Montaner Headlines Round 1 of the 100th Texas Junior Amateur presented by Edwin Watts Golf
Federico Montaner of Spring grabbed the solo lead in the Boys Division after Round 1 of the 100th Texas Junior Amateur presented by Edwin Watts Golf Shops at Stonebriar Country Club, while the Girls Division opened with a four-way tie at the top with players deadlocked at 2-under 70.
Montaner grabbed the solo lead at the conclusion of Round 1 in the Boys Division. The class of 2028 player got off to a fighting start with a birdie-double bogey-birdie run on Nos. 2-4 on the front nine of the Dye Course before settling in, carding pars on Nos. 5 through 9. Entering the back nine is when Montaner took charge, adding three more birdies against just one bogey to come into the clubhouse with the lead. Montaner entered the event as an alternate through qualifying and is making the most of his opportunity at the biggest junior competition in Texas.
Chasing Montaner are Isaiah Diaz of Del Rio, Bryce Connor of Dallas and Mackey Beckett of Lakeway, all of whom carded a 1-under 71 in Round 1. Diaz made a strong statement playing his first Texas Junior Amateur in the Boys Division after moving up from the Boys 14 & Under Division. Connor and Beckett both carry strong momentum into the event after competing in the 27th Huntington Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.
There is a six-way tie for fifth with Ben Mountriul of Round Rock, Hayes Durham of Dallas, Tyson Embry of Highland Village, Harrison Totora of Frisco, Aadi Parmar of Selma and Jeffrey Rubenstein of Dallas all at even-par 72.
Over on the Fazio Course, where the Girls Division and Boys and Girls 14 & Under divisions competed, the action was equally compelling. Strong winds made scoring a challenge throughout the day, but that didn’t stop players from putting up impressive numbers.
In the Girls Division, a four-way tie sits atop the leaderboard between Megan Lee of Frisco, Quinn Timmerman of Boerne, Lois Lee of Flower Mound and Veronika Germain of Houston. The talented group — representing the LJT, NTPGA All-American Tour and STPGA Prestige Tour — will look to break from the bottleneck Tuesday and separate themselves from the field.
Just one stroke back in fifth is University of Illinois women’s golf commit Eileen Lee of Plano. The 2026 graduate posted a 1-under 71 in Round 1, positioning herself well for a run at the lead.
The top of the Boys 14 & Under leaderboard made light work of the 20-plus miles per hour gusts that tested the field throughout Round 1. Multi-time LJT champion and current Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year Points leader Beckett McLaughlin of Austin and Brody Tharp of Horseshoe Bay share the lead after both carded 3-under 69s — impressive rounds that signal big things ahead, not just in Round 2 but in the years to come for both players.
Rounding out the top five are Owen Layton of Prosper, Jacob Babb of Mansfield, and Theodore Lieu of Dallas who all carded a 2-under 70.
In the Girls 14 & Under Division, Jianne No of Dallas carded an even-par 72 to grab the solo lead in Round 1. No demonstrated sharp mental composure throughout the round, responding to bogeys with birdies to put herself in a strong position heading into Tuesday.
Three players sit tied for second — Claire Nguyen of Frisco, Ani Cooper of Frisco and Lily Hoang of Allen — each carding a 1-over 73 and remaining well within striking distance of the lead.
Though Tuesday marks Round 2 for the Boys and Girls divisions, the Boys and Girls 14 & Under divisions will be competing in their final round, looking to lift a division title and join an elite list of past 14 & Under champions that includes Jordan Spieth, Pierceson Coody, Jase Summy, Kaitlyn Papp and many more.
The official yardage for Round 1 on the Dye Course for the Boys Division was 6,915 yards. On the Fazio Course, the Girls Division played 5,957 yards, the Boys 14 & Under Division played 6,568 yards and the Girls 14 & Under Division played 5,471 yards.
Weather was a significant factor in scoring throughout Round 1. Players faced temperatures climbing into the high 90s, with sustained winds of 10-14 mph and gusts reaching 23-25 mph making club selection and shot-shaping a challenge from start to finish.
The Legends Junior Tour would like to thank Edwin Watts Golf Shops for serving as the presenting sponsor of the 100th Texas Junior Amateur. To learn more about Edwin Watts Golf Shops, click here.
Round 2 of the 100th Texas Junior Amateur commences July 30 at 8:00 a.m. off No. 1 on both the Dye and Fazio courses. To view results from Round 1, click here.
Edwin Watts Golf Shops presents the Final Round Coverage of the 100th Texas Junior Amateur via Championship Golf Network. The broadcast goes live at 12:30 p.m. July 1, featuring the final nine holes of both the Boys and Girls Division finals. To learn more about Championship Golf Network, click here. To find the broadcast link, click here.