Nobuta Ferry cards 65 in Final Round to win 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division
BOURNE – Honorine Nobuta Ferry of Flower Mound captured the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division title with an impressive final-round score of 65, completing a remarkable comeback. Nobuta Ferry climbed nine spots on the leaderboard in a thrilling finale.
The final round of the 98th Texas Junior Amateur lived up to its reputation as a major championship, featuring plenty of movement and a dramatic finish that came down to the final hole.
Nobuta Ferry, who began the day tied for 10th place, needed a spectacular effort to secure the title—and she delivered.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Nobuta Ferry said. “I didn’t expect this today. I think I started in 10th place, and my goal was just to finish in the top five. I didn’t check the leaderboard all day, so this feels pretty unreal.”
The 2028 high school graduate started strong, birdieing two of her first three holes. A birdie on No. 6 was followed by a bogey on No. 7, but she quickly recovered with another birdie on No. 8. Her stellar play continued on the back nine.
“If I’m being honest, I’ve doubled [bogeyed] the last hole the past two days, so my goal today was just to avoid a double bogey,” she said with a smile.
Nobuta Ferry went on to birdie five holes on the back nine while recording just one bogey. Her birdie on the challenging par-5 18th hole ultimately secured her victory.
On No. 18, a dogleg right that requires precision and strategy, Nobuta Ferry hit her tee shot just left of the fairway. Her second shot cleared a towering tree, setting her up for an aggressive approach to the green. Her third shot landed three to four feet from the hole, and she confidently drained the birdie putt, moving into the lead as the final groups finished.
With the victory, Nobuta Ferry earned an exemption into the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.
“It’s really cool,” she said about the exemption. “I haven’t been in the event since 2022, so I’m happy I don’t have to go through the qualifier.”
Faith Tufono of San Antonio finished second. The high school senior, who started the day in third place, had an up-and-down round, finishing with a 1-under 71. On the final hole, Tufono needed an eagle to force a playoff. She hit her second shot to the middle-left portion of the green, leaving a long putt for eagle that narrowly missed. She tapped in for birdie, capping an impressive tournament.
Avery Zweig of McKinney and Alicia Bellendir of Coppell tied for third place. Zweig, a Texas A&M women’s golf commit, shot an even-par 72 in the final round, while Bellendir carded a 75 to secure their top-three finishes.
Originally scheduled for July, the 98th Texas Junior Amateur was postponed due to Hurricane Beryl’s impact on The Clubs of Kingwood. The Legends Junior Tour expressed gratitude to the club for its efforts to prepare the course and looks forward to returning in the future.
The Legends Junior Tour also thanked Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort for hosting the championship, praising its staff and members for providing an exceptional venue for the event.
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.
Next for the Legends Junior Tour is the Winter Classic taking place at Dallas Athletic Club – Gold Course on January 18-19, 2025.
To see final results for the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division click here. To learn more about the 98th Texas Junior Amateur Girls 15-18 Division, click here.