A Comprehensive Guide to Junior Golf Tournaments

 

Written for competitive junior golfers, who want to gain experience, build a strong resume, and get recruited to play golf in college.

 

If you’re a junior golfer looking to play college golf, then you need to start by gaining the experience and building a resume that will attract college coaches. What does that mean? Playing in the right junior golf tournaments.

There are many different competitive junior golf tournaments and tours out there, and it can be tough to know which ones to sign up for.

In this blog post, I’ll introduce and outline several different competitive junior golf tours and unique tournaments options. My goal is to help junior golfers better understand which events are appropriate for their current skill level, which events will provide you with good opportunities to build experience, and ultimately, where you need to play in order to get recruited. Let’s get started!

 

The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) — National Tour

The AJGA is the premier junior golf tour for high school age players. Their events have been around since 1978 and have become a staple in the competitive junior golf landscape. Many well-known professional players grew up playing AJGA tournaments, including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Phil Mickelson.

AJGA tournaments run throughout the year, with the majority of tournaments taking place throughout the summer. Events occur throughout the country, so it’s likely there is at least one AJGA event in your area. Being among the most competitive junior golf tournaments in the country, AJGA tournaments are for junior players who know they want to play golf in college, and are a primary recruiting ground for college coaches.

If you want to play D1 college golf, AJGA tournaments are a must. However, access to AJGA tournaments isn’t as simple as just signing up — you need to earn your way in by performing well in other junior golf tournaments (which is called building your Performance Based Entry or “PBE” status) or by playing well in the tournament’s qualifier, which takes place immediately prior to the event.

 

The AJGA’s Performance Based Entry System

The Performance Based Entry system awards stars to players based on their finish in AJGA and other top junior golf tournaments. A top finish in an AJGA tournament or other AJGA recognized event can earn you the coveted PBE status of “fully exempt”. Players accumulate stars throughout the course of the year to build their status for that year and the following year.

Here’s where it gets a bit tricky. When you go to sign up for an AJGA tournament, you will be ranked among all of the other junior golfers who want to play in that tournament based on your PBE status. Some tournaments requires TONS of PBE stars to make the cut, while others will require very few. If you don’t make the cut into the tournament field (which is. set one month prior to the tournament start date) you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for the tournament’s qualifier, which happens immediately prior to the tournament.

 

The Best Ways to Gain AJGA PBE Stars

Gaining AJGA PBE stars can be a tricky process, and requires some planning. To begin with, you should take advantage of opportunities to play in AJGA recognized events other than the ones put on by the AJGA. The AJGAs PBE Schedule is an outstanding tool for finding local non-AJGA events that give out AJGA stars. These tournaments are usually run by local or regional golf associations, and can provide valuable experience for any junior golfer. I recommend making your local state junior golf championship a priority, as state championships tend to be very lucrative from a star perspective.

Next, you’ll want to focus in on AJGA tournaments that have lower PBE requirements, as these will be easier for you to get into. Work your way up the ladder, gaining experience, and growing your confidence in each tournament before moving onto the next level of competition. This is one of the best ways to prepare for AJGA tournaments and ultimately, college golf.

The AJGA offers different “levels” of tournaments, which are:

• Junior All-Star — for players ages 12-15
• Preview — for players who have never competed in an AJGA before
• Open — the most common kind of AJGA event
• Invitational — for the best players in the country

If you are just started out, it’s a great idea to play in Junior All-Star events, or a Preview event if you are 16 years old. Since you can typically only play in one Preview event, I recommend waiting until you feel capable of a top finish there, so that you’ll maximize your chances of a strong finish and picking up more PBE stars. Both All-Star and Preview events award stars for top finishes, though not as many as Opens or Invitationals.

Ultimately, competing in Open events is one of the best ways to boost your AJGA PBE status. Open events are slightly tougher than Previews and All-Stars, and require more PBE stars to be accepted into the tournament. However, they also offer more PBE stars for top finishes. Opens can also provide an invaluable experience as you get ready for Invitational tournaments, which are typically reserved for only the best players in the country.

It’s worth noting that you do not need to play in an Invitational to get recruited to play golf in college, but if your aim is to play D1 golf, you should be trying to play in several Open events throughout the summer.

 

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) — National Tour

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is another great avenue for building a strong golf resume. The HJGT offers tournaments all over the country, and is a solid national-level tour.

What I like best about the HJGT is the sheer quantity of events throughout the year and throughout the country, and the level is fairly consistent. Meaning that if I am a player or a college coach and I see scores from an HJGT event, I know how good a player is. Pretty much all HJGT events are two-days, which means that the results will be included on Junior Golf Scoreboard.

Unlike the AJGA, HJGT events are open to anyone who wants to play. All you have to do is sign up. Going away for spring break and want to find a tournament where you’ll be training? The HJGT probably has an option for you.

The only downside to the HJGT is that their events do not award AJGA stars.

 

The International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) — National Tour

The International Junior Golf Tour is another great option for juniors who want to build their resumes. The IJGT offers events all over the world, and provides a great opportunity for international golfers to get some high-level experience.

The IJGT also offers an Elite Series, which awards AJGA stars to the top finishers. These events are a great opportunity for players who want to get some high-level experience, and give them an opportunity to qualify for AJGA Invitationals.

In general, the level of competition at IJGT events is slightly lower than what you’d experience at AJGA events, but the quality of competition is still quite high.

 

The US Challenge Cup — Regional Tour

The US Challenge Cup is a high level regional tour that operates in the Northeast of the US. The US Challenge Cup is a great tour if you live in the Northeast, or if you are looking to gain experience in playing tournaments in the Northeast.

Regional tours like the US Challenge Cup are a great option if are thinking about traveling for an AJGA qualifier (not something I typically recommend, but there are times when it makes sense). In these cases, it’s great to have a good “back-up event” planned so that the trip doesn’t feel like a waste if you don’t make it through the AJGA qualifier.

They also award AJGA stars to the top finishers in their events, so it’s a great way for players to boost their PBE status.

 

The Sneds Tour — Regional Tour

The Sneds Tour, backed by pro golfer and Tennessee native Brandt Snedeker, operates in the Tennessee and open to any player aged 10-18. The Sneds Tour is great for players in the area, as it provides an opportunity to gain some competitive experience and boost their résumé.

The Sneds Tour also offers a tour championship at the end of the year where AJGA stars are awarded to the top finishers. This can be a great way for local players to boost their PBE status, just like the US Challenge Cup.

 

The Mid-American Junior Golf Tour (MAJGT) — Regional Tour

The MAJGT operates in the Midwest and is another great option for players who want to build their resumes. Like the US Challenge Cup, they offer events throughout the year, and award AJGA stars to the top finishers.

 

The Toyota Cup Tour — Regional Tour

The Toyota Cup Tour is another regional tour that operates in the Southern California. While it’s a local tour, it is largely considered to be one of the most competitive junior tours out there.

Access to Toyota Cup Tour events is complicated and requires qualification. It’s also worth noting that you must meet Southern California residency in order to compete in these events.

 

Mass Golf — Local Tour

Mass Golf is the name of the state golf association in Massachusetts. Every state has a state golf organization, which runs a handful of events (sometimes more or less) for juniors during the summer. I’m using this as an example and if you’re curious to learn more about your own state golf association, just run a quick google search.

As I mentioned earlier, the primary reason to pay attention to your state golf association is that this is the group that runs the state championship, an event that will award a ton of AJGA PBE stars. For that reason, it should be on your radar.

Local events like this are also a great way to build your experience without having to travel. Even when you are an elite golfer, I recommend playing in a handful of local events that are easier / shorter / where you’re more likely to “go low”. It’s great for your resume and confidence.

 

The New England Junior PGA (NEPGA Junior Tour) — Local Tour

The New England Junior PGA (NEPGA) is the PGAs organization in my home state of Massachusetts. The PGA has a group in pretty much every state, and again, I’m using the NEPGA as an example.

Typically, local PGA junior events are geared more towards beginner golfers. They offer a couple 36 hole events, but most are just 18 (one day), the courses are shorter, and the rounds are longer. Mostly these events are good when you are just getting started in tournament golf and then are worth moving past quickly, but there is one event in particular that’s worth paying attention to: the PGA Junior Championship qualifier.

The PGA Junior Championship qualifier gives the top finishers an exemption into the National PGA Jr. Championship, which is a great event. It’s definitely considered one of the top junior events in the country.

Here are a few other one-off junior events that are outstanding…

 

US Junior Girls / Boys Championship (USGA) — National Event

The USGA runs tournaments we’re all familiar with, most notably the US Open. They also run a number of amateur championships. The Junior Girls and Boys Championships are quite easily the most prestigious junior golf events in the country. They typically takes place at a premiere golf course, and you are truly treated like a pro when you get there.

To play in the USGA Junior Girls or Boys Championship, you must qualify through an 18-hole tournament that takes place a few months before the event.

 

IMG Junior World — National Event

The IMG Junior World is technically an international event that takes place at Torrey Pines in California every year. It’s a great event to test yourself against the best players from around the world, and it also awards AJGA stars.

In order to compete in this event, you must first qualify by playing in your local qualifier. There are usually several qualifiers in each state, and you can find out about them by contacting your local or regional golf association. In Massachusetts, for example, the qualifier for this event is run by the US Challenge Cup.

 

The Optimist — National Event

The Optimist is one of the most unique junior golf tournaments in the country, with thousands of kids competing from around the world. Kids can qualify for this event by playing in their local qualifiers or by being invited through a special process.

The downside is that this event is held in Orlando, FL in the middle of the summer, which can be quite hot.

I put this event in the “fun” category, but it certainly isn’t on the same level as something like the USGA tournaments.

 

US Kids Golf World Championship — National Event

The US Kids Golf World Championship is another great tournament for players aged 5-14. The top finishers get the chance to compete in the World Championship event at Pinehurst, NC. It’s an incredible opportunity for younger players and is definitely worth checking out if you’re between 5-14 years old.

 

So… what does all this mean for you?

Alright, so you should have a sense of the options that are out there. What I’ve shared above is not even close to all that’s out there, but I hope it gives you a sense of the biggest options, as well as what to expect on a more local scale.

And now that you have this improved understanding of the landscape… what does it mean for you??

Well, first off, you should identify which tournaments are best for your level and goals. The goals piece is easier so I’ll start there.

If your goal is to play D1 golf, then you should be working towards AJGA events by the time you are a sophomore and junior, if not before. Remember that it takes time to build experience that will help you play well in AJGA tournaments, not to mention gain access.

AJGA tournaments can be a major catch-22. Yes, you need to play in AJGA events to get recruited to a D1 program, but you also need to play WELL while you are there. This is where the level piece comes into play. It’s not enough to just qualify in and think that’s going to impress a coach.

For this reason, I strongly encourage you to work on building your skills in non-AJGA tournaments and learning how to go low in those events before (and while) you are pursuing AJGAs.

If you are happy to play D2 or D3 golf, you can stick to more of the regional and top-national (non-AJGA events) and you’ll have good options from that.

 

How to build a great summer schedule

If you want to build a great summer tournament schedule, I recommend the following steps.

1. First and foremost, you need to assess your skill level and goals. You should understand what tournaments are best for your current ability and future aspirations before diving into any event planning. Once you have that clarity, you can begin looking at what events will best suit those goals.
2. Select that events that you care the most about. These can be local (even your Club Championship counts!) all the way to national. Put those events and their qualifiers on your calendar.
3. If you are at the level where you can consider AJGAs, strategically pick a few AJGA events that are:
   • in good locations for you (this can mean local, or places that you’d like to visit, ie near colleges that interest you)
   • you have a good chance of getting into
   • are spread out throughout the summer
4. Go to the AJGAs PBE Schedule to find several events near you that will award PBE stars. This should absolutely include your state championship.
5. Then, fill in the remaining dates with more local events that will help you gain experience, practice tournament skills and continue to build your game.

 

How many tournaments should I play in?

Some people like to have a tournament every week, others prefer competing once a month. Either of these ends of the spectrum can work from a recruiting perspective. Just keep in mind that there is no substitute for tournament golf. The only way to hone your tournament skills (and scoring) is to play in tournaments.

So if you have less tournament experience, or if you live in a part of the country that limits the amount of tournament golf you can play in the year, I recommend playing more in the summer. Roughly one tournament per week.

Make sure that you still have time to work on your game, which means both practicing and playing non-tournament rounds. One of the biggest mistakes I see juniors make is that they never play 18-hole rounds that aren’t tournaments.

And finally, no matter what level you’re playing at, take some time off throughout the summer so that you don’t burn out or get stale. Tournament golf can be taxing, and it’s important to give yourself mental and physical breaks.

 

Conclusion

In summary, if you have a clear understanding of your goals and skill level, then you can start planning the junior golf tournament schedule that make sense for you. Focus on building up your tournament experience in events that will help you towards your long-term goals, such as AJGAs or college golf. Make sure that you also give yourself time to practice and play non-tournament rounds, as well as take breaks in between tournaments so that you stay mentally and physically fresh. Good luck out there!