BRASELTON, GEORGIA – On January 13, 2017, after 10 years of supporting The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf and collaborating with the AJGA on the recent addition of the Junior Presidents Cup, the PGA TOUR has further elevated its involvement with the AJGA by becoming an Official Partner, both organizations announced today.
“The ongoing success of the AJGA and its role in helping to nurture outstanding young talent is evident by the number of alumni who have gone on to find success on the PGA TOUR and LPGA,” said Ty Votaw, chief marketing officer of the PGA TOUR. “The Junior PLAYERS has been extremely successful and we are excited about the debut of the Junior Presidents Cup this fall. We are extremely pleased to expand our relationship with the AJGA by becoming an Official Partner and look forward to continuing our support of the outstanding work that it does on behalf of junior golf.”
Since the AJGA began in 1978, more than 250 AJGA alumni have tallied more than 550 wins on the PGA TOUR. Of the 38 different PGA TOUR winners in 2016, 20 were AJGA alumni.
The PGA TOUR first partnered with the AJGA in 2007 for The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf at TPC Sawgrass, the home of the PGA TOUR. The tournament, celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, is designed for AJGA members to have a PGA TOUR-like experience. Participants play a course setup similar to THE PLAYERS Championship and have access to caddies, the Sawgrass locker room and media training.
Since 2007, 11 PGA TOUR players have competed at THE PLAYERS Championship after making their debut at TPC Sawgrass’ THE PLAYERS Stadium Course as an AJGA member in The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
“The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf has served as a great foundation for the AJGA to build a relationship with the PGA TOUR,” said AJGA Executive Director Stephen Hamblin. “We’re excited to continue this relationship with the launch of the Junior Presidents Cup and officially welcome the PGA TOUR to the AJGA family.”
Making its debut September 25-26, 2017, the Junior Presidents Cup will serve as a new precursor to the PGA TOUR’s Presidents Cup. Twenty-four of the best junior boys 19 years old or younger from the United States and around the world, excluding Europe, will compete at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. At the 2015 Presidents Cup, all 12 members of the U.S. Team were AJGA alumni, a telling sign that there will soon be Presidents Cup team members who once competed in the junior event.
Many PGA TOUR professionals and PGA TOUR events give back to the AJGA through tournaments and the AJGA Foundation. In 2016, more than 30 PGA TOUR professionals and 10 PGA TOUR events supported the AJGA.
For more information about the PGA TOUR’s Official Partnership with the AJGA, please contact Michelle Hantak in AJGA Communications at mhantak@ajga.org or (678) 425-1787.