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Former Little Cypress-Mauriceville star Jack Burke did himself proud in the 114th Texas Amateur played last Thursday through Sunday at The Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley.

Burke, a junior-to-be at Texas State, tied for 10th out of a starting field of 144 players. The three-time winner of the Babe Zaharias Boys’ High School Player of the Year Award fired rounds of 73-71-70-72 for a two-over 286.

San Antonio’s Bret Gray, a junior at Sam Houston State, led wire-to-wire to win the championship with a 273 total. Gray, however, needed one hole of sudden death to wrest the trophy from Oklahoma sophomore Jase Summer.

Burke’s steady play over four days gave his dad, Aaron, his high school coach, the dual Father’s Day treat of seeing him play well on a big stage and doing it under the watch of PGA player K.J. Choi.

Choi’s son Daniel, who plays for Duke, was paired with Jack in the final round and the two dads hung out most of the day.

Choi finished T9.

By placing in the top 10, Burke earned a berth in next year’s Texas Amateur scheduled for Trinity Forest in Dallas. It will give him a shot to become the fourth player with Southeast Texas ties to win the Lone Star State’s most prestigious amateur tourney.

Port Arthur’s Marty Fleckman was the area’s first Texas Amateur champ in an event played in 1964 at Willow Brook Country Club in Houston. Beaumonter Bruce Lietzke took home the trophy from Midland Country Club in 1971. Another Beaumonter, Jimmy Adams, prevailed in 1987 at The Club at Sonterra in San Antonio.

Texas Amateur winners who went on to success on the PGA Tour include Will Zalatoris (2014), Scott Verplank (1982, 1984, 1985), Mark Brooks (1979, 1981), Ben Crenshaw (1972) and Hal Underwood (1966, 1968).

Golf news should be e-mailed to Bob West at rdwest@usa.net.