Category: Alona Avery

Portlock Becomes First Texan to Win Mack Champ Invitational for Girls

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date April 13, 2024

Lydia Portlock birdied 16 and 17 to secure the victory. Leaderboard

Lydia Portlock with trophy — Lydia Portlock birdied 16 and 17 to secure the victory. Leaderboard

Lydia Portlock is the first Texan to win the Mack Champ Invitational for Girls and a fitting champion for a tournament with deep Texas roots.

The tournament’s namesake, Mack Champ, was a Texas native, and Cameron Champ played at Texas A&M before settling in the Houston area. Portlock, a high school junior from San Antonio, has already committed to play her college golf at Texas.

For the second year consecutive year, the MCI for Girls was played at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, TX, site of next week’s Chevron Championship, the first major of the LPGA season.

Portlock got off to a hot start in the final round, pairing a 2-under 34 on the front nine with a 1-under 35 on the back. She was 1-under for the tournament, two shots clear of Alona Avery, a senior from Riverside, CA, who was trying to become the tournament’s first two-time winner.

Avery, the 2022 MCI winner, started the day with a three-shot lead after shooting 71 on Friday, but her 74 on Saturday was not enough.

Avery will join the golf team at UC Irvine next year. Her older sister, Amari, won the inaugural MCI in 2021 and is now a star on the golf team at USC.

Emerson Roychoudhury, a freshman from Leesburg, VA, and Blayne Brown, a junior from Riverside, CA, shot 5-over for the tournament to tie for third place.

In the 12-and-under division, Kayla Jackson, a 5th grader from Charlotte, won by nine shots after shooting 82-75. Zara Staley, a 6th grader from Sarasota, FL, was second, and Alaina Villarreal, a 4th grader from Richmond, TX, was third.

The MCI, inspired by the memory of Mack Champ, was created not only to provide an elite competitive experience for junior golfers of diverse backgrounds, but also to serve as a springboard into top-tier tournaments and college scholarships while creating an environment where players and families can build relationships that last a lifetime.

The Mack Champ Invitational for boys will return to Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston from May 2-5.

Alona Avery Tournament News

Avery in Position for a Second MCI Title

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date April 12, 2024

Amari Avery made six birdies, three bogeys and a double on Friday.

Alona Avery Friday 2024 MCI — Alona Avery made six birdies, three bogeys and one double on Friday. Leaderboard

Alona Avery is heading into the final round of the fourth annual Mack Champ Invitational with a three-shot lead and a chance to become the tournament’s first repeat champion.

Avery, a high school senior from Riverside, CA, shot one-under 71 on the Nicklaus Course at The Club at Carlton Woods on Friday. She won the tournament in 2022, and her sister, Amari, won the inaugural MCI in 2021. Alona is heading to the golf team at UC Irvine next year; Amari is a junior and a star of the USC women’s golf team.

Five players are tied for second after shooting two-over 74: Sakura Watanabe (Roseville, CA), Alexis Lamadrid (Phoenix), Lydia Portlock (San Antonio), Ashley Shaw (Litchfield Park, AZ), and Roisin Scanlon (Northhamptonshire, UK).

In the 12-and-under division, Kayla Jackson (Charlotte) has the lead after shooting 82. Alaina Villarreal (Richmond, TX) and Zara Staley (Sarasota, FL) are five shots back.

Alona Avery Cameron Champ KJ Ofahengaue Tournament News

Ofahengaue and Avery Hang On for Victory in Tough Conditions

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date March 20, 2022

Alona Avery and KJ Ofahengaue with Cameron Champ — Alona Avery and KJ Ofahengaue, the 2022 MCI champs, with Cameron Champ.

Alona Avery and KJ Ofahengaue won the boys and girls titles at the second annual Mack Champ Invitational with steady performances down the stretch under tough, windy conditions.

The wind was howling all day at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, with gusts reaching 45 miles per hour.

Cameron Champ was on hand to watch the final round and was impressed with the juniors’ ability to overcome the conditions.

“It was amazing,” he said. “This is a great golf course. With this wind and these conditions, it can make an easy golf course extremely hard, and a hard golf course even harder. It just showed how good they are.”

Avery, from Riverside, CA, shot 70-78 for a 4-over total and edged Shyla Brown of McKinney, TX, in a one-hole playoff in the girls 13-18 division. Avery’s sister Amari won last year’s MCI and now plays at the University of Southern California.

Brown appeared to have the tournament locked up, but she finished with a double bogey on 17 and a bogey on 18 to fall back into a tie with Avery, who parred the final three holes. Avery then won the playoff on No. 1, making par 5 to Brown’s 7.

Ofahengaue, from Lehi, UT, finished with five straight pars to shoot 73. His 1-over total for the tournament was good enough to beat Trey Rusthoven from St. Peters, MO, by a shot. Roman Solomon, last year’s boys champ, finished five shots back after shooting 79 on Sunday.

Ofahengaue is a cousin of Tony Finau’s and had two brothers playing in this year’s MCI.

Axel Monssoh from Miami, who also won his age division last year, shot 5-over 77 for an 8-over total to win the boys 11-12 division by six shots. Myla Robinson from Eastvale, CA, won the girls 11-12 division with a 10-over total after shooting 75 on Sunday.

The Mack Champ Invitational was created to honor the legacy of PGA Tour pro Cameron Champ’s grandfather, who introduced Cameron to the game. The tournament seeks to identify and boost the prospects of elite junior golfers of diverse backgrounds. This year’s field had players from all over the country as well and England and the Bahamas, and 15 players in the field have commitments to play college golf.

Asked what his grandfather would think if he were alive to see this tournament, Champ said Mack would have been thrilled.

“He’d be laughing, cracking up. He’d be so excited. I don’t think he ever would have dreamed of anything like this happening in his name. For us to continue his legacy and to create a fun environment for the kids to come enjoy and hang out, it’s just awesome to see.”

Myla Robinson and Axel Monssoh with Cameron Champ after their victories.

Myla Robinson at 2022 Mack Champ Invitational — Myla Robinson won the 11-12 division by four shots.

Axel Monssoh at 2022 Mack Champ Invitational — Axel Monssoh, who also won his age group last year.

Alona Avery Tournament News

Familiar Names at Top of Mack Champ Invitational Leaderboard

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date March 19, 2022

Alona Avery first round 2022 Mack Champ Invitational — Alona Avery is in front after shooting 2-under 70 on Saturday.

Roman Solomon, who won the boys championship at the inaugural Mack Champ Invitational last March, and Alona Avery, whose sister Amari was our first girls champion, are in the lead after the first round of play at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Avery, from Riverside, CA, shot a 2-under 70 to take a two-shot lead in the 13-18 division over Shyla Brown from McKinney, TX. Solomon shot a 1-under 71 and leads Matthew Vital (Bethlehem, PA), Jamison Bryant (Milton, GA) and KJ Ofahengaue (Lehi, UT) by a shot in the boys 13-18 division.

Axel Monssoh from Miami, who also won his age division last year, shot 3-over 75 to lead the boys 11-12 division by four shots. Aiden Dinani (Upland, CA) shot 79 and Xeve Perez (Evans, GA) shot 80. In the girls 11-12 division, Myla Robinson from Eastvale, CA, shot 7-over 79 and leads Aleah Shields-Rodipe (Calgary, Alberta) by two shots.

Saturday’s round was live-streamed with Michael Collins, aka America’s Caddie, and veteran broadcaster Scott Walker providing commentary. Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, paid a visit to the course and even sat in on the broadcast for bit.

Roman Solomon leads the boys division.