Junior Golf: Star-Studded AJGA Event Coming to Greensboro

 By STEVE WILLIAMS

One of the top junior events in the nation is coming to Greensboro June 10-14.

It’s the American Junior Golf Association’s Chrysler Boys Invitational and it will be played at Cardinal Golf & Country Club.

Mark Brazil, who came to Greensboro as tournament director of the PGA Tour GGCC at Forest Oaks, has taken over the leadership of the event and has visions of it being a premier national competition for junior boys aged 13-18.

“It’s going to be a PGA Tour-like experience,” said Brazil, who previously served as an executive with the AJGA. “We’re attracting the finest junior boys from around the country.”

Brazil has long-range visions for the invitational and thinks it will eventually have repercussions with future PGA Tour events in Greensboro.

“We want players to think of Greensboro and what this did for me as a junior. It’s a small part of the overall recruiting process,” Brazil said. “It’s going to help me get to know the next Tiger Woods, David Duvals and Justin Leonards.”

Brazil said that most of the current stars on the PGA Tour, age 38 and younger, came up through the junior ranks and playing in AJGA events.

“The list of alumni is absolutely incredible on both the PGA and LPGA tours,” he said.

The 99-player field will include many of the nation’s best as players had to earn their invitations or be granted a sponsor exemption.

Some of the top names are Sam Saunders of Windermere, Fla. (Arnold Palmer’s grandson); Jason Cook of Windermere, Fla. (John Cook’s son) and Andy Leadbetter of Orlando, Fla. (David Leadbetter’s son).

Roberto Castro of Alpharetta, Ga., who won last year when the event was known as the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Junior, is also entered.

There’s also a strong local flavor as nine of North Carolina’s best juniors are in the field: Nicholas Baker of Madison, John Ebert of Charlotte, Ben Goforth of Shelby, Tripp Reynolds of Shelby, Jerry Richardson of Burlington, Webb Simpson of Raleigh, Jace Strandberg of Greensboro, Brendon Todd of Cary and Weston Way of Liberty.

At least four more area players could earn their way into the tournament as a qualifying round is set for June 9 at Cardinal CC.

The 72-hole tournament begins Monday, June 10.

“This will be the strongest junior event in North Carolina this year by far,” Brazil said. “Probably one of the top five strongest fields in the country.”

USGA helps Youth 

The United States Golf Association has awarded a $44,000 grant to the Triad Youth Golf Foundation in Greensboro to help support course and range access, instruction and equipment for its junior golf programs.

A check presentation was made April 28 by USGA official Richard Dosek at Maple Leaf Golf Club in Kernersville, site of the second event on the JP Looney’s Parent-Child Tour.

The Triad Youth Golf Foundation, founded in 2000 by Chris Haarlow and Robert Linville, began golf programs for economically disadvantaged youth in the Greensboro area with a help of a $57,000 USGA grant.

“Entering our third year, thanks to the USGA Foundation’s assistance, we’re establishing community relationships in Greensboro, and more importantly, we’re giving access and opportunity to youth in the Greensboro area who could have never afforded this,” said Haarlow. “It continues our mission of growing the game through the youth in our community.”

Triad Golf Today Junior Tour

 The Triad Golf Today Junior Tour’s spring/summer session is winding down toward a July finish at Greensboro National in Summerfield.

That championship event, set July 20-21, is a CGA points multiplier.

The fall/winter schedule will begin Aug. 24-25 at Silver Creek in Morganton. It’s also a points event for CGA rankings.

CGA Rankings

 The CGA rankings for boys and girls have been updated through May 10 and Jessica Hauser of Germanton continues to head the girls list. Hauser, a junior at South Stokes, is more than 100 points ahead of Chris Brady of Apex.

Other Triad-area girls in the top 25 are Jessica Vincent of Burlington (10th), Jordan Ridge of Greensboro (17th) and Amber Littman of Stoney Creek (19th).

On the boys side, Webb Simpson of Raleigh continues to lead.

The top Triad player listed is Weston Way of Liberty at No. 4. Other Triad-area players are Nick Baker of Madison (6th), Jerry Richardson of Burlington (7th), Alex Yates of Winston-Salem (10th), Brant Stovall of Lawsonville (13th) and Drew Weaver of High Point (15th).

The rankings are entering the summer months where big changes usually occur. A number of points events are upcoming on the busy schedule.

Drive, Chip & Putt

 Ninearea junior golfers earned their way to the regionals of The Golf Channel's Drive, Chip & Putt Junior Golf Skills Competition May 16 at Stoney Creek Golf Club.

The top three finishers in each of three age divisions were:

Age 7-8: Patrick Williford of Greensboro, Gabe Gooch of Burlington, Nathan Sessions of Winston-Salem.

Age 9-10: Will Black of Greensboro, Jason Garrett of Durham, Sean Gilraine of Greensboro.

Age 11-12: Russell Burke of Pinehurst, Matthew Younts of Stokesdale, Patrick Barrett of Pinehurst.

Golf Channel officials estimated that 15,000 youngsters will participate in 100 events across 40 U.S. states and Canada this year. The top 54 juniors in the nation will be invited to compete in Drive, Chip & Putt Jr. Golf Skills National Championship, which will be nationally televised.