Texas Mutual to Sponsor George Hannon Junior Invitational
AUSTIN — The George Hannon Junior Invitational is set to cap off another great Legends Junior Tour summer schedule when the 36-hole event returns to The University of Texas Golf Club August 12-13. This year, Texas Mutual is the proud presenting sponsor of the championship as part of a one-year deal with the Hannon Cup Association.
“We are very excited to have Texas Mutual join us as a sponsor this year,” Hannon Cup Association Managing Director Randi Long said. “We are hopeful this will be a lasting relationship.”
Texas Mutual Insurance Company is one of the state’s leading workers’ compensation providers. Texas Mutual Vice President of Marketing and Customer Engagement Jeremiah Bentley said the company is proud to be associated with this year’s championship.
“Texas Mutual is proud of our association with the George Hannon Junior Invitational and the Legends Junior Tour,” Bentley said. “We share the values of tradition, honesty and integrity held by the tour and we look forward to watching these young athletes compete in Austin.”
George Hannon was born in Kemp, Texas, and had a 59-year PGA career, including an 18-year term as the University of Texas’ Men’s Golf coach. Hannon’s career at UT included NCAA titles in 1971 and 1972, as well as 12 Southwest Conference Championships. Hannon coached legends such as Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Mark Brooks, Phil Blackmar, Brandel Chamblee, Warren Chancellor, Rik Massengale and Paul Thomas. He was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1991 and was the Golf Coaches Associations’ 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
The Legends Junior Tour has conducted the prominent invitational since the Hannon Cup Association created the event in 2009. It brings together the top 96 boys and girls in the state, either through invitation or based off the current standings in the Player of the Year Points List. Three divisions compete separately: Boys 15-18, Boys 14 & Under and Girls 12-18.
The field will take on UT Golf Club’s par-71 layout which was built in the Texas Hill Country and overlooks Lake Austin. The course borders the Balcones Natural Wildlife Preserve and can stretch out to 7,412 yards.
Richmond’s Stephen Campbell Jr. trailed by one stroke with two holes left to play at last year’s invitational. He birdied the par-4 17th and par-4 18th to win the Boys 15-18 Division by one stroke. In the Girls 12-18 Division, Eubin Shim of Waco fired a final round 3-under-par 68. She birdied the par-4 finishing hole to card the lowest round in the girls’ division and win by three strokes. Abilene’s Karson Grigsby won the Boys 14 & Under Division after carding a final round 4-over 75 to win by four shots.
The George Hannon Junior Invitational is held in the Austin area annually and features one of the top-ranked fields on the LJT Schedule. Past champions of this event include Max Miller, Joe and Julia Beck, Scottie and Callie Scheffler, Brendan Redfern, Cole Hammer, Thomas Critch, Levi Valadez, Alexandra Rossi, Chandler Phillips and Hailee Cooper.
The George Hannon Junior Invitational is the third of four Invitational’s on the LJT schedule. Players will earn one and a half points towards the LJT Player of the Year Points List, which determine the teams for the Jackie Burke Cup in November. Gaven Lane of Argyle leads the Boys 15-18 Division, while Hailey Jones of Dallas leads the Girls 12-18 Division and Grant Yerger of Driftwood leads the Boys 14 & Under Division.
For more information about the George Hannon Junior Invitational, click here.