The Legends Junior Tour, a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association and the Northern and Southern Texas Sections of the PGA, was established in 2005 under the umbrella of the TGA foundation. By joining forces a tour was created that is the place for top-tier junior golfers to compete, and is unrivaled with respect to depth and quality of the starting fields, as well as providing access to some of the best courses in the state. Junior players, both male and female ages 12-18, who have exhibited the skill level necessary to compete on a more distinguished stage, have the opportunity to compete in professionally managed events conducted by the three leading golf organizations in Texas. In just a few short years, the Legends Junior Tour has grown into one of the largest in the country, annually conducting 24+ competitions across the state, and has become a model of cooperation for others to follow.
The Legends Junior Tour is home to such prestigious events as the HP Byron Nelson Junior Championship, the Jackie Burke Cup and the 81 year-old Texas State Junior Championship. A total of 22 premier tournaments are scheduled in 2009, including major events like the Tylerpaper.com Tour Championship and the George Hannon Invitational.
An important aspect of the Legends Junior Tour is that we are part of the AJGA Performance Based Entry process, with the majority of events on the schedule awarding AJGA Tournament Exemptions to top finishers.
Eligibility will be open to young men and women ages 19 & under, who meet the minimum handicap requirements and have distinguished themselves in local, regional, statewide and national competitions. The Legends Junior Tour will also serve as a natural progression for those players who have competed successfully in the NTPGA and STPGA's developmental junior series.
OBJECTIVES OF THE LEGENDS JUNIOR TOUR
- Utilize the strengths of the NTPGA, STPGA, and TGA to establish a professional, competitive environment where the state's best junior players can develop and demonstrate their skills
- Provide innovative resources and services to junior golfers in search of college scholarships
- Foster golf's fine traditions of integrity, character, self-reliance, and sportsmanship
- Recognize notable individuals from the past and present who have made a significant impact to the history of golf in Texas
- Continue to advance the game to a wide variety of people from all socioeconomic backgrounds
GOOD FOR THE GAME
The Legends Junior Tour was established under the umbrella of the Texas Golf Association Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1999 as part of an initiative to promote the game of golf and all of the personal and social skills the game provides to those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience all the benefits the game has to offer.
Proceeds generated from the Legends Junior Tour and our corporate partners provide for grants and scholarships. In addition, these funds support a number of worthy causes including the First Tee programs and the NTPGA run Golf-In-Schools program, which introduces elementary and middle school students to the game of golf through the physical education curriculum.
In four years, the Legends Junior Tour has donated more than $135, 000 to non-profit groups including the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the First Tee of Tyler, the First Tee of Dallas, the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Foundation, Shriners Hospital, the Neo-Natal ICU at Plano Medical Center and the Autism Society.
|
