Pawly, De Marco and Diaz win Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic
KERRVILLE – Matt Pawly shot even-par 72 at Riverhill Country Club to win the Boys 15-18 Division of the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic. Stephanie De Marco picked up her second win of the season in the Girls Division, while Isaiah Diaz climbed two spots to win the Boys 14 & Under Division.
Winners: Matt Pawly, of San Antonio, picked up his first victory in the Boys 15-18 Division after shooting rounds of 70-72 to get to 2-under at the windy Riverhill Country Club. The Houston Cougar commit made 11 birdies in two rounds, including making eight of those on the back nine of the course. Pawly played the final three holes in 3-under across two rounds. Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco finished five strokes ahead of the field in the Girls Division. Her two-day total of 148 consisted of four birdies, which helped her capture a second title in the division on tour this year. Del Rio’s Isaiah Diaz posted the lowest round of the event, making six birdies en route to his 4-under 68 on Sunday. That final round score sent him to the top of the leaderboard and secured a two-stroke victory in the Boys 14 & Under Division.
Top Finishers: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Stone Fancher of Dallas and Jett Leard of San Antonio finished tied for second behind Pawly. Fancher shared the lead heading into the final round but fell victim to Riverhill on Sunday. Leard matched the winner of the division with an even-par 72 in the final round to finish 1-over overall. Finishing tied for fourth was the trio of Hunter Grimes, Andre Follmer and Daniel Ferguson. In the Girls Division, Destiny McNeil finished runner-up to De Marco, while Austin’s Michaela Partridge and Spring Branch’s Sayers Allen finished in a tie for third. All four ladies earned exemptions into the Texas Girls’ Invitational with their finish this week. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Austin Anderson of Gunter finished behind Diaz at 2-over overall, while Dallas’ Grant Lobner finished third at 153 overall.
Course: Riverhill Country Club is hosting the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic for the first time in the event’s history. The par-72 layout was established in 1974 and is a Byron Nelson / Joe Finger Design located in Kerrville. The course meanders through a neighborhood with hilly terrain surrounding the greens and fairways.
Weather: Temperatures started in the high 30s on Sunday but crept upwards of 80 degrees in the afternoon. Winds were mild to start the day, around 10-15 miles per hour, but gusts upwards of 25 miles per hour blew in the afternoon.
Tournament History: The Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic was started in 2008 and established to celebrate one of the legendary Texas golfers. Demaret was a three-time Masters Champion and 31-time PGA Tour winner in his career. He competed on four Ryder Cup Teams and owns a perfect record in Ryder Cup matches. Demaret was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1983 and co-founded Champions Golf Club with life-long friend Jack Burke. Past champions of this event include Cooper Dossey, Cole Hammer, James Ragan, Annika Clark, Maddi Olson and Jack Clancy.
What’s Next: The Legends Junior Tour heads north to Sulphur Springs Country Club for the Texas Girls’ Invitational. The 78-player girls-only event will be the first Major Tournament of the LJT season in 2025. The top three Girls Division finishers at the Jimmy Demaret JC earned exemptions into the TGI tournament field.
For more information on the Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic, click 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 PGA. The tour operates as part of the Texas Golf Association and its foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the tour has provided funds to promote junior golf initiatives while conducting some of the state’s top junior championships including the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Junior Amateur and the Texas Girls’ Invitational as well as the Texas Cup Invitational.
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