ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia Golf Course, home to one of the country's premier collegiate programs, will host the second leg of the 2007 Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series, with a 54-hole event, June 6-8.
The field, which includes contestants from 22 states, is composed of boys and girls who are between the ages of 13 and 18, and have not yet begun college. Among the contenders expected to compete are last week's Series girls' 16-18 division winner, Cassandra Blaney of Lady Lake, Fla., and Robert Greenleaf of Makawao, Hawaii, the 2006 Boys' 13-15 Division Player of the Year.
The University of Georgia Golf Course is home to the Bulldogs' men's and women's golf teams. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 men's and 2001 women's NCAA Division I National Championships and is perennially one of the top-ranked golf programs in the nation. The newly-renovated golf course, which was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1969, features a Championship layout, with a noticeable change in slope and elevation. The University of Georgia Golf Course has hosted three NCAA Women's Championships and numerous men's and women's SEC Championships, as well as the 1997 PGA Junior Series.
Dave Cousart, PGA general manager and director of golf for the University of Georgia Golf Course, is a past president of the Georgia PGA Section. His wife, Kathy, is the executive director of the Georgia Junior Golf Foundation. In addition, their two daughters are past participants and graduates of the PGA Junior Series program.
"The last time we had a PGA Junior Series Event was nine years ago. We're excited to have the kids here," said Dave Cousart. "The golf course looks new after the recent renovation and I think the participants will like it."
This week's field of 100 players represent the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
The boys' 16-18 division champion and the girl with the lowest tournament total in either division will each earn an invitation to play in The PGA of America's premier junior showcase event – the Westfield Junior PGA Championship, Aug. 10-13, at Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio.
Since its debut in the summer of 1996, the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series has provided affordable and competitive playing opportunities for boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18 who have not yet started college. The Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series consists of 10 events played throughout the United States from May through August.
The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf, while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives and award-winning golf promotion. Today's PGA Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.
