Shea Sethre-Brink of Dripping Springs walks to the next tee during the Azalea Trail Junior Golf tournament held at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler on Monday, July 20, 2020.

Golfers hit the links on Monday, battling the heat and the beautiful but tough Hollytree Country Club course during the 14th Annual Azalea Trail Junior Golf Classic in Tyler.

Tyler’s Annaka Watts has won the tournament title twice, including last year. The recent Tyler Lee graduate took a big step toward back-to-back championships during the first round with an even-par 72.

Watts has signed to play golf at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. She had birdies the two par fives (Nos. 5 and 9) on the front nine and on the par three No. 11 and the par 4 No. 15.

Lee teammate and fellow Tylerite Sydney McConnell, who won the Classic in 2017, is second at 5-over 77 in both the 15-18 and 13-18 divisions. Gladewater’s Macy Rutland is third at 88, while Tyler’s Rosalie Halle and Marshall’s Kinley Pessel are tied for fourth at 94.

McConnell has signed with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The second and final round of the tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

There is a tight race for the top in the Boys 13-18 and 15-18 Divisions.

Waco’s Peyton Iverson is atop the field after carding a 1-under 71. In a tie for second are Tyler’s Jacob Cole and Dallas’ Jack Watson, both at even-par 72. Knotted in fourth at 1-over 73 are Garland’s Sam Jenkins and Dallas’ Luke Jun.

Other flight leaders include: Tyler’s Emily Machin (Girls 12 & under); Rosalie Halle (Girls 13-14); McKinney’s Zac Morales (Boys 12 & under); and Amarillo’s Brady Holmes (Boys 13-14).

The winner of the Boys 13-18 receives berths in the Ben Hogan Junior Cup, George Hannon Invitational and Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational.

Also, there are five spots available for golfers in the 94th Texas Junior Amateur, which is scheduled for July 27-29 at Horseshoe Bay. Those spots are now occupied by Iverson, Watson, Jenkins, Jun and Will Livermore of Frisco (74).

Gilmer’s Sam Benson and McGregor’s Niklas Blalock are one stroke out of qualifying after carding 75s.

There were many highlights during the day including a hole-in-one by Reed Hays of Argyle. Hays aced the No. 9 hole.

Blalock and CJ Mooibroek of McKinney each made five birdies.

NTPGA Junior Golf: All

America Tour

14th Annual Azalea Trail

Junior Golf Tournament

Hollytree Country Club, Tyler

First Round

Girls

12 & Under — Emily Machin, Tyler, 96.

13-14 — Rosalie Halle, Tyler, 94.

15-18 — Annaka Watts, Tyler, 72; Sydney McConnell, Tyler, 77; Macy Rutland, Gladewater, 88; Kinley Pessel, Marshall, 94.

Boys

12 & Under — Zac Morales, McKinney, 73; Andrea Birolini, Southlake, 74; Khai Reyes, Plano, 80.

13-14 — Brady Holmes, Amarillo, 79; Braden Bergman, Flint, 81; Maxwell Chan, Heath, 81; Connor Carver, Tyler, 83; Davis Habermehl, Tyler, 83; Judson Hays, Argyle, 87; Maddox Mallard, Flower Mound, 94; Shea Sethre-Brink, Dripping Springs, 96; Thomas Aspinall, Southlake, 99; Zach Dodgen, Dallas, MC.

15-18 — Peyton Iverson, Waco, 71; Jacob Cole, Tyler, 72; Jack Watson, Dallas, 72; Sam Jenkins, Garland, 73; Luke Jun, Dallas, 73; Will Livermore, Frisco, 74; Ethan Dial, Bossier City, La., 74; Sam Benson, Gilmer, 75; Niklas Blalock, McGregor, 75; Gage Doyle, Colleyville, 76; Michael Lohner, Dallas, 76; Will Gillen, Tyler, 76; Mason Krismer, Mansfield, 77; Austin Coyle, Frisco, 78; Kevin Nixon II, Canton, 79; Harrison May, Tyler, 79; Advait Chutke, Flower Mound, 80; Parker Price, Bowie, 80; Jacob Feliciano, Tyler, 80; CJ Mooibroek, McKinney, 80; Nicholas Martin, Frisco, 80; Hayes Carter, Dallas, 80; Crue Baldwin, Arington, 80; Cameron Beck, Mansfield, 81; Marcus Williams, Prosper, 81; Davis Ethridge, Whitehouse, 81; Luke Gesse, Tyler, 81; Merrick Taylor, Longview, 81; Michael Rasmussen, Lufkin, 81; Collin Waterhouse, Parker, 82; Anashay Monga, Dallas, 82; Robert Boyce, Dallas, 82; Skyler Carter, Dallas, 82; Luke Bennett, Dallas, 82; CJ McConnell, Tyler, 83; Aidan Weeks, Dallas, 83; Wil Stafford, Lufkin, 83; Colton Bench, Sulphur Springs, 83; Sam Sewell, Lantana, 84; Hayden Stricker, Wylie, 84; Peyton Garrett, Lipan, 84; Tate Lewis, Paris, 84; Luke Emerson, Lindale, 84; Reed Hays, Argyle, 86; Jake Sewell, Lantana, 87; Miles Maresch, Wylie, 88; Kade Strickland, Mount Pleasant, 88; Jack Estes, Pottsboro, 89; Chesley Williams, Dallas, 89; Michael Chevalier, Colleyville, 89; Greyson Burch, Frisco, 90; Mitchell Kalka, Frisco, 90; Griffin Jones, Tyler, 90; Jake McKown, Keller, 91; Jake Fischer, Hideaway, 93; Sam Chesnut, Tyler, 95; Harrison Barnett, Tyler, 97; Samuel Veneris, Palestine, MC; Luke Eckholm, Farmers Branch, WD; Andrew Camp, Palestine, NS; Gordon Schmerbeck, Dallas, NS.

TWITTER: @PhilHicksETFS