Event played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, Oct. 7-10
The championship will be televised live on ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPN+ for the first time
Editors:
- For photos of each of the 12 All-Star Teams advancing to the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship, click here.
- For video of PGA Jr. League Cub Reporter Warren Fisher announcing the 12 teams scheduled to compete, click here.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Twelve All-Star teams of junior golfers punched their tickets to the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, Oct. 7-10, after winning their respective Regional competitions in September.
For the first time, the Championship will be broadcast live, with coverage on: ESPN2 and ESPN+ on Friday, Oct. 8; ESPNEWS and ESPN+ on Saturday, Oct. 9; and ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 10.
“For the players and their Captains, Coaches and families, the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship will deliver an amazing experience that they will always treasure,” said PGA of America President Jim Richerson. “Fun and teamwork are at the heart of PGA Jr. League, and these qualities will certainly be on display at Grayhawk Golf Club. That’s why the PGA of America and our PGA Professionals are extremely proud to present this very special Championship live for the first time ever on the ESPN family of networks.”
The eight-player All-Star teams represent 12 states at the Championship, including:
- Team California – Encinitas (California) Ranch Golf Course
Captain: John Mason, PGA
Coach: Jackie DeWald-Mason
2015 and 2018 National Champions - Team Connecticut – Torrington (Connecticut) Country Club
Captain: Bob Sparks, PGA
Coach: Jim Bunel
Third consecutive Championship appearance - Team Florida – Marriott Golf Academy (Orlando)
Captain: Cori McAuliffe, LPGA
Coach: Jeff Beaver
First Championship appearance - Team Illinois – Cog Hill Golf & Country Club (Lemont, Illinois)
Captain: Kevin Weeks, PGA
Coach: Clayton Pendergraft, PGA
Fifth consecutive Championship appearance - Team Minnesota – TPC Twin Cities (Blaine, Minnesota)
Captain: David Branstad, PGA
Coach: Tony Serpico, PGA Associate
Third consecutive Championship appearance - Team New Jersey – Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club (Bedminster, New Jersey)
Captain: Jeremy Eccles, PGA
Coach: Shannon Fish
First Championship appearance - Team North Carolina – Waterford Golf Club (Charlotte)
Captain: Brent Reneau, PGA
Coach: Mike Abate, PGA
Second consecutive Championship appearance - Team Oklahoma – Battle Creek Golf Club (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
Captain: Amanda Fisher, LPGA
Coach: Cary Cozby, PGA
Second consecutive Championship appearance - Team Pennsylvania – Westwood Golf Club (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania)
Captain: Troy Williams, PGA Associate
Coach: Jason Higginbotham
First Championship appearance - Team Tennessee – Clear Creek Golf Club (Bristol, Virginia); Blackthorn Club (Jonesborough, Tennessee); Pine Oaks Golf Club (Johnson City, Tennessee); and Cattails and MeadowView (Kingsport, Tennessee)
Captain: Casey Barnes, PGA
Coach: Duncan Hill, PGA Associate
First Championship appearance - Team Texas – Brookhaven Country Club (Dallas)
Captain: Joey Anders, PGA
Coach: April Pyle
First Championship appearance - Team Utah – Thanksgiving Point Golf Club (Lehi, Utah)
Captain: Tele Wightman, PGA
Coach: Jeff Pedersen
First Championship appearance
The National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship kicks off Thursday, Oct. 7, with a fun Skills Challenge and Welcome Party hosted by National Car Rental. Play begins Friday (Oct. 8) with an 18-hole team aggregate stroke play scramble, counting the top three of four pair scores per nine holes. On Saturday (Oct. 9), the same format and scoring is followed, and the 18-hole totals from both days will be combined for a 36-hole aggregate team total.
The final four teams are seeded based on their Friday and Saturday performance and will compete in head-to-head match play in the semifinals on Sunday (Oct. 10). The two winners will then face each other in the Championship match in the afternoon, while the other two teams will compete for third place.
ESPN will air six hours of live coverage across ESPN2 and ESPNEWS Friday through Sunday, in addition to two hours on ESPN+ Friday and Saturday. On-air talent includes PGA Honorary President and PGA Jr. League Captain Suzy Whaley, Michael Collins, Andy North, and Taylor Zarzour. Collins and North were on-site for the 2019 Championship, which was taped and aired as a two-hour highlight show on ESPN2. The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Friday, Oct. 8
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (8 a.m.-10 a.m. MT) – ESPN2
- 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MT) – ESPN+
Saturday, Oct. 9
- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET (8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. MT) – ESPNEWS
(Re-airing on ESPN2 at 3 a.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 10) - 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MT) – ESPN+
Sunday, Oct. 10
- 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. MT) – ESPN2
National Car Rental was named the inaugural title partner of the Championship Season in February. PGA Jr. League’s biggest corporate partner since 2018, as well as an Official Partner and the Official Rental Car of the PGA of America since 2012, National’s new title partnership aims to continue fueling meaningful growth of PGA Jr. League and supporting the program’s endeavors to welcome more kids to the game.
Beginning with Section Qualifiers and Championships held by all 41 PGA Sections, winners advanced to the Regionals, which is the penultimate event for 13u All-Star teams competing for the 12 spots in the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship (players are no younger than 10 years of age and no older than 13 years of age as of July 31, 2021). The picturesque Grayhawk Golf Club has hosted the Championship since 2016, where it will remain through 2022.
PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501(c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH, with the goal of making the program accessible to all youth regardless of background, circumstance or ability. This year to date, more than 2,800 scholarships have been awarded to players who qualified for financial assistance or were from military families. Additionally, donations through the newly-launched PGA Jr. League Scholarship Fund have positively impacted more than 850 players.
Boys and girls ages 17 and under learn and play golf on teams, wear numbered jerseys and receive expert coaching from PGA Professionals. This year, approximately 64,000 players have participated in PGA Jr. League, and the fall season is ongoing through the end of the year.
New in 2021, 17u All-Star teams (players are no younger than 14 years of age and no older than 17 years of age as of July 31, 2021) were also formed from a combination of players in each league to compete in the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship Season. Competing 17u All-Star teams concluded their Championship Season journey at the Regionals to determine the age division’s inaugural champion.
For more information about PGA Jr. League and the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship, visit PGAJrLeague.com.
About PGA Jr. League
PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501(c)(3) foundation, PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH, with a goal of making the program accessible to all interested kids in the United States and around the world. Visit PGAJrLeague.com for more information, and follow @PGAJrLeague on Facebook, Twitter, Instagramand YouTube.
About PGA REACH
PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to impact lives through golf. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Twitterand find us on Facebook.
About PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visitPGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About National Car Rental
National Car Rental is a premium, internationally recognized brand serving the daily rental needs of the frequent airport traveler throughout the world. With National, time-sensitive customers in the United States are able to quickly choose their own vehicles, based upon their advance reservation and requested car class, and then simply drive away from the airport. National – which launched the car rental industry’s first comprehensive frequent-renter program – further expedites the rental process for Emerald Club members by offering counter bypass as well as access to National’s “Emerald Aisle,” an exclusive section of the lot where members can select any vehicle as long as they reserve a midsize car. St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, through its regional subsidiaries, operates the National Car Rental, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo Rent A Car brands. For more information about National, visit www.nationalcar.com or www.facebook.com/NationalCarRental and follow @NationalCarRental on Instagram and @NationalPro on Twitter.
About Grayhawk Golf Club
Grayhawk Golf Club is widely considered one of Arizona’s top daily fee golf venues, offering 36 holes of exceptional golf in a spectacular Sonoran Desert setting. Since opening in 1994, Grayhawk has been honored with industry accolades, and the two golf courses – Talon and Raptor – have hosted several premier competitive golf tournaments. Most recently, Grayhawk hosted the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships, with the 2022 and 2023 championships to come. The PGA TOUR stopped at Grayhawk 2007-2009 for the Frys.com Open, and other notable events include The Williams World Challenge, Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf, Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Ams, Johnnie-O Twin Fin and National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship. Social media:facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Michael Abramowitz PGA of America mabramowitz@pgahq.com (561) 624-8458
Anthony Witrado PGA of America awitrado@pgahq.com (561) 446-4763
Hayley Wilson Alday PR hayley@aldaypr.com (865) 256-4295
Jeff Locke Communication Links jlocke@commlinks.com (480) 404-1973
Andy Hall ESPN andy.hall@espn.com (321) 402-3365
