot in the final group. Bellendir plans to keep her strategy largely the same, with minor adjustments.
“I just basically need to play how I played today without the mistakes I made,” she said.
In solo third is Faith Tufono of San Antonio, who carded a 3-over 74. Though not her best performance, the high school senior remains well within striking distance and will aim for a final-round charge.
Tied for fourth at 1-over after a 145 36-hole total are Grace Heiss of Dallas, Destiny McNeil of Castroville, and Avery Zweig of McKinney.
Other notable performances included Michelle Lee of San Antonio, who shot a second-round 2-under 70, and Anvesha Gulhane of Cedar Park, who carded a 1-under 71.
The champion of the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division will not only join a prestigious list of past winners but also earn a spot in the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club. This year’s Texas Junior Amateur is an official USGA exemption event.
The official yardage for Round 2 was 5,881 yards. Hole 8 played as the toughest hole of the day, yielding no birdies and an average score of 4.76.
Participants in the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, a partnership between the Texas Golf Association and the Southern and Northern Texas PGA Sections. This alliance provides junior golfers with top-tier competition across the state and a pathway for growth throughout their golfing careers.
The Final Round of the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division will commence at 8 a.m. off of No.1. To see results for Round 2 and view pairings for the final round, click here. To learn more about the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division, click here.