Talarico, McLaughlin, De Marco Victorious at Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic
Burnet – Austin’s Henry Talarico captures his first Legend Junior Tour victory with an even par score. Austin’s Beckett McLaughlin erased a 4-shot deficit in the final round to win the Boys 14 & Under division after shooting a total score of 140. Southlake’s Stephanie De Marco goes back-to-back claiming the Girls division title shooting a 6-over in her final round.
Division Leaders: Henry Talarico of Austin was the only player in the field to shoot par or better in both rounds of the JDJC. Talarico’s 71 today consisted of 6 birdies, 6 pars, and 6 bogeys. His first victory earns him exemptions into 4 LJT events for 2026. Austin’s Beckett McLaughlin was able to erase 4-shots from playing partner Isaiah Diaz, in route to 1-under 70 round to win the title. McLaughlin had 2 eagles on the weekend, helping him become the only player in the entire field to shoot under-par both rounds. After a final score of 153, Stephanie De Marco from Southlake took home the Girls 12-18 Division title. De Marco fought her way to the top early on Sunday and never lost sight of 1st place.
In Contention: In the Boys 15-18 Division, Cooper Nichols of Farwell shot the low round today of 69 to finish in solo 2nd. Fort Worth’s Parker Bown shot back-to-back 1-over rounds to finish 3rd. Austin’s Charlie Poe took 4th at 4-over in his first LJT event in the Boys 15-18 Division. Anthony Butt out of The Woodlands rounded out the top 5 shooting a 148 6-over. In the Boys 14 & Under Division, Del Rio’s Isaiah Diaz saw his lead slip, finishing with a 77 today for a 2nd place title. Houston’s Mason Hwang took home 3rd place after a 1-over 72. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Laredo’s Alyssa Esparza finished 2 shots back of De Marco for 2nd place, while first round leader Krysta Loftin ended in solo third with a final total of 157.
Weather: Temperatures for the final round were much more pleasant than Saturday. The morning brought cool temperatures, with frost covering the course leading up to the final round’s tee times. Play was then suspended due to such frost for a total of 30 minutes. The weather then quickly improved, with low-50’s present for the entire afternoon, leading to a warm final stretch before the conclusion of the round.
Course: Delaware Springs Golf Course is hosting the Jimmy Demaret for the second time in three years. The municipal course, owned by the city of Burnet, has hosted a multitude of LJT and TGA events in recent years. The course opened in 1992 and was designed by Dave Axland and Dan Proctor. It’s best known for its classic, minimalist approach. The course leans into the natural Hill Country landscape, uses elevation changes, strategic bunkering, and penalty areas to challenge players across all divisions. The course stretches out to 6,800 yards in the Boys 15-18 Division, 6,300 yards in the Boys 14 & Under Division and close to 5,900 yards in the Girls 12-18 Division.
Tournament Format: The Jimmy Demaret Junior 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 in the Boys 15-18 and Girls divisions.
Player of the Year Points: Stephanie De Marco, Beckett McLaughlin, and Henry Talarico all earned 1000 points in the Player of the Year Point Race. Points are awarded at each tournament to the top half of each age division.
What’s Next: The LJT will head down the road to Horseshoe Bay Resort next for the Texas Girls’ Invitational on February 14-16th. For more information, click here. The next Boys and Girls event will be the Spring Preview at Rayburn Resort in Brookeland. Click here for more information on the Spring Preview.
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 $250,000 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 Jimmy Demaret Junior Classic, click here.