The PING Junior Solheim Cup, managed by the AJGA, is patterned after The Solheim Cup and features the top 12 U.S. girls versus their European counterparts. Following the competition, the 24 junior golfers will be guests of the Solheim family and PING at The Solheim Cup, which will be held at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., Aug. 21-23, 2009.

Aurora Country Club, established in 1914, was designed by world-renowned golf course architect Thomas Bendelow. The club has hosted numerous events, including: several U.S. Amateur Qualifiers, a 1984 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier, 1996 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier and a 2004 U.S. Open Local Qualifier. Aurora Country Club has also been the site of multiple Illinois Section of the PGA of America events such as The ACC Classic, Match Play Championship and Senior Stroke Play Championship.

"We are very fortunate to find such a wonderful course as Aurora Country Club to host our PING Junior Solheim Cup", said Stephen Hamblin, AJGA executive director. "This course will be a great test of golf for these very talented young women and it is also within close proximity of The Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms."

The only girls team event of its kind at the junior level, the PING Junior Solheim Cup is a PING tournament managed by the AJGA. The United States won the inaugural event in 2002, while the European side evened the series in Sweden in 2003. In 2005, the United States took the Cup again on U.S. soil. The 2007 event will be staged at Bastad Golf Club in Sweden, Sept. 10-12.

"The spirited competition during the week of The Solheim Cup and PING Junior Solheim Cup provides one of the most exciting weeks in golf," said John Solheim, chairman and CEO of PING. "We are thrilled to take the PING Junior Solheim Cup to an outstanding facility such as Aurora Country Club."

As part of the agreement, Aurora Country Club will also be the site of an AJGA Open Championship in July 2008.

PING, a long-time supporter of junior golf, is an Official Partner of the AJGA and will sponsor four events in 2007. PING designs, manufactures and markets a complete line of golf equipment including metal woods, irons, putters and golf bags. The family-owned company was founded in 1959 in the garage of the late Karsten Solheim, a mechanical engineer with an extensive background in the aerospace and computer industries. His frustration with his putting inspired him to design his own putter, which created a "pinging" sound when striking a golf ball. This sound was the source of the name now synonymous with innovation, quality and service throughout the world of golf. Solheim and his company are credited with numerous innovations that became industry standards, including perimeter weighting, custom fitting and the use of investment casting in the manufacturing of golf clubs. His insistence on adhering to strict engineering principles and tight manufacturing tolerances raised the level of product performance and quality throughout the golf industry. Solheim is the only person to be inducted into the World Golf — AJGA —

Hall of Fame as a golf club manufacturer. Today, the Phoenix-based company is under the direction of Solheim’s youngest son, John A. Solheim. PING game-improvement products can be found in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.pinggolf.com.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

The largest Association of its kind, the AJGA has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 foreign countries.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

For more information, please contact Tonya Oskarson (toskarson@ajga.org) in the AJGA Sponsorship Department at (678) 425-1743, or visit the AJGA Web site at ajga.org.