Since its inception 30 years ago, players such as Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, David Toms, Michelle Wie have all competed in the Junior PGA Championship. Thirty years ago, The PGA of America established the Junior PGA Championship as the premier Championship for junior golfers, and 30 years later, the Westfield Junior PGA Championship still holds that title. Since 1976, more than 200,000 junior golfers have attempted to qualify for the Westfield Junior PGA Championship. A total of 2,757 of the best junior golfers have qualified and competed in the Championship during the past three decades, but only 60 have claimed the title of Junior PGA Champion.

Phil Mickelson was only a 16-year-old when he finished in a tie for third in the 1986 Junior PGA Championship, behind winner Brian Montgomery and Damien Jamila. Tiger Woods was looking for a win in the 1990 Junior PGA Championship, but Chris Couch foiled Woods' plans, shooting a course-record 9-under-par 63, to defeat Woods by 10 strokes. David Toms won the 1984 Junior PGA Championship with brilliant playing down the back stretch, foreshadowing his performance in the 2001 PGA Championship, where he claimed a one-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson. Toms became the first Junior PGA Champion to also win the PGA Championship.

Justin Leonard finished tied for second in the 1989 Junior PGA Championship, behind winner Bobby Collins. Even after shooting a 2-under-par 70 in the final round of the 1987 Junior PGA Championship, Jim Furyk could not claim victory and finished in fourth place. With the 1995 Junior PGA Championship shortened to 36-holes due to Tropical Storm Jerry, Cristie Kerr brought home a title after rounds of 70 and 68. In 1997, Beth Bauer became the third multiple winner of the Junior PGA Championship. Her first PGA Junior title came in 1994 when she was only 14 years old.

At the 1996 Junior PGA Championship, Grace Park finished with a 3-under-par 69, to hold off Beth Bauer and claim victory. Aree Song (Wongluekiet) defeated her twin sister, Naree, by four strokes in the 1999 Junior PGA Championship, to become the Championship's youngest winner at the age of 13.

Aree repeated her victory a year later, again defeating her sister, but only by one stroke that time around. Michelle Wie finished the 2002 Westfield Junior PGA Championship with a 2-under-par 69, but finished in a tie for sixth place -- 14 strokes behind winner In-Bee Park, who shot a 5-under-par 66 during both the first and fourth rounds.

Defending Champion Angela Park of Torrance, Calif., also shot a pair of 5-under-par 66s during the 2004 Westfield Junior PGA Championship, to win by 10 strokes. She may return to defend her title against returning players, such as Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ashley Freeman of Belleville, Ill., who finished in fourth and tied for fifth place respectively in 2004.

The 30th Anniversary edition of the Westfield Junior PGA Championship will be conducted July 13-16, 2005, at the Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio. Westfield Insurance has been the title sponsor and host of the Junior PGA Championship for the last five years, and the company looks forward to another great Championship this July.

Without a doubt, spectators to this year's Westfield Junior PGA Championship can claim to be witnesses to the future of golf.