Texas Junior Amateur hits century mark
By Art Stricklin • June 26, 2026
McKINNEY, TEXAS | Long before Jordan Spieth became the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer and a multiple major champion, he was just a kid holding the trophy for winning the 2006 Texas Junior Amateur.
“Wow, that was a long time ago, but that was really big at the time,” Spieth said while competing last month at the PGA Tour’s 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament at TPC Craig Ranch, just 10 miles from Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco, where this year’s championship for the state’s top boys and girls starts Monday.
Among the Texas Junior Amateur’s other past champions are two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw; five-time PGA Tour winner Scott Verplank; Korn Ferry Tour player Parker Coody, the grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody; and seven-time LPGA winner Angela Stanford, the 2026 U.S. Solheim Cup captain.
“Every golf champion has a beginning and for 100 years for Texas golfers that has been the Texas Junior Amateur,” said Texas Golf Association executive director Stacy Dennis. “We are proud of its rich history and excited to host the celebration of the next generation of champions who will write the next chapter of its legacy.”
Tyler Neider of Lakeway (boys) and Honorine Nobuta Ferry of Flower Mound (girls) are the defending champions, having won titles last year at Horseshoe Bay Resort. For the fourth year, the winners will earn exemptions into the USGA’s national junior championships – the U.S. Junior Amateur (July 20-25 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) and the U.S. Girls’ Junior (July 13-18 at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina).
Not every champion’s journey followed the same path. Some went on to successful college careers, while others made their marks in the professional ranks. Many stayed connected to the game in ways that still shape Texas golf today. But all of them share a common thread: they once proved themselves on the biggest stage in Texas junior golf.
