Moving from Local Events to Regional/National (AJGA)

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE READY TO START PLAYING STRONGER COMPETITION?

A few months ago I wrote about shifting from being a recreational golfer to a competitive one.

Once you have made that step, what’s next? Are you doing well in local/club events and do you want to see what else is out there? Do you want to see how you stack up against other junior players across your region? As you grow in the game and get older, it is only natural to start playing in larger events.

SO MANY JR. EVENTS, BUT WHICH ONES SHOULD I PLAY IN?

The good news – there are tons of options to play! Some simply require you to sign-up, others require status, and others have 1-day qualifiers to earn a spot in the field. Do some research for your area – some recommendations include the US Kids Regional Championships, Hurricane Tour, Tarheel Tour (east coast), and of course, the AJGA.

If you are looking for the strongest fields, where your play will get the most attention, the AJGA continues to have the best junior events.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE STARS!!!!!!

How do you gain entry into an AGJA event? First, anyone can become an AJGA member via their website ( https://www.ajga.org/ ), but joining the AJGA doesn’t guarantee you a spot in any of their tournaments. This is where the STARS matter. The AJGA leverages PBE (Performance Based Entry) – you earn PBE Stars by doing well in AJGA events or certain non-AJGA events. The easiest way to accumulate stars is to play in AJGA events, but this can be a catch-22 if you can’t get into any in the first place.

OK – I HAVE JOINED THE AJGA – HOW DO I WORK ON MY PBE?

This can be the challenge – you know you want to play in a couple of AJGA events, but how do you gain entry? I would recommend the following:

1. Look for Non-AJGA events that offer PBE Stars if you perform well – the AJGA has a PBE map that shows you events in your state that give you the opportunity to accumulate stars!! https://legacy.ajga.org/membership/pbe/map1.asp
2. Once you are a member of the AJGA, the first thing you should do is look for “AJGA Preview Series” events — these are designed for new members who are looking to play in their first tournament.
3. Look for qualifiers in your area — most AJGA events have a one-day qualifier the day before the actual event — this is not only a chance to gain entry into that event, but if you play well, you also earn PBE stars.
4. Finally, if you are between the ages of 12-15, focus on the AJGA Junior All-Star Series – these are tournaments for 15 & under and typically require fewer stars to gain entry

NOW, GET READY TO PLAY AGAINST THE BEST COMPETITION OUT THERE

These events will definitely test your skill.

My favorite story – my oldest son was playing in one of his first AJGA events in Georgia. It was a cool/windy day and he played pretty well, shooting in the low 70s. On the way back to the hotel, we pulled up the leaderboard and found out that a 15-year-old shot the course record that day — a smooth 63! In other words, bring your A-game!