ShaeBug Scarberry circles the date of the Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament every summer.

“I bug my mom about it every year,” Scarberry said. “'Did you sign me up for the T-O?' She always says yes. I just really like this tournament. It's a fun tournament with really good courses.”

The T-O has been good to Scarberry, who has won the last two girls open division championships and is trying to become the first female to win three straight T-O titles.

Scarberry got off to a good start in her quest Monday, shooting a 1-over 72 in the first round at Wichita Falls Country Club. That put Scarberry in a tie for first with Alison Gastelum of Chihuahua, Mexico. San Antonio's Ann Kittelson and Frisco's Madison Phung are tied for third at 74.

Gastelum isn't foreign to being atop the leaderboard at the T-O, either. She finished third overall and was tied for first after the opening round last year. But Scarberry has never shied away from a little competition.

“The competition will push me a little bit to play better,” Scarberry said. “We play Weeks (Tuesday), so hopefully I post a score in the 60s. I think (WFCC) course is a little bit tougher. It's got more trees and more trouble, but Weeks is a neat track out there, too. I think if I just hit it good tomorrow, then I can shoot in the 60s.”

Scarberry started her round on the No. 1 hole and opened with back-to-back birdies only to lose a stroke on No. 3 with a bogey. She birdied No. 4, but followed with a bogey on the par-4 fifth. She finished the front nine even par after bogeying No. 9.

She went to 1 over with a bogey on No. 11, but birdied 12 to get back even. A bogey on 16 was the last movement made in her round, finishing 1 over. Scarberry left the course feeling like she didn't have her best round.

“After 12, I missed several putts within 12 feet,” Scarberry said. “I had some dumb mistakes out there. Some shots my dad lined me up at a certain target, but I missed it right or left a little bit. On the back nine, I was hitting it good, but I just couldn't make anything from 12 feet in.”

Unlike Scarberry, Gastelum found more success on the back nine rather than the front Monday. She started on the 10th hole and birdied No. 11 to move to 1 under and made par on the next seven holes. She moved to 2 under with a birdie on No. 1, but made bogey on No. 3 and the par-5 No. 6 to fall back to even par.

A bogey on No. 9 left Gastelum at 1 over for her round and in a tie for first with Scarberry. These two were in the final group together in the final round of last year's tournament.

Gastelum is among a field hoping to end Scarberry's reign as T-O champion. The recent graduate of Purcell High School in Oklahoma isn't accustomed to losing this year. She went 9-0 in high school tournaments during her senior year, including a third state championship.

“I won the first three and my mom told me I was undefeated,” Scarberry said. “I really didn't even think about it. I kept playing and playing and playing and went undefeated my senior year in high school.”

One might think that type of win streak plus the pressure of contending for a third straight T-O title might be too much for Scarberry. She disagrees.

“I don't really think of it that way,” Scarberry said. “I just go out and play golf and try not to think about it. At the end of the day, it's whatever you post on the scoreboard”

But she won't lie. Winning a third straight T-O would mean something to her. The only other person to win three open division titles is Mason Overstreet of Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Overstreet won the boys open championship in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

“Mason is a good friend of mine,” Scarberry said. “It would be really cool to do what he did and win three straight. It is a part of the reason I came back this year.”