The 13th Annual Babe Zaharias High School Jr. Golf Awards Banquet a Win for All at 5 Under
The awards banquet honored the best of high school golf in Southeast Texas last night. The finalists were all celebrated with a terrific event filled with stories, fellowship, and a wonderful toast to players, coaches, and everyone involved in making Southeast Texas a thriving, powerful player in golf.
5 Under is proud and honored to have played host to the golfers, their families, friends, partners, sponsors, and the community.
The dinner from our 5U restaurant was top notch second only to the service. The evening was a wonderful transformation of 5 Under’s restaurant venue.
Special thanks to the sponsors, the Astros Golf Foundation, Wells Fargo Advisors, and Trecora who made this event happen in coordination with the Zaharias Foundation.
Austin Williams, president of 5 Under and board member of the Zaharias Foundation, served as emcee for the event. Honorees were recognized with fun personal tidbits and highlights of their playing career. It was a magnificent event with some familiar, friendly faces. Our very own 5 Under golf instructor and former Zaharias award winner, Karlei Hemler, announced the girl finalists while Jack Burke—Texas State University golfer, Orange County product, and former Zaharias award winner—announced the finalists for the boys.
The presentation from keynote speaker, Brian White of the Houston Astros Golf Foundation and former Lamar University golf coach, was truly inspiring and entertaining. His work in golf as a PGA tour player, coach, mentor, and business showed everyone in the room the connective tissue that is so uniquely special to the game of golf.
White was introduced by Giles Kibbe, SVP of the Astros Golf Foundation. Both from the Golden Triangle, the two shared stories close to home and shared motivational insights. White, for example, tells of how he has coached so many over the years and how the game continues to challenge and excite him, citing how PGA Hall of Fame golfer, Mark O’Meara, still critically works on his swing. White details that it’s important to continue to improve and that if even the likes of O’Meara isn’t ever satisfied with his swing, that it should tell us all that it’s a game of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and all of it can be highly rewarding.
The winners of this year’s Zaharias awards:
Girls Player of the Year: Hallie Westfall – Hardin-Jefferson
Girls Character Award: TIE Saylor Moreaux – Bridge City & Annabel Cardenas – Kelly HS
Girls Underclassmen Player of the Year: Tatum Bean – Port Neches-Groves
Girls Underclassmen Character Award: Peyton Hidalgo – Hardin Jefferson
Boys Player of the Year: TIE Lincoln Parks – Orangefield & Xander Parks – Orangefield
Boys Character Award: Preston Deserrano – Nederland
Boys Underclassmen Player of the Year: Julian Mathews – Kelly HS
Boys Underclassmen Character Award: Drake Andrepont – Hardin-Jefferson
Finalists in all categories for the 2023 Zaharias Awards:
Girls Player of the Year
Annabel Cardenas – Kelly HS
Hallie Westfall – Hardin Jefferson
Trinity Smith – East Chambers
Girls Character Award
Ashley Hale – Bridge City
Saylor Moreaux – Bridge City
Annabel Cardenas – Kelly HS
Girls Underclassmen Player of the Year
Tatumn Bean – Port Neches-Groves
Peyton Hidalgo – Hardin Jefferson
Peyton Caywood – Nederland
Kamryn Picard – Hardin-Jefferson
Girls Underclassmen Character Award
Peyton Hidalgo – Hardin Jefferson
Chloe Olson – West Brook
Ava Borne – Port Neches-Groves
Boys Player of the Year
Lincoln Parks – Orangefield
Vincent Mazzola – Kelly HS
Xander Parks – Orangefield
Boys Character Award
Xander Parks – Orangefield
Preston DeSerrano – Nederland
Braden Tappe – Vidor
Boys Underclassmen Player of the Year
Julian Mathews – Kelly HS
Drake Andrepont – Hardin Jefferson
Boys Underclassmen Character Award
Drake Andrepont – Hardin Jefferson
Connor Tentrup – Port Neches-Groves
Along with sensational food and service, 5 Under’s team facilitated the event with photo, video, and printed promotions. Our 5 Under creative staff crafted the digital presentation for the evening as well complete with photos of the players/finalists and graphics.
Austin Williams, Babe Zaharias Foundation Board Member and Director of South Texas PGA Jr. Golf–Beaumont Metro, says the awards banquet is a time of celebration for all honorees, coaches, families, and our community. It was a spectacular event and we are all so proud of everyone involved.
The local coverage of the event was astonishing and we are all grateful for the attention that these fine athletes received for their hard work, talent, time, and diligence.
This is a great example from our friends at KBMT 12 News. Sports Director, Ashly Elam, shines the spotlight of these winners and the game of golf in Southeast Texas. Click to view
As Williams says, the future is bright for golf here in the greater Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange area. Stay tuned for these golfers’ next achievements in the game.
