Category: Tournament News

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Evan Pena Tournament News

With Record Round, Pena Takes the Title

Evan Pena
Evan Pena the youngest Puerto Rican player to participate in the @pgatour this past weekend in Puerto Rico.
2024 Mack Champ Invitational for Boys trophy winners
The 2024 Mack Champ Invitational for Boys trophy winners, from left: Joseph Gutierrez, Chris Nana Tanke, Aadi Parmar, Evan Pena, Andrew Ayuso, Ajay Morris, Connor Herrera, Jayden Lizama and Andrew Rodriguez.

Evan Pena shot a tournament record 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead into the final round of the fourth annual Mack Champ Invitational at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston. But the final round never happened.

After several rain delays on Sunday morning, the decision was made to cancel the final round due to the weather. The 36-hole standings were used to determine the tournament results. (Leaderboard)

Pena, a member of the class of 2026 from Puerto Rico, teed off on No. 10 on Saturday morning and shot a bogey-free 33-33 with 6 birdies and 12 pars. In March, he became the youngest Puerto Rican player to participate in a PGA Tour event when he played in the Puerto Rico Open.

Joseph Gutierrez (2026) from Whittier, CA, and Aadi Parmar (2027) from Selma, TX, tied for second at 3-under. Connor Herrera (2026) from Encinitas, CA, was alone in fourth at 1-under. Jayden Lizama (2025) from Elk Grove, CA, Andrew Rodriguez (2026) from Whittier, CA, and Ajay Morris (2025) from Avondale, AZ, tied for fifth at even par.

Jaxon Brown, who led after shooting 68 on Friday, fell back to the pack with an 81 on Saturday and finished 5-over for the tournament.

In the 12-and-under division, Andrew Ayuso from Cypress, TX, finished at 9-over, good enough for a one-shot victory over Chris Nana Tanke from Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

The 10-and-under division was a two-round competition from the start. Blake Ayuso (Andrew’s brother) shot 74 on Saturday to finish 12-over for the tournament and take the title. He was four shots clear of Zafir Winn (Sacramento) and eight shots ahead of Stephen Sanders (Grand Prairie, TX).

Evan Pena
Evan Pena’s 66 on Saturday was the lowest round in the four-year history of the MCI.
Joseph Gutierrez
Joseph Gutierrez
Aadi Parmar
Aadi Parmar
Connor Herrera
Connor Herrera
Andrew Ayuso hitting shot in second round of 2024 Mack Champ Invitational
Andrew Ayuso won the 12-and-under division.
Blake Ayuso with trophy
His brother, Blake, brought home the hardware in the 10-and-under division.
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Evan Pena Tournament News Video

Video: Interview With MCI for Boys Champ Evan Pena

Evan Pena interview screenshot

Thanks to Babygrande Golf for once again being on hand to interview our competitors. See more player interviews on Instagram.

Part I

Part 2

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Aadi Parmar Jaxon Brown Jayden Lizama Tournament News Video

Videos: Meet the Young Men of the MCI

Jaxon Brown Aadi Parmar and Jayden Lizama screenshots from video interviews featured image

Thanks to Babygrande Golf for once again being on hand to interview our competitors. See more player interviews on Instagram.

Jaxon Brown

Aadi Parmar

Jayden Lizama

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Tournament News

Photos: MCI for Boys Kicks Off With Dinner Reception

Mike McGraw and Jeff Champ speaking at reception
Mike McGraw, men's golf coach at Baylor, joined Jeff Champ on stage.

The Mack Champ Invitational for Boys got off to a great start on Thursday night with our annual dinner reception. This year’s featured speaker was Mike McGraw, men’s golf coach at Baylor, who joined Jeff Champ on stage for a wide-ranging conversation. Each player also got a pair of “The Mack” Nikes.

Click on any image to enter gallery.

Mike McGraw and Jeff Champ speaking at reception
Mike McGraw, men’s golf coach at Baylor, joined Jeff Champ on stage.
Players with the Mack shoes
players holding shoe boxes
Raiden Orille with the Mack Shoe
Boys posing with shoe boxes
a pair of The Mack shoes
Player being interviewed by babygrande
Boys talking before dinner reception
Players with The Mack shoes
Players holding shoes up to their ears
players with The Mack shoes
players with The Mack shoes
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Jaxon Brown Tournament News

Brown Takes First Round Lead

Jaxon Brown hits tee shot first round
Jaxon Brown round one

Jaxon Brown, a high school junior from Lakewood Ranch, FL, shot 4-under 68 to take the lead after the first round of the fourth annual Mack Champ Invitational at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Jaxon, who has played in the tournament all four years, shot 36-32 with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. (Scroll down to hear from Jaxon and see his putt on 18.) His younger brother, Jordan, a member of the class of 2026, is also playing in the tournament. He shot 74 and is tied for 17th.

Ajay Morris, a junior from Avondale, AZ, and Jayden Lizama, a junior from Elk Grove, CA, are tied for second at 1-under. Seven players are tied at even par. (Leaderboard)

Last year’s champ, Shiv Parmar, is within striking distance with five other players at 1-over 73.

This is the second year that the MCI for Boys has been a three-round tournament with a cut. After Saturday’s second round, the low 50% of the field plus ties in the 13-18 division will advance to Sunday’s final round.

In the 12-and-under division, Isaiah Diaz, a 7th-grader from Del Rio, TX, has a five-shot lead after shooting 4-under 68. He also won the 12-and-under division last year. In the 10-and-under division, Blake Ayuso (Cypress, TX) and Zafir Winn (Sacramento) shot 82. Stephen Sanders (Grand Prairie, TX) is one shot back.

Jayden Lizama hitting tee shot in the first round
Jayden Lizama
Ajay Morris hitting tee shot in first round
Ajay Morris
Shiv Parmar putting in round 1
Shiv Parmar, the 2023 winner, shot 73 on Friday.
Isaiah Diaz
Isaiah Diaz
Blake Ayuso
Blake Ayuso
Zafir Winn
Zafir Winn
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Alona Avery Lydia Portlock Tournament News

Portlock Becomes First Texan to Win Mack Champ Invitational for Girls

Lydia Portlock with trophy
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.

Cameron Champ with Lydia Portlock and Kayla Jackson
Cameron Champ with Lydia Portlock and Kayla Jackson, the 12-and-under winner.
Alona Avery
Blayne Brown
Blayne Brown
Emerson Roychoudhury
Alona Avery approach shot on No. 1 - Saturday April 13
Alona Avery came up just short in her bid to become the first two-time winner of the MCI.
Lydia Portlock
Lydia Portlock
Emerson Roychoudhury
Emerson Roychoudhury
Blayne Brown
Blayne Brown
Cameron Champ was on hand to watch the final round.
Cameron Champ was on hand to watch the final round.
Alaina Villarreal made her putt on No. 18.
Alaina Villarreal made her putt on No. 18.
Kylani Gathers, Zara Staley, Kayla Jackson and Alaina Villarreal and walking on No. 18
The 12-and-under competitors, from left: Kylani Gathers, Zara Staley, Kayla Jackson and Alaina Villarreal.
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Photos Tournament News

Photos: Registration and Practice Rounds

Girls at registration

Click on an image to enlarge.
Photos by Mpu Dinani and Angela Ding.

Alaythia Hinds Thursday practice round
Defending champ Alaythia Hinds
Girls at registration
Siham Ibrahim, Myla Robinson, Lena Durette, Salma Ibrahim and Morgan Rodriguez
Loren Fearence Thursday with yardage book
Loren Fearence
Myla Robinson Thursday practice round
Myla Robinson
Cameron Champ with player
Gianna Singh with Cameron Champ
Cameron Champ with player
Loren Fearence with Cameron Champ
Joelle Johnson
Sanaa Carter Thursday practice round sand shot
Sanaa Carter
Lena Durette Thursday practice round
Lena Durette
Alona Avery Thursday practice round
Alona Avery, who won the MCI in 2022.
Ariel Collins
Koa Seymour
Morgan Rodriguez Thursday practice round
Morgan Rodriguez
Staci Pla Thursday practice round
Staci Pla
Vidhi Lakhawala Thursday practice round
Vidhi Lakhawala
Afi Amezado and chaperone
Afi Amezado is back for the second year, having traveled all the way from Ghana.
Callia Ward
Alexis Lamadrid
Natalia Lamadrid Thursday practice round
Natalia Lamadrid
Blayne Brown
Alyvia Boddie Thursday practice round chip shot
Alyvia Boddie
Zara Staley Thursday practice round 2024
Zara Staley
signs at first tee
Categories
Alona Avery Tournament News

Avery in Position for a Second MCI Title

Alona Avery Friday 2024 MCI
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.

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Tournament News

First Round Pairings and Tee Times

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Tournament News

We Are Looking for Volunteers!

Brenna Preap, Alexis Lamadrid, Alaythia Hinds and Cailla Ward with trophies

The Mack Champ Invitational is looking for volunteers to help our tournaments run smoothly.

The girls tournament is returning to The Club at Carlton Woods, site of The Chevron Championship, from April 11-13. The boys will be back at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston from May 2-5.

We are looking for volunteers to help in the following roles:

  • Set-up: Assist in setting up the tournament signage and morning prep for the tournament.
  • Registration: Check in the junior golfers and distribute their respective gifts before their practice round.
  • Timing/Water Stations: Record groups’ times at timing station holes, inform players that they are in/out of position with the group in front of them, and help distribute water bottles as each group passes through.
  • Water Rover: Ensure that coolers on the course are stocked with plenty of water and ice throughout each of the rounds.
  • Dinner Reception Set-up: Assist setting up the ballroom for dinner reception and registration for Saturday night. (Boys only)
Volunteer: MCI for Girls
Volunteer: MCI for Boys