Rising Stars Take Center Stage at the 17th Texas Girls’ Invitational
The Legends Junior Tour will open its 2026 major championship season with the 17th Texas Girls’ Invitational, set for Feb. 14–16 at Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Apple Rock Course.
“We’re excited to get the first major championship of the year underway,” said Legends Junior Tour Tournament Director Scott Davidson. “We’ve had an exciting start to the season, and now the girls will get to showcase their talent in one of the most elite all-girls tournaments in Texas and the nation.”
The Texas Girls’ Invitational annually attracts many of the top junior players from Texas and surrounding states. This year’s field includes 2026 Winter Classic champion and Oklahoma State commit Dresden Bounds of San Antonio; Megan Lee of Frisco, ranked No. 89 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard; Naomi Phan of Grand Prairie (No. 192); Saahi Naraharasetty of Cedar Park (No. 219); 97th Texas Junior Amateur champion and Abilene Christian commit Kaylee Yuan of Joshua; Carolyn Liu of Katy (No. 256); Ava Frazier of Austin (No. 268); and 2024 Girls Division Player of the Year and 2026 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic Champion Stephanie De Marco of Southlake, among others.
“It’s a stacked field with players already committed to top collegiate programs and others looking to earn exemptions, improve their rankings and compete at a high level,” Davidson said. “Their talent will bring out the best in everyone and make it a memorable event.”
Opened in 1985, the Apple Rock Course is regarded as one of Texas’ premier championship venues. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course was named one of Golf Digest’s “Best New Courses in America” and has hosted numerous major amateur and professional events, including the Texas Junior Amateur, USGA qualifiers and the Texas State Open. The layout features more than 50 bunkers and water in play on seven holes, providing a demanding test for the field.
“Apple Rock is a great design,” Davidson said. “We saw what these girls could do here last summer at the 99th Texas Junior Amateur, and now they’ll face the course under different conditions in February. It will be exciting to see how they adapt.”
The champion will earn a place among an elite list of past winners on the Nez Muhleman Trophy. Previous champions include University of Texas standout and world No. 8 amateur Farah O’Keefe, world No. 89 amateur Tillie Claggett, two-time winner and professional golfer Hailey Jones, and Epson Tour players Anne Chen and Maddie McCrary.
Inez “Nez” Muhleman, for whom the trophy is named, was a longtime advocate for junior golf. Born in Donalsonville, Georgia, she became deeply involved in the sport through Atlanta Country Club before continuing her volunteer work after moving to Texas. Muhleman served on the U.S. Girls’ Junior Committee, oversaw sectional qualifiers, and spent six years on the Women’s Texas Golf Association board, including a term as president in 1982.
In 1986, she founded the Girls’ Junior Travel Fund to support Texas qualifiers, beginning with a $250 personal donation that grew into a program assisting more than 350 players with travel expenses. In 2011, Muhleman received the USGA’s Joe Dey Award for meritorious volunteer service, estimating she had dedicated more than 1,500 days to the game.
Muhleman attended every U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship from 1980 to 2010 and helped mentor future LPGA stars, including Kellie Kuehne, Brittany Lang, Stacy Lewis, Angela Stanford and Wendy Ward.
At last year’s Texas Girls’ Invitational, Michelle Lee of San Antonio captured the title at Sulphur Springs Country Club, posting rounds of 72-68-70 to finish 6-under par and win by three strokes.
The first round of the 17th Texas Girls’ Invitational is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, off the No. 1 tee at Apple Rock.
To learn more about the 17th Texas Girls’ Invitational, click here. To learn more about Horseshoe Bay Resort, click here. To learn more about Nez Muhleman, click here.