Michigan Golf Journal March 2018

JUNIOR GOLF: FROM FUN TO SERIOUS By Tom Lang :ƵŶŝŽƌ 'ŽůĨ dŚĞ ƉĂƐƚ ƚǁŽ ĚĞĐĂĚĞƐ ŚĂƐ ƐĞĞŶ ĂŶ ĞdžƉůŽƐŝŽŶ ŝŶ :ƵŶŝŽƌ ŐŽůĨ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘ Thankfully there are chances for ŬŝĚƐ ƚŽ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ Ă ǁŝĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ďĞŐŝŶƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ pure joy and introductory side of ŐŽůĨ͕ ƚŽ ƚŽƵƌŶĂŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ :ƵŶŝŽƌ tours that promote advancing LJŽƵƚŚ ƚŽǁĂƌĚ ƚŚĞ ĂůŵŝŐŚƚLJ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ scholarship dream and possible career in the sport. ŶĞǁĞƌ ĞīŽƌƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ W' ŽĨ ŵĞƌŝĐĂ ĂŶĚ ƌƵŶ ůŽĐĂůůLJ ďLJ ƚŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ W' ^ĞĐƟŽŶ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ PGA Jr. League . The goal is to make golf accessible but also fun for any kid. Players compete as teams coached ďLJ Ă ůŽĐĂů W' ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů͘ dŚĞLJ ǁĞĂƌ ƚĞĂŵ ũĞƌƐĞLJƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽŶ ŝƚ ĂŶĚ ƉůĂLJ ŝŶ ƚǁŽͲƉĞƌƐŽŶ scramble formats to develop the ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƐŝĚĞ ŽĨ ŐŽůĨ͘ ^ŽŵĞ ƉůĂLJĞƌƐ ƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŵŽƌĞͲĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ :ƵŶŝŽƌ ƚŽƵƌƐ as their games improve but in the beginning the traits of fun, ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶ͕ ŐŽŽĚ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ĂŶĚ sportsmanship are pillars of the ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ͘ >ĞĂƌŶ ŵŽƌĞ Ăƚ͗ ǁǁǁ͘ pgajrleague.com dŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ W' ^ĞĐƟŽŶ ĂůƐŽ ŚŽƐƚƐ ƚǁŽ ŚŝŐŚůLJͲĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ Junior events ͗ dŚĞ ŽLJƐ ĂŶĚ 'ŝƌůƐ :ƵŶŝŽƌ W' ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ͘ The tournaments are played at ĞĚĨŽƌĚ sĂůůĞLJ 'ŽůĨ ůƵď ŶĞĂƌ ĂƩůĞ ƌĞĞŬ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ĚŝǀŝƐŝŽŶƐ ŽĨ 12 and under, and 13-18. The top- ƚǁŽ ƉůĂĐĞ ĮŶŝƐŚĞƌƐ ŝŶ ďŽƚŚ ŽLJƐ ĂŶĚ 'ŝƌůƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ EĂƟŽŶĂů W' :ƵŶŝŽƌ ŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉ ŝŶ >ĞdžŝŶŐƚŽŶ͕ <z͘ DŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽ Ăƚ͗ ǁǁǁ . michiganpgagolf.com/junior-golf/ junior-pga-championship/ . dŚĞ DŝĐŚŝŐĂŶ W' ^ĞĐƟŽŶ ĂůƐŽ administers a junior tour that