AJGA Blog

Quantifying Opportunities

by Kristi Bradley, AJGA Communications

Easter weekend is one of the AJGA’s busiest times of the year. Take a look at some of the numbers…

4 = number of Easter weekend AJGA tournaments

     - TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior All-Star at Château Élan 

     - TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook hosted by Sean O'Hair

     - Goodman Networks Junior at Traditions

     - Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club

8 = number of newly-crowned AJGA champions

 

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54 = number of juniors who became Fully Exempt after participating in Easter tournaments

1,817 = total number of Performance Stars earned by AJGA players over Easter weekend

132 = number of first-time AJGA members who played over Easter weekend

44 = total number of juniors who earned entry into Easter events via TaylorMade-adidas Golf Qualifiers

40 = number of states represented in Easter tournament fields

79 = total number of AJGA staff members working (The entire AJGA staff works Easter weekend events and all three spring intern teams also assist with the implementation of these large tournaments).

198 = number of volunteers who spent time manning timing stations, driving shuttles and implementing FJ Live Scoring. Thank you to those who took the time to help over a holiday weekend!

1,016 = total number of playing opportunities for junior golfers at AJGA Easter weekend events. A number that speaks for itself and signifies the goal of the AJGA.

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

Stackhouse stacks up more honors

Mariah Stackhouse is a name seen often in golf media. It seems she’s always accomplishing something new, whether it be her LPGA debut or suiting up as a member of the victorious U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup Team.

This time, however, Mariah has branched out to the fashion and beauty media as well, and has been named one of Glamour magazine’s Amazing Young Women of 2011.

Each year, Glamour recognizes 10 women who have made a difference, whether it be within popular culture, politics, or volunteerism. Honorees range from Jennifer Lopez to Laura, Barbara and Jenna Bush.

The magazine also recognized 21 young women who are making a difference in their communities, in science and research, as well as in athletics. Mariah was honored thanks to several accomplishments, namely being the youngest winner of the Georgia PGA women’s championship. She was also the only African American to qualify for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.

For more information on Glamour’s Amazing Young Women of 2011, visit their website.

Shih collects golf balls for a worthy cause

At every AJGA event, all players in the field receive a dozen Titleist golf balls. At the Genesis Junior at White Beeches, one player did his best to give golf balls away.

 

After reading a letter on golf.com, Harrison Shih of Saddle River, N.J., made it his mission to support the troops in the best way he can.

“I read a letter from a staff sergeant stationed in Afghanistan talking about how he and his company like to relax by hitting golf balls into the mine fields outside of the base,” Shih said. “Obviously it is too dangerous for them to retrieve them, so he asked for a donation of used golf balls.”

Shih saw the Genesis Junior at White Beeches as an opportunity to amplify the impact from junior golfers by asking his fellow competitors in the field to participate.

“I’m not involved in any charities, but I figured that this one would be good because it is right up my alley,” Shih said. “This is something worthwhile that I wanted to get other people involved in. I got the members of my home club involved with it and I knew that this event was coming up.”

Shih encourages other players to realize that their used golf balls can serve a worthwhile purpose.

“I’ve got a bunch of golf balls just lying around the house, and I know that a lot of the other players in the field do as well,” Shih said. “I never know what to do with my old golf balls, because I don’t want to throw them away. So, I figured that this would be a good way to get them off of my hands while helping out the troops and supporting a good cause."

At the end of a competitive week at White Beeches Golf & Country Club, Shih was excited about the generous donations from his fellow-competitors.

“At the practice round, I was given two five-gallon buckets filled to the top with Titleist Pro-V1s and some really good golf balls,” Shih said. “I know another player donated about 60 golf balls by himself.

This is my first attempt at this project, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was hoping that it would be successful, and I’ve been proud of the support it has received. I can’t even imagine the stressful nature of being in Afghanistan. They do so much for us that the least we can do is give them our used golf balls.”

Over the course of the week, players at the Genesis Junior at White Beeches donated 1,200 golf balls, which Shih and his family will ship to Afghanistan.

To read Staff Sergeant Brandon Michael Edwards’s letter, and for more information on donating to this worthwhile cause, please visit the golf.com blog.

-Written by Andrew LeSaicherre, AJGA Communications

A chance encounter with the game of golf

Lieutenant Joe Caley went from being unfamiliar with the game of golf to hitting hundreds of golf balls a week. Stepping out onto a golf course to hit balls from the range didn’t come easy to wounded solider, but playing golf was a chance wounded soldiers like Caley were willing to take.

From September of 2009 until now, Caley’s opinion on golf has changed. As founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Green 2 Green Foundation, golf has inspired Caley along with other wounded soldiers. The Green 2 Green Foundation provides aid to men and women who are transitioning from serving in war and being injured to adapting back to civilian life. Green 2 Green was selected as the benefiting charity of the AJGA’s E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship presented by Electrolux. Many Green 2 Green Foundation members participated in the Jim Hudson Lexus Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, Monday, July 25, along with multiple foundation members volunteering throughout the week.

Over time golf became much more to Caley than a sport at which he strived to be good. Caley thrived on the idea of spending less time in the hospital room and more time on the driving range. Golf has served as a means of rehabilitation, fellowship and progress to Caley and other wounded soldiers who strive to overcome their physical and mental wounds from war while transitioning back into civilian life.

“Golf gave me an outlet away from the hospital and away from the world where you can’t do this and can’t do that,” Caley said. “I started realizing golf was a very inclusive sport at any age or ability.”

Green 2 Green Foundation was offered a $5000 check from the AJGA E-Z-GO Vaughn Taylor Championship presented by Electrolux at the Jim Hudson Lexus Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament Reception on Monday evening. 

“We are all about the soldiers,” said Ligé Haab, Green 2 Green Foundation Director of Marketing and Public Relations.  “These soldiers have given so much and people don’t realize that coming home isn’t where their duty ends.”’

Today over 2,000 soldiers participate in adaptive golf through the Green 2 Green Foundation and the numbers only continue to grow as wounded soldiers take a chance encounter with the game of golf.

For more information on Green to Green, click here to read coverage from Augusta's WRDW.

- written by Denae Olberding, AJGA Communications

Bauchou, Cox set record for longest Boys’ playoff in AJGA history

After posting the same scores in all three rounds of the Cleveland HealthCare Foundation Junior (71-70-67), Zachary Bauchou of Forest, Va., and Chad Cox of Charlotte, N.C., competed in a record-setting eight-hole playoff at Deer Brook Golf Club. The two broke the seven-hole record that was held by Jesse Mueller of Mesa, Ariz., and Brett Tobyne of Lakewood, Calif. (1999 Aspen Junior Classic).

The memorable playoff took place on No. 18 and gave spectators in Shelby an exciting finish to a great tournament. On the 423-yard par-4, the hole was in the back left corner of the green just above a treacherous ridge. Both juniors had several looks at birdies, but weren’t able to convert on a tricky green.

“The first couple times around were really nerve racking,” Bauchou said. “After a few times around I got in my comfort zone.”

After both juniors made seven straight pars, the eighth attempt was the one that sealed the victory for Bauchou, though it didn’t come easy. He was able to stay in rhythm by making his eighth straight par for the win as birdies were nowhere to be found in the playoff.

“It (No. 18) was such a tough pin location,” Cox said. “I knew it was going to be hard to make birdies, however, I felt like I was striking the ball great and played pretty well.”

The lengthy playoff was not only an AJGA record but also the first AJGA victory for Bauchou. The Virginia native was shocked he won the playoff with a par but feels this win will give him the experience he needs to win more tournaments.

“I’ve never finished this high in an AJGA event,” Bauchou said. “It’s very special to win since it’s a great tournament with a great field. It gives me a lot of confidence knowing I can play and win at the highest level and it’s definitely a confidence booster.”

Written by Nick Moreland, AJGA Communications

"Birdies for Bradley" to unite Wyndham Cup teams

Bradley Johnson never played in a Wyndham Cup. Chances are, the runner-up at the 2005 U.S. Junior would have earned a coveted spot on the East team in the summer of 2006 had he not been fatally injured in a car accident in March of that year.

Five years later, however, his little brother is getting a chance to do just that. Next week, Michael Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., will suit up in the traditional red of the East team, and every birdie he makes will not just benefit his team, but also will pay tribute to his brother. And actually, the birdies of many Wyndham Cup participants will do just the same thanks to a program called “Birdies for Bradley.”

After Bradley’s untimely passing, his parents, Sheri and Hugh Johnson, began the Bradley Johnson Memorial Foundation, which has a mission to help provide junior and collegiate golfers with the financial resources to play competitive golf. Through this foundation, the Johnson’s have committed to endow an ACE Grant, which will help an AJGA member from Alabama compete in national events. 

“Birdies for Bradley” will help fund that ACE Grant.

Wyndham Cup participants are currently taking pledges for each birdie they make at the match play event, as well as one-time donations. Regardless of East or West, red or blue, the Wyndham Cup will unite these players in an effort to help bring the game of golf to someone else, all in the name of someone who truly treasured the sport.

Bradley was a Rolex Junior All-American and finished runner-up to Kevin Tway
at the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

“I think this shows a lot of good teamwork,” East team member Jaye Marie Green said. “I think we can make a lot of birdies, and I know we will.”

Green knows the important of the ACE Grant, and “Birdies for Bradley” has proven to be her chance to give back to a program that has helped her navigate junior golf.

“The ACE Grant opens up so many doors. It’s the best thing that has happened to me and I wouldn’t be where I am without it,” Green said. “It’s good to know that I’m helping at least one person to have the same experience I have had.”

If you are interested in making a pledge or a one-time donation through the “Birdies for Bradley” program, please contact Beth Dockter (bdockter@ajga.org) at (678) 425-1758.

Chipping Like a Champion

After Wednesday’s second round of the Under Armour®/Steve Marino Junior All-Star Championship, PGA TOUR professional Steve Marino showcased his skills in a clinic that was put on for the juniors.

Marino also answered questions from juniors and parents about his career, his new fitness routine and how he doesn’t freak out when he’s playing well. He even brought up a game he likes to play.

“I mentioned something during the clinic about how I practice my chipping and that I enjoy playing 21 with my friends,” said Marino, who earned Rolex Junior All-America honors in 1997.

After the clinic, Ryan Celano of Naples, Fla., challenged Marino in a friendly competition.

In the game 21, players take turns chipping two balls, and whoever is closer to the hole earns one point for each ball closer than his or her opponent, and if a player makes a shot they earn five points.

“I was just letting him get his confidence up,” Celano said jokingly. “He’s got to have confidence going into the PGA, and he doesn’t need to be beaten by a kid.”

Perhaps it wasn’t Marino that needed the boost of confidence, but Celano instead. Celano was in a three-way tie for the lead going into Thursday’s final round, but eventually broke away and came out on top.

“I birdied two of the last three holes with Steve watching,” Celano said. “I impressed him.”

Marino was indeed impressed, especially on No. 18 when Celano set up a birdie putt after hitting out of a fairway bunker.

“I don’t know if I want a piece of him anytime soon,” Marino said. “His confidence is so high now that he might take me down in that 21 chipping match.”

Written by Tim Wing, AJGA Communications

Young golf careers converge at the WAPL

The quarterfinals are set at the Women’s Amateur Pub Links Championship, and all eight players remaining are AJGA alumni or current players.

• Cheyenne Woods (Phoenix, Ariz.) vs. Annie Park (Levittown, N.Y.)
• Brianna Do (Lakewood, Calif.) vs. Stephanie Kono (Honolulu, Hawaii)
• Marissa Dodd (Allen, Texas) vs. Sally Watson (Earlsferry, Scotland)
• Tiffany Lua (Rowland Heights, Calif.) vs. Brittany Altomare (Shrewsbury, Mass.)

The average age of the eight players is 19.25 years old (with a range of 16 to 21), so it’s not a surprise to learn that their golf careers have already intersected on several occasions:

• Marissa Dodd, a 2011 graduate, has signed an NLI with Wake Forest and will join Cheyenne Woods on the women’s golf team in the fall.
• Tiffany Lua, Brianna Do and Stephanie Kono are teammates at UCLA and helped the Bruins claim their third NCAA Women’s Golf Championship in 2011.
• Lua, Do, Woods, Kono and Brittany Altomare were all Rolex Junior All-Americans in 2005. In all, the quarterfinalists combined for 17 Rolex Junior All-America honors during their AJGA careers.
• Do, Kono and Lua competed for Team USA at the 2007 PING Junior Solheim Cup, while Sally Watson was part of the victorious European Team.
• Do and Kono went head-to-head twice during their junior careers, with Kono winning both matches:
  • Kono def. Do, 3 and 1, 2006 U.S. Girls' Junior (second round)
  • Kono def. Do, 6 and 5, 2006 Polo Golf Junior Classic (second round)
• Lua def. Watson, 5 and 3, at the 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior (second round)

The WAPL champion has been an AJGA alum five of the last six years, and the trend is certain to continue in 2011.

Walsh makes first career hole-in-one

Kailey Walsh of Boca Raton, Fla., was 1-under-par after her first seven holes in Wednesday’s second round of the AJGA Florida Junior when she came up to the tee on the par-3 17th.

After No. 17, she was 3-under-par. She had made her first hole-in-one.

“When it first hit the green, I didn’t know if it was going to check back at all, and it did,” she said. “I hit my 7-iron about 3 inches past the hole and it rolled back into the hole,” she said. “I never expected that to happen.”

When the ball dropped, there were only a handful of witnesses: the timing station volunteer, a parent, a coach, the shuttle driver, and just one of her playing partners.

“Only me and one of my playing partners saw it, the other one was in her bag,” Walsh said. “We were excited and the other one was like, ‘What happened!?’”

This was Walsh’s first hole-in-one of her career, but she’s been close before.

“You have a couple that are just inside of a foot and just sit on the edge, but none made it until today,” she said.

Walsh finished the second round with a 1-under-par 71 and has jumped into third place at 3-over-par 147. She is three strokes behind the leader, but maybe another ace can help her move to the top.

“I hope I can do it again tomorrow,” Walsh said. “I will try my best.”

Written by Tim Wing, AJGA Communications