Solomon with Montrele Wells, Director of Player Performance for the APGA.
Roman Solomon is heading to one of the most famous golf courses in America in January to compete against the pros of the APGA Tour.
He earned his spot in the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines with consistent play in the 2024 Cisco Junior Series presented by the APGA and the Cameron Champ Foundation. Solomon, a senior from Sarasota, FL, has played in all four Mack Champ Invitationals and was the tournament’s first boys champion in 2021.
He is a senior at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, and has committed to play college golf at the University of South Florida. His father is Bobby Bonilla, who played for eight different Major League Baseball teams from 1986 to 2001.
Torrey Pines, famous for its cliffside views of the Pacific Ocean, was the site of Tiger Woods’s 2008 U.S. Open victory, when he played with a torn ACL and a double stress fracture of his tibia. The course also hosted the 2021 U.S. Open.
The Cisco Junior Series features promising junior golfers from around the country. It is designed to nurture the next generation of junior golf talent while giving them a true professional tour experience. Learn more about this year’s series here.
Alaythia Hinds at the 2024 MCI. She won the event in 2023.
Alaythia Hinds, the 2023 Mack Champ Invitational winner, was one of two Black golfers in the field at the 2024 U.S Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.
Hinds and her four-ball partner, Erica Villegas, missed the cut at Oak Hills after shooting even par in the stroke-play competition on May 11 and 12, but Hinds still has lots to look forward to this summer, including trying to qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur and heading off to a college career at Howard University.
The USGA recently wrote about Hinds, her history with the Cameron Champ Foundation, her 2023 victory at the Mack Champ Invitational, and her upcoming college career. You can read the article on the USGA’s website.
Evan Pena the youngest Puerto Rican player to participate in the @pgatour this past weekend in Puerto Rico.
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’s 66 on Saturday was the lowest round in the four-year history of the MCI.Joseph GutierrezAadi Parmar Connor HerreraAndrew Ayuso won the 12-and-under division. His brother, Blake, brought home the hardware in the 10-and-under division.
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, men’s golf coach at Baylor, joined Jeff Champ on stage.
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.
Lydia Portlock birdied 16 and 17 to secure the victory. Leaderboard
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, the 12-and-under winner.Alona AveryBlayne BrownEmerson RoychoudhuryAlona Avery came up just short in her bid to become the first two-time winner of the MCI.Lydia PortlockEmerson RoychoudhuryBlayne BrownCameron Champ was on hand to watch the final round.Alaina Villarreal made her putt on No. 18.The 12-and-under competitors, from left: Kylani Gathers, Zara Staley, Kayla Jackson and Alaina Villarreal.
