One of the world’s most prestigious junior titles is on the line this week at The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf, and TPC Sawgrass General Manager Bill Hughes added even more incentive and prestige Thursday night.
During his closing remarks at the Golf World Media Presentation, Hughes proudly announced to the 78-player field that the champion of this year’s event will be given a sponsor's exemption to the Nationwide Tour's Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Presented by Planters.
“It goes to show that Winn Dixie is 100 percent behind the growth of the game of golf and in fostering an experience to one special junior golfer that will be a memory of a lifetime,” Hughes said. “I am humbled and thankful to Peter Lynch, President and CEO of Winn Dixie, for his tremendous support of The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.”
In 2010, Michael Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., was the first champion to earn the sponsor’s exemption and compete in the Nationwide Tour event. Now a freshman at Auburn, Johnson carded rounds of 74-73 – 147 and missed the cut in his professional debut.
The champion to-be will get a preview of the course he’ll compete on in 47 days, as Saturday’s second round will be played on Dye’s Valley Course, which also hosts the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Presented by Planters.
-Chris Richards, AJGA Communications
Comments