Fort Worth Benbrook golfer lived Pebble Beach dream, played with PGA pro

Perhaps it was a glimpse into her future career.

Avery Glanzer fulfilled a dream when she played alongside PGA golfer JJ Henry in the Pure Insurance Championship on a couple of the nation’s most esteemed public courses: Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach, California.

Glanzer is a senior at Benbrook High School and a member of the Lady Bobcats golf team. She is the defending Class 4A individual state champion, following a third-place finish in 2024 and an 11th-place finish in 2023.

She was playing in California as a member of the First Tee program. For Henry, he had only recently become eligible for the PGA Champions Tour after turning 50 in the spring of this year.

“I was so excited to get paired with JJ Henry, a fellow Fort Worth native, and truly had the best time and learned so much from him,” Glanzer said. “Playing with him was like watching a stripe show for 18 holes straight. He hit the ball so well, as many would expect, but it was super cool to see it in person and inside the ropes, and definitely motivated me to continue working and improving my own game.”

Tournament format

The tournament had a unique format, Glanzer said. The pros’ scores were recorded individually, and there was a best ball combined score between the pro and their junior.

“We ended up missing both cuts - JJ individually as well as our combined score, but it was still a week to remember and wouldn’t have changed anything,” she said with exuberance.

“This was my first experience playing in the ropes during a professional event, and it only made me want to work harder to maybe have more opportunities like this in the future.”

She said playing with Henry taught her much about course management - everything from reading putts to calculating distance based on wind, slope and other factors.

“He gave me a first-hand demonstration of how much more I need to take into account in each shot and how being more precise and confident with decisions helps lead to better shots and execution,” she said.

“Before she left for Pebble Beach, I asked her who would be her pick to be paired with, and she told me JJ Henry. It was awesome that that’s who she got,” Benbrook coach Stacy Marquiss said. “Being selected to play that tournament was a well-deserved experience that reflects her dedication to the game.”

Other summer experiences and fall golf

Glanzer played in a number of events this past summer, many being nationwide events.

“Playing in larger events like these gave me more experience playing against tougher competition and tougher golf course layouts,” she said.

A highlight from summer competition was breaking 70 for the first time in an American Junior Golf Association event when she posted a 69 at a tournament in Wichita, Kansas.

Though the bulk of the high school season is in the spring, Glanzer did play both in some tournaments with her fellow Lady Bobcats, along with some outside of school competition. Even during the school year, she has traveled to compete in places such as New York and Hawaii.

“This fall was successful in helping me improve my game, gain more experience, and learn so much more each round,” she said.

Introduction to golf

Glanzer, like her siblings, was introduced to the game of golf at an early age by her father, Jeremy Glanzer, a former college golfer himself who has since worked in the industry as a coach, teacher, and more for 25 years.

“It started when she would come to the course with me when she was 7 years old,” Jeremy said. “It then led to her wanting to play in junior tournaments.”

Avery said what started as a fun way to spend time with her dad turned into a sport that she loves and puts lots of time and drive into.

“We still play lots of golf together and as a family,” Jeremy said.

Her younger sister Campbell is a sophomore and plays on the Lady Bobcats golf team with her as the team’s No. 2 player. Younger brother Jaxon is in the seventh grade and is on his way to being a Bobcat someday.

College golf hopes

As she begins the quest to repeat her magical junior season of high school golf, which included being named to the Texas High School Coaches Association Golf Super Elite Team and to the North Texas High School Golf Coaches Association Honor Team, Avery said she does want to play in college. She is in the middle of the recruiting process and is hoping to find her right fit.

“This process has been equally stressful and rewarding, but all in all I just want to find a school where I can play and continue to get better and better and more developed,” she said. “I am not sure what I want to study yet, but would be interested in something business-related.”

As far as after college goes, she’s still pondering that.

“She’s driven, focused, and has strong aspirations to compete at the collegiate level playing Division 1 golf,” Marquiss said. “Watching her grow and continue to grind and improve has been a pleasure as a coach. It is bittersweet to know that she’ll be leaving us, but I have no doubt she’ll continue to achieve great things on and off the course.”