Twelve All-Star Teams, each comprised of 10 junior golfers ages 14 and under, have won their respective Regional competitions to advance to the 8th PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental, Oct. 11-14. The Championship is being held for the fourth consecutive year at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
At the Championship, the 12 teams are divided into two divisions – Ryder and Wanamaker – and play each other in a series of round-robin, nine-hole matches, utilizing a two-person, scramble format. The 12 Regional Champions are listed below, which includes the facilities they competed with during the Summer Season, and the All-Star Teams’ Captains and Coaches.
- Team California – All players are from San Ramon (Calif.) Golf Club
Captain: Jim Collins, PGA; Coach: Scott Keith - Team Connecticut – Players are from Fairview Farm Golf Course (Harwinton, Conn.); Watertown (Conn.) Golf Club; and Country Club of Farmington (Conn.)
Captain: Bob Sparks, PGA; Coach: Jim Bunel, PGA Associate (both of Fairview Farm Golf Course) - Team Georgia – All players are from TPC Sugarloaf (Duluth, Ga.)
Captain: Patrick McCrary, PGA; Coach: Greg Powers - Team Illinois – All players are from Cog Hill Golf & Country Club (Lemont, Ill.)
Captain: Kevin Weeks, PGA; Coach: Clayton Pendergraft, PGA - Team Louisiana – Players are from David Toms Golf Academy, East Ridge Country Club and Southern Trace Country Club (Shreveport, La.)
Captain: Shaun Webb, PGA; Coach: Adam Young (both of David Toms Golf Academy) - Team Minnesota – All players are from TPC Twin Cities (Blaine, Minn.)
Captain: Tony Serpico, PGA Associate; Coach: Patrick O’Donnell, PGA Associate - Team New York – All players are from Bethpage State Park Golf Course (Farmingdale, N.Y.)
Captain: Kelley Brooke, LPGA; Coach: Megan Younkman, LPGA - Team North Carolina – Players are from TPC Piper Glen and Harry L. Jones Sr. Golf Course (Charlotte, N.C.); and Waterford Golf Club (Rock Hill, South Carolina)
Captain: Brent Reneau, PGA, Waterford Golf Club; Coach: Taryn Wolford, PGA, Harry L. Jones Sr. Golf Course - Team Ohio – All players are from Mallard Creek Golf Club (Columbia Station, Ohio)
Captain: Jim Wise, PGA; Coach: Chris Reed - Team Oklahoma – Players are from Battle Creek Golf Club, Broken Arrow Golf & Athletic Club and Lit’l Links Golf Club (Broken Arrow, Okla.); and Oaks Country Club (Tulsa, Okla.)
Captain: Amanda Fisher, LPGA, Battle Creek Golf Club; Coach: Amber Duke, Lit’l Links Golf Club - Team Texas – All players are from Axis Golf Academy (Montgomery, Texas)
Captain: Ben Willman, PGA; Coach: EJ Kim, PGA - Team Washington – Players are from Bellingham (Wash.) Golf & Country Club and Skagit Golf & Country Club (Burlington, Wash.)
Captain: Rick Blankenburg, PGA, Bellingham Golf & Country Club; Coach: Joey Mutcheson
“The PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental is the pinnacle of a fun and exciting postseason for these 12 talented All-Star teams,” said PGA President Suzy Whaley, PGA/LPGA. “Grayhawk Golf Club has helped us create a remarkable experience for the PGA Jr. League All-Stars and their families, and we look forward to welcoming them to Scottsdale in October.”
The Championship kicks Friday, Oct. 11, with a welcome reception and skills challenge. Each team will compete against the five other teams in its division throughout the day Saturday and Sunday, with the final round taking place Monday morning (Oct. 12-14). The two teams with the best division records will compete for the national title Monday afternoon. The runner-up teams from each division will compete for 3rd place overall.
The field includes two former National Champions, Team California (2014) and Team Georgia (2017), as well as 2018 Runner-Up Team Minnesota. Team Ohio is making its fifth consecutive appearance; Team Illinois its fourth; and Teams Connecticut, Louisiana and Washington their second. Three are Championship newcomers: Teams New York, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
This year, a two-hour highlight show will debut on ESPN2 on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. ESPN will be the new broadcast network of the PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental.
PGA Jr. League brings boys and girls together to learn and play golf on co-ed teams, with expert coaching from PGA and LPGA Professionals. Kids wear numbered jerseys and play on teams with friends, competing in a two-person scramble format that builds confidence and encourages sportsmanship. This year, a record 60,000 boys and girls participated in PGA Jr. League, and that number continues to grow as the new Fall Recreational Season is underway at facilities nationwide.
Following the Summer Season, 10-player All-Star teams were formed from a combination of players in each league. These teams moved through Section Championships in August to earn a spot at one of 12 Regionals held across the country in September. The 12 Regional Champions advance to the PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental, which will stay at Grayhawk Golf Club through 2022.
While the focus of PGA Jr. League is primarily on the developmental nature of its Summer and Fall Recreational Seasons, the PGA Jr. League Postseason presented by National Car Rental presents competitive golfers a fun and aspirational finish to Summer Season play. As a premium, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of frequent airport travelers worldwide and the Official Partner of PGA Jr. League, National Car Rental is committed to growing future business leaders by growing junior golf. Throughout the season and postseason, National provides fun, engaging experiences for PGA Jr. League players and their families to celebrate both the accomplishments of the young golfers, as well as important life lessons they learn through the game of golf.
For more information about PGA Jr. League and the PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental, visit PGAJrLeague.com.