The Under Armour® / Jordan Spieth Junior Championship returned to Trinity Forest Golf Club for the third time this week from June 24-27, 2019. This marks the fifth time that Under Armour® and Spieth have co-hosted an AJGA tournament in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the event is a 54-hole stroke play format with 78 junior golfers from around the world. Junior Golf is one of four charitable avenues that Spieth focuses on through the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation.
“I love this event; I always have a great time with the juniors,” Spieth said. “It really doesn’t feel like too long ago when I was in their shoes. Under Armour and the AJGA work hard to make this a first-class event, and it’s something I put on my calendar early in the year.”
On Tuesday, Jordan hosted a clinic for those participating in the event. He spent time talking about his memories and takeaways from junior golf, hit a few requested exhibition shots and participated in a closest to the pin contest with two female and two male junior golfers, with one of the young men walking away the winner over Spieth. Before leaving, participants took away signed pin flags from the three-time Major Champion as well as countless “selfies”!
The tournament is highlighted by notable champions from both the Boys and Girls Divisions. LPGA rookie Kristen Gillman won the event in 2016, while current Rolex Junior All-American and Stanford University verbal commit Sadie Englemann took the title in 2017. Rising University of Texas at Austin sophomore Pierceson Coody took the Boys Division in 2016 with rising Southern Methodist University sophomore Charles Osborne winning the following year.
The field includes players from 14 states and 3 countries. Local players in the field this week include the following: Key Coker Jr. (Dallas, Texas), Randall Fojtasek (Dallas, Texas), Henry Frizzell (Frisco, Texas), Crosby Guercio (Frisco, Texas), Michael Heidelbaugh (Dallas, Texas), Dawson Ovard (Frisco, Texas), Jenson Rogenes (Frisco, Texas), and Meagan Winans (Richardson, Texas).
Trinity Forest Golf Club has been the home of the PGA TOUR’s AT&T Bryon Nelson for the past two years. The golf course was designed by Bill Coore and Texas native, Ben Crenshaw, and named for World Golf Hall of Fame member and Texas native Byron Nelson.
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. AJGA alumni include Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.
The tournament begins like a PGA TOUR or LPGA Tour event with an 18-hole AJGA Qualifying Tournament held on Sunday, June 23rd at Cedar Crest Golf Course. This gives players the opportunity to “play their way in” to the main tournament. Monday will feature the official practice round and Junior-Am fundraising tournament.