Recent News

Lake Travis Girls Lead State Golf Championship – Westlake Third

Lake Travis girls 6A 2016 State Champions L-R Erik Henson,Kaitlyn Papp, Sara Camarena, Kristen Gillman, Lauren Comegys, Morgan Lay, Clayton Brady, Richard Wagner

Lake Travis girls 6A 2016 State Champions L-R Erik Henson,Kaitlyn Papp, Sara Camarena, Kristen Gillman, Lauren Comegys, Morgan Lay, Clayton Brady, Richard Wagner

The Lake Travis Girls Golf Team continued it’s dominance in the state 6A girls high school golf scene with a first round score of 288 at the State High School Golf Championship being played at Legacy Hills in Georgetown, Texas.   The even par total was good for a seven shot lead over second place Allen and nine shots over Austin Westlake.

In 2016, the Lake Travis girls team won every tournament they played.  I think the total was 12 in a row including the district, regional and state championships.  They were undefeated.  They may have been the best high school golf team the state has ever seen.  Not only were they winning but they were shooting under par as a team.  Unbelievably good.

This year, the Lake Travis girls have continued to be the team to beat and they have only been beaten a few times.  After winning the district and regional tournaments, they are poised to add another state championship to the legacy of this program.

Kaitlyn Papp, who is currently ranked 9th in the American Junior Golf Association rankings,  led the scoring for Lake Travis with a five under par 67.  Consistent play by the rest of the Lake Travis team enabled them to grab the lead.  Hanna Liu shot 73, Morgan Lay 74, Sara Camarena 74.  Macy Fox shot 77 but only the four best scores are counted in the team total.

Austin Westlake, who has been pursuing Lake Travis all year and has beaten them on occasion, is nine shots behind with an outside chance to grab the state title.   Randi Romak led Austin Westlake in the first round with a two under par 70.  Bentley Cotton shot even par 72, Madelyn Jones posted 77 and Sadie Engleman had 78 for a 297 total.

Ellie Szeryk of Allen led the individual scoring with 65, two ahead of Papp and four ahead of Jackie Barry of Humble Kingwood.

The championship is being played at Legacy Hills in Georgetown.   The course demands accuracy off the tee and if a player can drive it well there are scoring opportunities, as demonstrated by several scores in the sixties that were posted.  The championship concludes with the second round on Tuesday.

The full field scores are available at the University Interscolastic League website.  Click here for those scores.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lake Travis Girls Lead State Golf Championship – Westlake Third

Michael Cooper Shoots 63 At Austin Country Club

Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper

I was on the putting green at Austin Country Club practicing with some friends about a week ago when Michael Cooper approached the first tee with some clients from Houston.  We chatted and then they teed off, playing from the number one tees.

The next day I heard that “Coop”, as he is know around local golfing circles, had shot 29-34=63 during that round.  I caught up with him on the practice tee yesterday and asked about the round.

He said that it kind of came out of nowhere because he had not been playing that much but it was just one of those days when things went right.  He birdied the holes 1, 3, 5,6,7,8,9 and turned in 29, something he had never done at ACC.  He bogeyed 10, then birdied 12,13 and 15.

He indicated he had missed good birdie opportunities on 16 and 17 so and felt like it could have been a shot or two better although he admitted it’s hard to complain about a 63.  He hit it close on four or five holes, made a bunch of 10-15 footers and one long putt.

I watched him hit balls for a few minutes and admired the nice tight draw he was hitting.  I noticed his motion was different from his normal swing and asked what was going on.  He told me his right shoulder was bothering him some and it was forcing him to rotate more through the shot to put less stress on the shoulder during the follow through.  It turns out that was beneficial because there was less flip in the swing and the club was more in front of him during the downswing.  He laughed at it and said “I’m going to stay with this motion until it doesn’t work and then like everybody else I’ll probably be trying something else next week”.

Cooper played golf for the University of Texas and has enjoyed a productive amateur career with multiple wins locally including a couple of Men’s City Championships and a two Firecracker Open wins.

One of the admirable qualities about Coop is that he has paired with junior golfers in the Muny Spring Partnership on several occasions to mentor these players.  It’s something important to him.

It’s good to see him play well.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Michael Cooper Shoots 63 At Austin Country Club

Jay Reynolds Advances To U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying

Steve Hammond and Jay Reynolds

Steve Hammond and Jay Reynolds

Jay Reynolds, shown here with the 2017 Spring Championship trophy, was the only Austin based golfer to make it through the local U.S. Open qualifying at Wolfdancer Golf Club in Bastrop on Monday.  Several others, including Wes Short, Omar Uristi and Matthew Perrine came close.

Four players shot four under par 68 and qualified to advance to sectional qualifying.  Reynolds shot three under and was one of five players in a playoff for four spots.

Weather delayed the playoff until almost dark.  The players proceeded to the 15th, a short par four which requires a layup and short iron to the green.  Reynolds hit three iron and a lob wedge to four feet, eventually making a par and advancing to the sectional qualifying at Lakewood Country Club in Dallas, Texas on June fifth.

Meanwhile, Wes Short choose driver and hit a wayward shot that eventually wound up as a lost ball, partially due to the low light conditions.  The other players managed to find their ball and make a score better than Short so they all advanced.  Short is the first alternate and Omar Uresti is the second alternate.

Click here for full field scores.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Jay Reynolds Advances To U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying

Austin High Advances To State Golf Tournament

2017 Austin High Boys Regional Team

2017 Austin High Boys Regional Team

The Austin High boys golf team finished third in the Region IV-5A golf championship, played at Briggs Ranch in San Antonio, and will advance to the state tournament.  The Maroons posted 314-313=627 and their consistency got the job done.  Salvador Chavar led the Maroon scoring with 77-74=151.   Forest Miller was two shots behind him with 74-79=153.

Alamo Heights and Borne Champion finished first and second in the regional championship.  The first three teams advance to the state tournament on May 22-23 at the Wolfdancer Golf Club in Bastrop, Texas.

The team is in a rebuilding mode led by their new coach Charles Looney.  As can be seen in the team photo below, there is great participation on the team and it is sure to result in improved play in the future.

Austin High has produced many great players over the years including Randy and Cary Petri, Lester Lundell, Ben Crenshaw, William Cromwell and Billy Clagett.  Perhaps current players can draw some inspiration from the wonderful golf legacy inherent in their school’s past.

Austin High golf team

Austin High golf team

Click here to view the full field scores from the Region 4-5A boys golf championship.
Reg IV-5A B golf championship finals_0

x

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Austin High Advances To State Golf Tournament

Westlake and Lake Travis Boys Advance To State Golf Championship

Westlake Boys - 2017 Region IV-6A Champs

Westlake Boys – 2017 Region IV-6A Champs

Austin Westlake dominated the Region IV-6A regional golf tournament with a seven under par total of 561 over two days of play at the Republic Golf Club in San Antonio.  Lake Travis finished second at 587 and will advance to the state tournament to be held at Legacy Hills in Georgetown on May 22-23.

Westlake jumped into the lead with a two under par total of 282 in the first round and then put their stamp on the contest with a five under par 279 total in the second round.

Reese Ramsey - 2017 Individual medalist - Region IV - 6A

Reese Ramsey – 2017 Individual medalist – Region IV – 6A

Reese Ramsey led the Westlake team with a five under 66 in the first round and followed it up with a one under par 70 in the second round.  The six under par total was good for individual medalist honors.  Close on his heels was Matthew Denton who carded 70, 68 to finish second in the individual race.

All five players on the Westlake team finished in the top eight places in the individual scoring.  That’s how you win championships.  One or two players go low but the rest of the team provides excellent performances as well.   Thomas Buckholt and Reid Davenport recorded 144 totals and finished tied for 5th while Michael Rome recorded a 146 total and tied for 8th place.   The team shot seven under par for the championship.  That wins a lot of tournaments.

Lake Travis played well, posting a 587 team total and will be headed to state.  But right now, it’s Westlake in the spotlight.

Click here to see final team scores and individual scores. Reg IV-6A Boys final results (1)

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Westlake and Lake Travis Boys Advance To State Golf Championship

Lake Travis And Westlake Girls Golf Teams Advance To State

2017 Lake Travis Girls Regional Scores

2017 Lake Travis Girls Regional Scores

The Lake Travis girls golf team won the 6A – Region 4 golf tournament at the Republic Golf Club in San Antonio by shooting 18 under par for two days while runner-up Westlake High School posted a team total of eight under par.

Lake Travis smoked the field in the first round with a blistering 12 under par total.  That established a commanding lead due to the fact that Westlake played consistently by could only post a one under par team total in the first round.  Pretty stiff competition at the high school level.

Both Lake Travis and Westlake played well in the windy conditions that prevailed on the second day of play.   Westlake shot seven under par, one better than Lake Travis, but finished ten shots back for the tournament due to the first round 11 shot lead that Lake Travis had established.

San Antonio Regan made a significant move up the leaderboard the second day to capture the last team spot available and advance to the state tournament.  The state tournament for the girls 6A teams will be played at Legacy Hills Golf Club in Georgetown on May 15-16.  For information about other high school state tournament, including the 6A boys, go to the University Interscholastic League website by clicking here.

 

Westlake Girls RegionalWestlake played well and continues to challenge Lake Travis, as they have most of the year.  These may be the two best teams in the state.  They are aligned with Vandegrift in the same district, which is somewhat unfortunate since only two teams from the same district can advance to the regional playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how the state tournament plays out and what other teams in the state can challenge Lake Travis and Westlake girls for the state title.

Sadie Engleman, who is a freshman at Westlake, led the Chaparrals with a five under par total of 137 for the two days.  Jordan Shackelford posted one under while Madelyn Jones, Randi Romak and Cotton Bentley all posted even par 142.

2017 Westlake Girls Team at Regionals

2017 Westlake Girls Team at Regionals

Engleman, Shackelford, Jones and Romak have been the strength of this five girl squad for most of the year but with Bentley’s performance at the Regional tournament they now have five players who can shoot even par or better in an important tournament.  That is an impressive display of consistency for five players and bodes well for their chances in the state tournament.  It may provide the opportunity to beat Lake Travis.

Individual scores - 2017 6A Region 4

Individual scores – 2017 6A Region 4

Sara Camarena and Morgan Lay, teammates at Lake Travis, tied for medalist honors with a two day total of six under par 135.  Camarena won the individual title in a playoff.  Kaitlyn Papp and Sadie Englemand finished tied for third two shots behind Camarena and Lay.

Papp is currently 10th in the American Junior Golf Association rankings and is the highest ranked junior girls player in the state of Texas.  Click here for those rankings.

Sophia Digesualdo from Vandegrift finished 10th indivdually and will advance to the state tournament as an individual medalist.  She qualified for the regional tournament as an individual medalist based on her play in the district tournament.

It is interesting to note that only one player outside the Austin area finished in the top ten individual standings.

 

 

 

x

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lake Travis And Westlake Girls Golf Teams Advance To State

Westlake And Lake Travis Boys Advance To Regional Golf Tournament

Westlake Boy Team (l-r) Coach Nokes, Reid Davenport, Reese Ramsey, Thomas Bockholt, Michael Rome, Matthew Denton. Not shown is Coach Grigg.

Westlake Boy Team (l-r) Coach Nokes, Reid Davenport, Reese Ramsey, Thomas Bockholt, Michael Rome, Matthew Denton. Not shown is Coach Grigg.

In the first round of the Region 4-District 25 golf tournament, the Westlake Boys High School golf team shot 12 under par as a team at Greyrock Golf Club in Austin.  The Lake Travis Boys golf team was at even par and Vandegrift was a shot behind Lake Travis at one over par. Exceptional scores for high school golf teams by any measure.

Overnight, coaches, players, parents and district officials hoped the weather forecast for the second round would improve and the second round would be part of what determined who would advance to the regional tournament.

Second round play commenced on time but play was suspended after four holes due to weather.  After waiting six hours for conditions to improve,  the round was cancelled and the tournament results were based on first round play.  With only the top two teams advancing to the regional tournament, Westlake and Lake Travis were in and Vandergrift was left to ponder what would have happened if the second round were completed.

Lake Travis Boys Team (l-r) Trey Bosco, Coach Richard Wager, Nathan Petronzio, Jason Protass, Tristan Stalker, Grayson Litowitz, Coach Erik Henson, Coach Clayton Brady

Lake Travis Boys Team (l-r) Trey Bosco, Coach Richard Wager, Nathan Petronzio, Jason Protass, Tristan Stalker, Grayson Litowitz, Coach Erik Henson, Coach Clayton Brady

District 25 has three of the state’s 6-A powerhouse high school golf programs for both the boys and girls teams.  Westlake and Lake Travis have been rivals for years, each winning numerous state champioships. Vandegrift had just moved up to 6-A after recently winning 4A and 5-A state championships.  Click here to review that story.

It is unfortunate that only two of the three teams will advance from such a strong district.  All three are capable of contending for the state title.

However, golf courses are not freely available for delayed play, academic demands are ever present and weather does play a factor in golf.  So, as they say…it is what it is…

The Region 4 tournament will be held at the Republic Golf Club in San Antonio.  The girls tournament will include the Lake Travis and Westlake girls teams and will be held on April 24-25.  The boys tournament will be at the same site on April 26-27.  Good luck to all the contestants.  Click here for the first round results, which wound up being the final scores.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Westlake And Lake Travis Boys Advance To Regional Golf Tournament

Major victory in Legislature for Save Muny

Muny clubhouse.

Muny clubhouse.

Senate Bill 822, a measure from Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, passed with a 21-10 vote in the Senate on Tuesday.

The bill would transfer ownership of the land that Lions Municipal Golf course sits on from the University of Texas System to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The bill now heads to the House for deliberation.

Although the passage through the Senate does not ensure the embattled Tarrytown golf course – known as “Muny” — will be saved, it marks a huge victory in the fight to save the course.

The course was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the fall of 2016 because of its historical significance of being the first golf course in the South to desegregate. Senate Bill 822 has strict instructions to protect Muny’s place in history and the historical value that it holds.

“This is a priceless piece of Texas, even United States, history,” said Estes, via the Houston Chronicle. “This is a one-shot opportunity to save a piece of Texas history.”

Proponents of saving Lions — part of a movement called Save Muny – have been fighting to save the course from development since 1973. Save Muny has prevailed each time talks of development have come up in the past, but in recent years they have faced a much harsher reality with the UT System seemingly not open to renegotiating the lease that expires in May of 2019.

But in January, UT President Greg Fenves offered to renegotiate the lease on the course. He insisted the university get compensation closer to market value – around $6 million annually; a number that the city is unlikely to be able to afford.

One of the biggest supporters of saving the course is Ben Crenshaw, an Austin-native and World Golf Hall of Famer. Crenshaw proposed a restoration and renovation of the course in February, if the course were to be saved.

“The bottom line for me, I just can’t see this place being developed,” Crenshaw said. “I just think it’s too precious of an asset, and it just simply means too much to people.”

Sen. Estes’s bill has faced some opposition during this legislative session, most vocally from Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo. He does not feel the state is entitled to confiscating property from the university without compensation. Estes is confident the state has title to the asset.

It is not clear how much support the bill has in the House.

There is no concrete timetable for resolving this issue, but representatives with Save Muny are confident that it will be settled well in advance of the lease’s expiration in 2019 – regardless of the outcome of Senate Bill 822.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Major victory in Legislature for Save Muny

Westlake Boys Lead Region 4, District 25 Golf Tournament

In an impressive performance, the Westlake boys golf team shot 276, 12 under par, in the first round of the Region 4,  District 25 Boys Golf Tournament to grab a 12 shot lead over Lake Travis and a 13 shot lead over Vandergrift.  The Westlake II boys team shot 293.   The tournament is being held at Greyrock Golf Club, a par 72 layout.

Listed below are the team and individual results from the first round.  Second round play is underway today.  If weather prevents completion of the second round, the results will be determined on the basis of the first round.

Team Results

Team Results
round 1
Westlake 276
Lake Travis 288
Vandegrift 289
Westlake II 293
Lake Travis II 307
Vista Ridge 317
Vandegrift II 318
Hays 340
Lehman 362
Vista Ridge II 378
Leander 380

Individual Results

Player School rd 1
Reid Davenport Westlake 68
Michael Rome Westlake 68
Brandon Hoff Vandegrift 69
Matthew Denton Westlake 69
Nathan Petronzio Lake Travis 69
Reid Powell Lake Travis 70
Daniel Martinez Vandegrift 71
Nick Palmo Westlake II 71
Reese Ramsey Westlake 71
Trey Gillingwater Westlake II 72
Tristan Stalker Lake Travis 72
Thomas Bockholt Westlake 73
Trey Bosco Lake Travis 73
Luke Dossey Vandegrift 74
Jackson Davenport Westlake II 74
Lance Kuhns LT med. 74
Major Gammill Westlake med. 74
Grayson Litowitz Lake Travis 74
Aaron Teece Vista Ridge 75
Cole Sherwood Vandegrift 75
Carson Smith Lake Travis II 76
Wyatt Speaks Vandegrift med. 76
Jefferey Taughinbaugh Westlake II 76
Cameron Caldwell Vandegrift II 77
Hunter McDonough Westlake II 78
Taylor Stanley Vista Ridge 78
Marcial Jones Westlake med. 79
Luke Jasinski Vandegrift II 79
Foster Givens Vandegrift 80
Travis Aldrich Lake Travis med. 80
Mike Ospovat Westlake med. 80
Noe Hinojosa Lehman 80
Dalton Doerr Vandegrift II 81
Colin Slater Vandegrift II 81
Jack Wehman Vandegrift II 81
Sam Chiarelli Vandegrift med. 81
Zane Petty Vista Ridge 81
Joe Kerley Lake Travis II 81
Sean Rabbitt Lake Travis II 81
Jason Protass Lake Travis 82
Bronson Clark Vandegrift med. 82
Jackson Ingraham Westlake med. 82
Ian Cameron Hays 82
Luis Vilorio Vista Ridge 83
Ethan Duetsch Lehman 83
Jackson Goolsby Lake Travis med. 83
JD Cervantes Hays 83
Ryan Palmer Leander 84
Brock Cantu Leander 85
JD Moss Hays 87
Perry Bigelow Hays 88
Dylan Briscoe Lake Travis II 89
David Poynter Vista Ridge II 90
Chris Alford Lehman 91
Jacob Medel Hays 91
Parker Lindsey Leander 93
Paul Copeland Vista Ridge II 93
Charlie Burke Vista Ridge II 94
Matthew Hyde Hays med. 96
James McGhee Leander med. 98
Dalton Hudson Leander med. 101
Mason Skidmore Vista Ridge II 101
Jason Patlan Lehman 108
Riley Poston Vista Ridge II 108
Dylan Hudson Leander med. 118
Devin Alvarez Leander 118
Donovan Welch Lehman 135
Ryan Matthys Leander DQ

 

xx

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Westlake Boys Lead Region 4, District 25 Golf Tournament

Lake Travis and WestLake Girls Golf Teams Advance to Regional

Three of the strongest 6A high golf programs in the state of Texas are grouped into Region 4, District 25.   Those programs are Lake Travis, Westlake and Vandegrift.  These programs have won state titles in both boys and girls golf championships on a regular basis.

The race to the state tournament started with the district girls golf tournament on Monday and Tuesday at Plum Creek Golf Course.
Lake Travis won the tournament with a two day total of 588.  They posted a team total of 303 the first day and 285 the second day.

Westlake finished ten shots behind Lake Travis with a two day team

2017 Westlake Varsity at District Tournament

2017 Westlake Varsity at District  (l to r) Jordan Shackelford, Bently Cotton, Madelyn Jones, Sadie Engleman, Randi Romack

score of 598.  They shot 301 the first day and 297 the second day.

Vandegrift finished in third place with a two day total of 614.

The top two teams advance to the regional tournament.

Click the link below to see the full spreadsheet of scores
2017 Girls District results

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lake Travis and WestLake Girls Golf Teams Advance to Regional