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.
