AJGA Blog

Fourth time’s a charm for Hak

The Club at Carlton Woods has hosted the HP Boys Championship since 2009, and Shun Yat Hak has been a part of all four. He’s the only player that can make that claim, and he capped his final appearance Monday with a tournament-clinching 69.

He is the third straight high school senior to capture the title (Bobby Wyatt, 2010; Jordan Spieth, 2011), and reminisced about what he learned from playing with so many great players over the years.

“With the way Jordan hit it last year, he also made a lot of putts. I was inside of him every time, but he always made it first and I missed mine,” said Hak, who played with Spieth in the final pairing of 2011. “This year what I did great was I made a couple more putts, maybe more than other people, and I hit some good iron shots and managed myself really well.”

Hak compiled a scoring average of 72.58 in 12 rounds at The Club at Carlton Woods, with his 3-under-par 69 being a career best.

“I wish I could never graduate high school because I really want to play this tournament every year. Thank you to the volunteers and all the sponsors because I think this is the best tournament on the AJGA,” he said.

- Written by Chris Richards, AJGA Communications

Behind the Scenes

What are the inner workings of a nonprofit office? Does the AJGA really incorporate all seven departments into their daily routine? The answer is simple…yes. 

Doing an in-house internship with the AJGA is an opportunity to interact on a professional and personal level with all of the staff. You are able to be a part of the “behind the scenes” in order to make the 90+ events successful on the road. You’re not getting coffee for the staff, you’re not being an office assistant. Instead you are actively working on projects and tasks that move the needle for the AJGA. There are five departments looking to provide five in-house internship opportunities as listed below.

· Player Services allows you to connect with each member (players and parents alike) on a personal level and helping them navigate the world of junior golf.

· Sponsorship you are activating, promoting and renewing sponsorships with companies that support the AJGA.

· Finance you are monitoring budgets and processing the finances of the company.

· Communications you are writing about events, designing materials to promote the AJGA’s schedule, and showcasing the success of the players on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

· IT you are actively working with each department and creating databases that aid in daily tasks.

Each department weaves in and out with one another to build the solid foundation of the AJGA’s mission of developing golf’s next generation, and you could be part of it!

Full job descriptions of each position along with dates and detailed information can be found at www.ajga.org/careers. The deadline for the in-house internship is February 24.

 

-Blog by Lauren Shelly, Manager of Recruiting and Special Events

HP Boys champ Spieth lands at top of college rankings

On Feb. 21, 2011, Jordan Spieth concluded his AJGA career with a win at the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods.  On Feb. 6, 2012, less than one year after his final AJGA appearance, Spieth moved into the No. 1 spot in the Men’s Collegiate Individual Golfweek / Sagarin Rankings.

For those counting, that’s 350 days.

Pretty quick turnaround for the Dallas native and University of Texas freshman, I’d say. With the collegiate season in full swing, Spieth has quickly cemented his place in college golf, and that place is at the top.

With his 2011 win at the HP Boys Championship
at Carlton Woods, Spieth added his name -
and a banner - to an illustrious list of past champions
including Tiger Woods, Kyle Stanley and Rickie Fowler.

As a junior, Spieth saw the top of the charts as well. He was named the Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2009 and was a first-team Rolex Junior All-America selection three consecutive years (2008-2010), in part due to his strong play at the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods during that time.

Spieth is also ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, second to UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay, another AJGA alum who had success at the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods. Cantlay finished fourth at the event in 2010, his final AJGA tournament.

Both Spieth and Cantlay are teeing it up at the PGA TOUR’s Northern Trust Open this week. Next year, that could be any of the 78 juniors competing at Carlton Woods this week. For those 78, the future is bright and the sky is limit. The road to success, however, winds through The Club at Carlton Woods’ Fazio Championship Course, or at least it did for Jordan Spieth.

-Written by Ashley O'Dell, AJGA Communications

The results are in

After one intense week of becoming students of the game, the AJGA staff has proudly returned to Atlanta following our PGA/USGA Rules Workshop with some newfound knowledge and a lot less stress.

My last post gave you a little taste of what we were going through in preparation for our final exam last Thursday, now it is time to brag a little bit on what we accomplished.

The ultimate goal of the exam is to score a 92 out of the possible 100 points on the exam, which gives that individual the highest possible certification from the PGA and USGA. Amazingly, the 20 full-time AJGA staff was able to average the coveted 92, which is only achieved by a small percentage of attendees at these workshops.

Two staff members enjoyed an extra-special week in Houston. Senior Tournament Director Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana was able to join the AJGA’s “One Hundred Club” for the first time, and Tournament Director Annie Giangrosso went “back-to-back” and secured 100 for the second consecutive year.

In all, four new staff members passed for the first time bringing the staff-wide total to 29 certified rules officials, including 15 tournament directors.

Regardless of the individual results, we all have learned a ton over the last two months and are prepared for the upcoming season. When you find yourself in a sticky situation this year, be sure to track down the nearest AJGA Rules official to get you back in the game!

Till next year…

-Blog by Casey Ceman, AJGA Tournament Director

#GOTIME

And the time has come…the 2012 PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Examination.

After a final supper at Outback Steakhouse last night followed by a couple hours of studying and a good night’s sleep, we have arrived at the Houston Marriott North ready to take on the beast.

We have about 45 minutes until the scantrons and no. 2 pencils are passed out and the room is starting to fill with the 80+ attendees at our workshop. I am starting to feel bad for our “professors” as it seems they can’t get a cup of coffee without being bombarded with last-minute questions.

100 questions, 3.5 hours and a couple migraines are en route without question. I think we are all starting to remember what it is like to be back in college! I hope everybody has an enjoyable morning and make sure to check back to see how we all fared!

 

-Blog by Casey Ceman, AJGA Tournament Director

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

Blog post by Samantha Hirshberg, a first-year Tournament Coordinator with the American Junior Golf Association

The game of golf put simply is to play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies. If only it were that simple. Two months ago, I was handed a 600+ page book that throws the word “simply” right out the window. The Decisions on the Rules of Golf. A book combined by the USGA and R&A to help millions of golfers around the world better understand how the Rules are applied and interpreted. Our job is to study and learn the text within these 600 pages.

Andrew Greenfield, the Director of Rules and Competitions, puts together an in-house rules school that the Operations Department attends each morning for two months. The goal is to better prepare us for not only the PGA/USGA Rules Workshop, but also for the 96 events the AJGA will host in 2012. His in-house rules school leads into a three-day long rules workshop put on by the PGA and USGA, culminating a three and a half hour, 100-question exam.

Currently we are heading into our final day of the PGA/USGA Rules Workshop before the exam. I was unsure what to expect heading to Houston to attend this workshop, which had received so much hype and attention. What I have found is that the AJGA has not only set the precedent and standard within the golf industry in such categories as pace of play and hydration, but also in how we present ourselves. A first-year attendee to the workshop will soon learn when the AJGA is present. We bring more employees than any other organization, we show up early and stay late, we dress the part, we sit in the front row and we consistently perform well on the exam. This dedication and passion for what we do is what sets the AJGA apart from any other golf organization.

Unplayables and Hazards and Obstructions, Oh My!

Toto, we’re not in Georgia anymore. This is the case for 20 AJGA tournament directors that traveled out to Houston, to attend the PGA/USGA Rules of Golf Workshop.

Although the workshop is the time we all want to shine and score the coveted 92 or better on the Rules Exam, it is merely the culmination of much hard work and dedication that has been put in the past eight weeks. Since early December, AJGA tournament directors have gathered in the board room each and every morning from 8 – 10 a.m. (don’t be a second late, or you will be providing breakfast for everybody the next day!) to comb the 600+ pages that compose the Rules of Golf  Decisions Book. How’s that for a headache to start your day?

Now that the studying and preparation has been completed, it’s show time! Here’s a quick breakdown of the past 48 hours…

Sunday, February 5

7:00 a.m. EST – AJGA staff assembles at the National Headquarters in Braselton, Ga., to load up three conversion vans, an SUV, two trucks and a 16-foot trailer with all necessary goods for our weeklong trip. Time to hit to road!

1:20 p.m. CST – Frosty or no frosty? Quick stop off at Wendy’s in Mobile, Ala., for a bite to eat and some time to stretch the legs a bit. There is some bickering as to who has won the most games of NBA Jam during the first seven hours in the vehicles.

6:09 p.m. CST – Tournament Director Rachel Graves wins the first quarter of the Super Bowl squares pool as the Giants lead the Patriots 9-0.

9:34 p.m. CST – The caravan pulls into Houston just after the Giants pull out the victory in Super Bowl XLVI. The staff checks into the hotel and hits the sack in preparation for the first day of the workshop.

Monday, February 6, 2012

8:00 a.m. CST – The big day has come! We all arrive dressed in our finest business attire ready to show what we are made of. After getting registered and putting away some breakfast, we take our seats and begin the workshop.

8:25 a.m. CST – Our three marvelous instructors, Ron Hickman (PGA), Genger Fahleson (USGA/IGA) and Brad Gregory (PGA), have finished their introductions. Between the three of them, they have rules officiated at all four Major Championships and 12 of the 13 USGA Championships, not to mention something called the Ryder Cup. Boy do we have a lot to learn!

11:55 a.m. CST – After covering Rules 1 and 13 in addition to all the important definitions that comprise the Rules of Golf, we break for lunch to try and make sense of everything.

4:50 p.m. CST – Eight grueling rules later, the day has finally come to a close and we head back to our hotel for the evening…but don’t think the day ends there! Rules guru Andrew Greenfield (AJGA Director of Rules & Competitions) will be leading a review session in the hotel lobby to cover everything we learned during the day.

11 p.m. CST – Lights out and time to catch up on some sleep…another fun-filled day is just around the corner!

Be sure to keep checking in on the AJGA blog as I will be posting  daily updates from Houston as we battle through the Rules and prepare for the big test on Thursday morning!

-Blog by Casey Ceman, AJGA Tournament Director

King of the Island

“Whenever you see Jack Nicklaus in the airport, you say ‘Hi Mr. Nicklaus,’ never ‘Hi Jack.’ Unless you want to be arrested.” This was just one small bit of the inspired wisdom provided by Chi Chi Rodriguez to the 79 boys playing this week at the Puerto Rico Junior Open.

The Puerto Rico native took some time to come out to Trump International Golf Club this week to speak to the field and put on a clinic following the first round. Rodriguez entertained the crowd with stories about his idols Ben Hogan and Mother Teresa and reliving his biggest thrill in golf; winning the Denver Open Invitational.

With his brilliant charisma we have come to love and adore, Chi Chi emphasized the importance of honesty and integrity while always believing in yourself. Rodriguez reminded the players that “a hero dies only once, but a coward dies every single day,” as they prepared to tee it up this week in search of the coveted exemption into the Puerto Rico Open that will be awarded to the champion.

Each and every junior was able to soak up guidance and advice from the legend that won eight times on the PGA TOUR and 22 times on the Champions Tour, something they will never forget. Thanks to Chi Chi for being a great role model for all of us and an even better ambassador for the game of golf!

-Photo and blog by Casey Ceman, AJGA Tournament Director

Traveling volunteer

Get up. Drive to the course. Check in. Grab a donut. Fill the coffee cup. Pick up a radio. Man your station.

Such is life of an AJGA volunteer.

Unless you’re Gloria Dodd. Then it’s…

Pack a suitcase. Hop on a plane. Check into hotel. Get up. Drive to the course. Check in. Grab a donut. Fill the coffee cup. Pick up a radio. Man your station.

Dodd, a retired IRS employee, is from Madison, Mississippi. And she loves golf.

Why is she here you ask? She loves volunteering.

“I learned of the ANNIKA Invitational when I was volunteering at the 2011 Solheim Cup in Ireland,” Dodd said. “I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see these young girls play. They’re very impressive.”

I would say that traveling from Mississippi to Florida just to volunteer is pretty impressive. If you see Gloria (Live Scoring on No. 18), be sure to thank her!

PRGA girls, Clark win Junior-Am

The Puerto Rico Junior Open is an all-boys tournament this year, but the second-year event crowned three girl champions Friday afternoon.

Gabriella Cidras, Valeria Llovet and Paola Diaz, all 16-year-olds from Puerto Rico, teamed with Wyndham Clark and won the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament with a 10-under-par 62.

Each player is part of the Puerto Rico Golf Association’s junior program, which is dedicated to the overall growth and development of junior golf in Puerto Rico.

“I think it’s the most challenging sport, both mentally and physically,” said Cidras, who is currently No. 2 in the PRGA’s junior rankings.

The girls said that playing with the ninth-ranked player in the Polo Golf Rankings was a bit nerve-wracking, but they learned from the Oklahoma State-bound senior.

“He’s very into his game and he didn’t get mad after one shot, he just tried another one,” Diaz said. “His attitude was really good. I think my attitude can change a little bit and that’s going to help me with my game.”

-Written by Chris Richards, AJGA Communications