Brynn Kort leads the first round at the 25th Kathy Whitworth Invitational presented by Louella & Nicholas Martin Foundation

Fort Worth, TX – March 11, 2024—The junior golf world was enthusiastic this morning as the first round of the Kathy Whitworth Invitational kicked off at the prestigious Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. In its historic 25th year, this Invitational showcases the finest talent in junior girls’ golf while paying tribute to the legendary Kathy Whitworth, one of the sport’s most iconic figures.

After all the scorecards were turned in, Brynn Kort emerged as the frontrunner, leading the field with an impressive first-round score of 2-under par 69. Still a junior in high school in Henderson, Nevada, Kort has committed to play at Texas A&M, and this is her first time playing in the KWI.

“The course is in amazing shape and not easy. The tournament has been awesome, especially kicking it off with the Junior Am. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun with a group! The tournament committee, the golf course staff, and the volunteers have all been great!”, said Brynn.

When asked about her game plan for tomorrow’s final round, Brynn said, “I am just going to stick to my game plan, go out, do my best, and see what happens.”

Maggie Carlson of Inverness, IL had her first hole-in-one on hole #3. She used a 7-iron for the 162-yard par 3. 

“I made an ace… I jumped up and screamed, ‘Finally, it went in!”

2023 Champion Natalie Yen is tied for 17th after shooting 36-38 for a total of 3-over par 74.

“My round was a little bumpy today, but this course can be very tricky. I got to play with one of my future Texas A&M teammates, Brynn Kort, which was a lot of fun. I am very excited to get back out there tomorrow and to take it one shot at a time and see what I can do out there,” said Natalie.

The conditions were tough, according to head golf professional Courtney Connell. “The test on the golf course today proved to be a very good one. The weather forecast was not as friendly as was predicted. Therefore the golf course played 3 to 4 shots tougher than we forecasted. The average score was 76.83, and the golf course yielded 137 birdies, 710 pars, 360 bogeys, and 1 eagle. Followed by 70 double bogeys and 18 others. The short par 3 #7, proved to be the second most difficult hole on the golf course today.

Please visit https://kathywhitworthinvitational.com to view the first-round results and the final-round pairings.

ROUND 1 RESULTS
FINAL ROUND PAIRINGS

About Kathy Whitworth Foundation

Kathy Whitworth Foundation is a Fort Worth-based 501(c)(3), celebrates Kathy Whitworth’s legendary career by supporting participation in junior girls golf. The foundation is committed to inspiring young women to embrace confidence, strong values, and responsibility which will in turn provide opportunity to develop leadership and sportsmanship skills for life-long success.