Junior Golf: Fast Track To The Pga Tour

Junior golf at the elite level has never been more competitive

. Searching the web for national and regional junior tours yields a staggering number of organizations providing first class tournament competition for talented juniors. A strong case can be made that the explosion of golf tours catering to elite juniors will dramatically shorten the time frame required for a golfer to gain the skills needed to become a PGA Tour professional.

A trip to a major junior event these days is quite an eye opening experience. The premier junior golf event according to Golfweek is the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in Graniteville, SC. The tournament is comprised of an elite international field of fifty four junior players and is contested on the third rated course in South Carolina. It also has all the trappings of a major PGA tour event, including opening and closing ceremonies, leaderboards, corporate sponsors, and national television and media coverage. The inaugural 2011 event closing ceremony was keynoted by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, while the 2012 opening ceremony was led by former President George W. Bush. This type of heady environment helps prepare junior players for the pressure packed atmosphere of professional golf. One could hardly tell the difference between the swings on display at the Sage Valley practice range and those at PGA Tour events. Certainly the average junior event doesn't have the status of this particular tournament, however they still afford young players the opportunity to hone their skills on excellent golfing venues against quality competition. Prior to the explosive growth of national and regional junior tours, opportunities for younger players to compete were limited primarily to local events and high school golf matches.

It is becoming evident that today's elite junior player isn't intimidated by the opportunity to compete against PGA Tour professionals. The most recent example was the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco, CA. Three amateur players made the cut at the Open, including low amateur Jordan Spieth (tied 21st) who was a three time Junior All-American. Also making the cut, and actually leading the tournament at one point in the second round, was 17-year-old Beau Hossler, himself a two-time Junior All-American and a rising freshman at the University of Texas. The other amateur making the cut was two-time Junior All-American Patrick Cantlay, who as a rising sophomore at UCLA, fired a PGA record low amateur round of 60 at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut in 2011.

Golf may have an interesting parallel with prep basketball in that the ultra competitive AAU summer tournament circuit has helped young hoops stars dramatically accelerate their development. It is likely that the young guns from the junior tour ranks will continue to make inroads into professional golf at relatively earlier ages.

by: Alex Fortey

POST COMMENT

Dfense Partir De Votre Soleil: Jouer Au Golf Moins Difficile Junior Golf Competitors Of The U.s Open Can Teach Aspiring Golfers So Much Proper Golfing Etiquette Why Buy Custom Built Golf Clubs? Take Care Of Your Golf Grips For A Better Experience Graphite Golf Shafts V/s Steel Shafts How To Choose The Right Clone Golf Clubs Golf Accessories For Beginners Golf Cart Accessories Could Transform The Look Of Your Refurbished Cart Ways Top Find Best Schools For Golfing In Arizona Hr Management Can Golf Directly Impact The Students Performance How To Choose The Right Types Of Golf Clubs,why? Golf In Your Hen Weekends In Bournemouth