Duncan, Oklahoma — October 29th & 30th – After failing to win the cup the last two years, Team Texas claimed victory over Team Oklahoma 16-12 in the 12th Annual Red River Challenge on Oct. 29-30. The event, played at The Territory Golf and Country Club in Duncan, Okla., pitted 56 of the best junior golfers in Texas against 56 of the best junior golfers in Oklahoma in a two-day team/individual contest, with the winner hoisting the Red River cup and maintaining bragging rights for a full year.
After a blustery first round, Team Texas held a slim two-point lead, 8-6. It was tough sledding for many of the players, as winds were steady at 15-20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. There were a few stellar rounds, however, highlighted by Newcastle, Okla., resident Dalton Daniel, who fired an opening round 67. He was joined by six other players that broke par the first day, including Chad Sewell (2017) of Conroe, Tx, Juan Padilla (2018) of Coahuila, Mexico and Holden Wisener (2019) of Dallas Texas, all players from Team Texas.
On day two, the gale force winds subsided, and players and spectators were greeted with mostly clear skies, mild temperatures and only a slight breeze. And, as one player put it, “..a chance to get some revenge on the golf course.”
Scores were better across the board in round two, as 21 players broke par, and eight players shot in the 60s. The round of the tournament was turned in by Oklahoma’s Said Powers, who fired a stunning 6-under par 66 on Sunday.
The individual competitions in both the boy’s and girl’s divisions were tightly contested through both days. On the girls’ side, Houston’s Amelia McKee, a Baylor University commit, held a one-shot lead after the first day, firing an even-par round of 72. She actually picked up the pace on Sunday, and was the only girl to break 70 during the tournament, cruising to an easy eight-shot victory. Texas teammates Cory Lopez (2020) of San Pedro, Mexico and Taylor Mieras (2019) of Allen, Texas took second and third, respectively.
On the boys’ side, Daniel took a three-shot lead into the final round, and narrowly carved out a one-stroke victory over three players with a final round 72. Sewell and Oklahoma’s Matthew Braley and Dawson Meek tied for second.
The Red River Shootout is one of the state’s most elite and historic junior events. Players such as Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Stacey Lewis, Kelly Kraft and Robert Streb have all competed in the event as junior golfers. The TJGT looks forward to hosting this prestigious event next year once again.
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Check out our Flickr album for photos of the event!