82 Players from twenty nations competing for three days at World Golf Village December 20-22, 2012
(St. Augustine, FL) – On December 20-22, 2012 many of the world’s top junior players — including the world’s number one girl as ranked by the World Junior Golf Rankings — will convene at World Golf Village for the World Junior Golf Series’ American Junior. 82 male and female players from 20 countries will battle it out on the resort’s Slammer & Squire Golf Course. The American Junior is the final event of the four-event series World Junior Golf Series.
Included in the American Junior field are Csilla Rozsa of Hungary, who is currently leading the World Junior Golf Rankings. Also in the girls field is WJGR number three, Lara Weinstein of South Africa. Many of the top boys are also in the field, and there are a number national teams coming, including those from Thailand, Switzerland, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. Marking the inaugural involvement of The First Tee, also in the field are Kaleb Lester from Charlotte, NC and Marianne Li from Seattle. The complete list of players is available at ww.WJGS.org.
Competitive rounds will begin at 8:00 AM on December 20 on the first and tenth tees of the Slammer & Squire course at World Golf Village. The official practice round will be held on December 19th with tee times beginning at 8:00 AM. Watching the practice round as well as the actual tournament rounds are free to the public. The tournament will kick off the evening of December 19 with Opening Ceremonies. Notable speakers at the at the opening event will be Tom Burnett, American Director of World Junior Golf Series, Dr. Susanna Rosswag, President and European Director, and Steve Mona, Executive Director of the World Golf Foundation, who is Patron of the event. Also on hand will be newly-minted LPGA Tour player, Marina Stuetz, the 2011 American Junior champion. Stuetz is the first Austrian player to earn full time card at any level of United States tour.
This is the first year the American Junior will be held at World Golf Village. “This is an event that should be played at a venue like World Golf Village,” said WJGS President Susanna Rosswag. She continued, “The spire of the World Golf Hall of Fame provides such an inspiration to these players, all who hope to be enshrined here one day.”
Also involved in the event are sponsors Keiser University College of Golf (presenting sponsor), Brown-Jordan International (Volunteer Program Sponsor), Titleist-FootJoy, the St. John’s County Tourist & Development Commission, Tom Burnett Golf Academy, Patel & Carden Orthodontics, Renaissance Resort and Spa at World Golf Village and Levy Jewelers (Awards Sponsor), Kessler Creative, MediaShare Consulting Group and Bozard Ford.
While the competition will certainly be intense, as important to the WJGS, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, is its charitable mission: Changing the World Through Junior Golf. The WJGS is dedicated to creating a competitive international arena for talented junior golfers through a series of international competitive golf events. The WJGS goal is to promote not only continuous development of talented athletes, but also citizenship, scholarship, benevolence, competitive spirit and outstanding ethical conduct. Unique to WJGS events is off-course, post-round educational programming that focuses on health and fitness, leadership, professional or cultural education for the players.
“These are great players and some, like Marina, may very well turn professional” stated Tom Burnett, Vice President of the WJGS. “But we want to insure for those that don’t that they receive some learning on life outside the ropes. These players are role models for the younger players behind them and we hope the WJGS events can be a positive influence on them from a golf and a life perspective.”
The event was hosted last year and in 2009 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club’s Ocean Course and in 2010 at TPC Sawgrass. Organizers hope to have found a permanent home at World Golf Village. The World Junior Golf Series is quickly becoming recognized as a key worldwide junior tour. During the American Junior, a WJGS event, boys and girls born in 1993 or later will be competing for 54 holes of championship golf on an historic course. The tour hosts three other events, including tournaments in South Africa, Germany and Poland.
About the World Junior Golf Series (www.wjgs.org)
The World Junior Golf Series is a 501(c) (3) non -profit corporation dedicated to creating a competitive international arena for youth that will promote good citizenship, scholarship, benevolence, competitive spirit and outstanding ethical conduct through a variety of competitive golf-related activities and other organized learning experiences. The World Junior Golf Series allows junior golfers the opportunity to compete to be the top male and female Junior Golfer in the world. A series of international tournaments will be held around the world in an endeavor to establish the first World Junior Ranking system and to enhance the competition for prestige play among Junior Golfers. Every tournament will be structured and operated as a major tour event utilizing premiere courses and accommodations enhanced by experienced and caring staff and advisors. The challenging play, competitive spirit, and international camaraderie will culminate in competition to help decide the best junior player in the world.
Contact:
Mark D. Berman
MediaShare Consulting Group 904.838.4962
