Parmar, Talarico, Bounds Lead at Winter Classic
Lake Jackson – Shiv Parmar shot 2-under 70 in the first round of the Winter Classic, leading the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke heading into the final round at The Wilderness Golf Course. Henry Talarico holds a one-shot lead in the Boys 14 & Under Division after a 2-under 70 in the first round while Dresden Bounds is leading the girls division after an even par round of 72.
Division Leaders: Selma’s Shiv Parmar carded the low round of the day at 2-under 70. Shiv did not mind the cold weather as rolled in four birdies on the day with two on the front and two on the back. Austin’s Henry Talarico sits in solo first after finishing with 2-under 70. Talarico showed his toughness by finishing with four birdies on the day in some tough conditions. Dresden Bounds of San Antonio sits in solo first for the Girls 12-18 Division after a first round 72. Dresden had 5 birdies on the day with 4 of them on the front nine.
In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, College Station’s Raines Watson, Austin’s Yi Wen Huang and San Antonio’s Preston Hiller all are tied for second after a first round one-under 71. Bridgeport’s Brady Mann, Houston’s Turner Chiles and Magnolia’s Aiden Wright are all tied for third after a round of 72. Finishing out the top ten is Spring’s Asher Vargas, McAllen’s Ryan Avila and Mansfield’s Patrick Babb at one-over 73. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Sophia Ellestad of Houston is in the hunt after a first round 73. In third is Houston’s Syna Nijhawan with first round 75 with Tyler’s Sidney Robertson and The Woodland’s Joann Bee following tied for fourth at 76. Stephanie De Marco of Southlake sits right outside the top 5 with a first round 77 and is in sixth. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, The Woodland’s Anthony Butt sits in second place after a 72 while Edward Lehner in solo third with a first round 73. Reece Williams of Beaumont and Evan Hofferkamp of The Woodlands both are tied for fourth after finishing with four-over 76. Finishing out the 14 & Under boys division is Elijah Gerber from Montgomery in sixth and Adrian Bowers of Pearland in seventh.
Weather: Temperatures started in the high 30’s when play began and rose into the mid 40’s by the afternoon. Moderate winds made for great scoring conditions for players throughout the day.
Course: The Wilderness Golf Course, located in Lake Jackson, Texas is hosting the Winter Classic for the first time. The course was designed by Jeff Brauer and opened in 2004 and highlights the natural rolling terrain nestled in the wetlands area of Lake Jackson. The course stretches out to almost 7,000 yards for the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,500 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and close to 6,000 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.
Tournament Format: The Winter Classic is a 36-hole stroke play event for players with an active membership with the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. Players ages 12-18 are split into three different divisions. The event is ranked by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and has AJGA Performance Stars that will be handed out to the top finishers.
Player of the Year Points: 1000 points in the 2024 Player of the Year Point Race are up for grabs this weekend at the Winter Classic. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
What’s Next: The final round of the Winter Classic is set for Sunday, January 21 with tee times going off the No. 1 and 10 tees starting at 8:00 am. Pairings for Sunday are drawn according to score from the first round and can be found by clicking here.
About the LJT: The Legends Junior Tour is part of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance, which is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The Tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Tour has provided more than $300,000 to promote junior golf initiatives and exposure to the game to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity across the state.
To learn more about the Winter Classic, click here.