The 2023 winners of the Babe Zaharias High School Junior Golf Awards are announced at the annual banquet honoring high school golfers in Southeast Texas.
The prestigious annual awards banquet recognizes the area’s top high school golfers, team leaders, underclassmen, and high school golf coaches for the 2022-2023 school and competition year. This year’s banquet at 5 Under Golf Center in Beaumont includes a dinner and a presentation from keynote speaker, Brian White of the Houston Astros Golf Foundation.
The winners announced:
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
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 community.
“The awards banquet is such a special night, and everyone gets to share in the celebration. The future of Southeast Texas golf is bright with this group, and we hope they know that all of the Golden Triangle is behind them. The inspiring speech from Mr. Brian White is going to be with this group for a long, long time.”
About the Babe Zaharias High School Junior Golf Awards
Former PN-G coach, Jerry Honza, originally pitched the idea to the late W.L. Pate, Jr. (longtime chairman of the Zaharias Foundation) many years ago and the partnership began under the name of Babe Zaharias Junior Golf Awards. After Pate’s passing in recent years, Austin Williams has taken the reins of the awards at 5 Under and each year has seen increased involvement and participation. Past speakers include former Lamar golfers such as PGA Pro, Chris Stroud, and 2-time champ on the Nike Tour, Kelly Gibson, along with Pulitzer Prize winner, Don Van Natta, 1983 PGA Player of the Year and PGA Championship Winner, Hal Sutton, and Port Arthur legendary golfer, Marty Fleckman, among others.