DAVE FAVILA | Staff Writer
PALM VALLEY — A pair of Brownsville golfers ruled the course at the annual Gillman South Texas Junior Golf Classic, which wrapped up on Sunday at Harlingen Country Club.
Julie Lucio, who will be a senior at Brownsville Veterans High School this fall, shot back-to-back 73s to win the girls 15-18-year-old division championship in dominating fashion.
Meanwhile, Santiago Garcia, who will be a senior at Brownsville Hanna, rallied on the final hole of the day to take the boys 15-18-year-old division title.
Lucio, who was the runner-up in last year’s tournament, made it clear that she was not gong to be denied this time around.
On Saturday, she fired an opening-round 1-over-par 73 to take a 15-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round.
Despite a double bogey, Lucio equaled her first-round performance and finished the tournament at 2-over-par 146. Mia Lerma of Mission finished in second, 20 strokes back at 166, while Linsey Garza of Palmhurst and Micaela Leandro of Harlingen High tied for third at 175.
Meanwhile, Isabel Prado, who recently graduated from La Feria High School and will play for Marymount California University this fall, shot a 183 to finish in fourth place.
“It’s quite an honor to win this tournament, especially since I’ve been playing in it since I was just a little girl,” Lucio said. “I was also pretty motivated after having come up short last year. I’m glad I was able to pull it off this year.”
While Lucio ran away with the girls title, on the boys side Garcia had to give it everything he had to pull off the victory.
Heading into Sunday’s action, Garcia trailed last-year’s runner-up Jacob Serna by just one stroke. Serna, who recently graduated from Lyford High School and is set to take his talents to Texas A&M-International University in Laredo, fired an opening-round 3-under par 69 on Saturday while Garcia was one shot back at 70.
Garcia actually fell three stokes behind at one point on Sunday, but he managed to compose himself and trailed by one shot heading into the 18th hole.
On the par-4 18, Serna’s tee shot sailed right and landed in the rough while Garcia’s first shot went right down the middle of the fairway.
That initial drive doomed Serna as he bogeyed the hole while Garcia, who’s second shot landed just inches away from the pin, easily birdied it to take home the title with a 5-under par 139. Serna, meanwhile, finished the tournament at 4-under 140. Dylan Martinez of Harlingen High, finished in third place with a 147.
“Jacob (Serna) made me play better and I had to play hard to beat him,” said Garcia. “Going into 18, I had birdied that hole on Saturday so I was confident and it worked out, but it was a fight.
“This is a big win for me because I had played in this tournament before but had never won it, so today feels good.”
As for Serna, while being the runner-up for a second consecutive year was undoubtedly tough to swallow, he graciously congratulated Garcia after his win and accepted his place in stride.
“Things just didn’t work out on that last hole, but I played well,” said Serna. “Going into the day I told myself that if he (Garcia) was going to win, he was going to have to play his best and he did.”