AJGA Junior at Centennial field boasts top junior golfers
BRASELTON, Ga. – The American Junior Golf Association and 132 of the world’s best junior golfers will return to Oregon for the first time since 2005 with the AJGA Junior at Centennial, Aug. 16-19. Centennial Golf Club in Medford, Oregon., will host the 54-hole stroke play event. In all 12 states are represented, including 13 players from the home state of Oregon.
Portland native and University of Oregon commit Tye Gabriel provides local appeal. This is Gabriel’s second AJGA event. He placed 17th at the 2008 AJGA Junior at Wenatchee. Gabriel was a member of the 2009 Hogan Cup and Junior Americas Cup teams representing the state of Oregon. He was also the stroke play medalist at the 2009 Oregon Junior Championships where he advanced to the semifinals in match play.
Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon, Wis., is the highest ranked boy in the field. Niebrugge has captured two AJGA victories, including a win at this year’s W. Duncan MacMillan Classic at Rush Creek. A rising junior, he has two additional top-10 finishes on his resume.
Esther Lee of Los Alamitos, Calif., is the top-ranked girl competing. Lee recently picked up her first AJGA win at the Trader Joe’s Junior Championship hosted by Pat Hurst after firing a final-round 68 to capture the title. Lee, ranked No. 45 in the Polo Golf Rankings, has eight top-10 finishes during her AJGA career, with two of them coming in the last four months.
Morgan Thompson of Tualatin, Ore., is ranked No. 74 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has had success in her AJGA career, placing top-five in two out of four events. Recent results include a tie for 13th at the 2010 Under Armour® / Hunter Mahan Championship.
Other Oregon participants include Kendall Prince of Lake Oswego, Cassandra Carothers of Jacksonville, Tess Jennings of Portland, Monica Vaughn of Reedsport, Sulman Raza of Eugene, Seth Reynolds of Klamath Falls, Dylan Wu of Medford, Kevin Murphy of Rogue River, Alex Kang of Tigard, and siblings Clayton and Cole Madey of West Linn.
The first round of play will begin Tuesday, Aug. 17. The first wave of tee times will run from 7:30 – 9 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees with a second wave going off from 12:30 – 2 p.m. at Centennial Golf Club. After Wednesday’s second round, the field will be cut to a minimum of 40 percent and ties. Final-round tee times will run from 7:30 – 9:27 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees, Thursday, Aug. 19. An awards ceremony will be held following the final round. All are welcome to attend and admission is free of charge.
Prior to the event, an 18-hole K12 Qualifier will be held Sunday, Aug. 15, at Centennial Golf Club. K12 Qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to play their way in to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or build status for entry into a future event. The K12 Qualifier Series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events.
During the tournament week, some of the top juniors who will be participating in the AJGA Junior at Centennial will also take part in the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament on Monday, Aug. 16. The Junior-Am will be an 8 a.m. shotgun start at Centennial Golf Club. An excellent opportunity to entertain clients, reward employees or enjoy a tournament round with friends, the Junior-Am allows amateurs to play alongside the future stars of the game.
Tiger Woods, Charles Howell III, Lucas Glover, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel are just a few of the thousands of talented players who participated in AJGA Junior-Ams when they were teenagers. Supporting golf at the grassroots level, Junior-Ams allow the AJGA to make contributions to local junior golf charities and programs in hosting communities. In 2010, the proceeds of the AJGA Junior at Centennial will benefit the AJGA Foundation. To participate, contact Tournament Chairman Chris White at (678) 425-1712.
Ranked as the No. 1 Best Golf Course in the region by readers of the Medford Mail Tribune, and as one of the Top 50 Public Courses in the Country in the 2010 Golf World Readers Choice Awards, Centennial Golf Club is a daily fee facility that features a spectacular 7,309-yard, par-72 layout, designed by John Fought. The golf course at Centennial was designed in a classic “Donald Ross style” and takes full advantage of the spectacular views of Medford, Rogue Valley and the surrounding mountains. The name and theme of the project is a celebration of the many classic elements of the site and the bountiful Rogue Valley region. Other amenities at Centennial include an expansive practice facility and “The Pavilion” clubhouse that is home to the popular Centennial Grille. For more information about Centennial Golf Club please call 541-773-GOLF or visit www.centennialgolfclub.com. Centennial Golf Club is professionally managed by OB Sports Golf Management, a diversified, golf-oriented company with a long history of success.
The AJGA Junior at Centennial is hosted in part by the Medford Visitors & Convention Bureau. Medford , The Center of the Rogue Valley is southern Oregon’s largest, most diverse city with a multitude of attractions and activities for everyone. Play a round on championship golf courses, fish or raft the Rogue River, hike the Table Rocks, explore the Oregon Caves, experience Crater Lake, or relax and enjoy a scenic wine tour. For specific information on everything Medford has to offer, call (800) 469-6307, go to www.visitmedford.org or stop by the Medford Visitors Information Center located at 1314 Center Drive, STE E Medford. Visit Medford and experience Oregon’s southern hospitality.
About the American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.
Titleist, the AJGA’s National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association’s success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA’s second Premier Partner.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 400 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel.
For more information, please contact Kristi Bradley (kbradley@ajga.org) in the AJGA Communications Department at (678) 425-1790 or visit the AJGA website at ajga.org.
Contact:
Kristi Bradley, AJGA
(678) 425-1790
