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12 All-Star Teams to Compete National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship
Published on
Twelve All-Star teams of junior golfers punched their tickets to the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, Oct. 7-10, after winning their respective Regional competitions in September.
For the first time, the Championship will be broadcast live, with coverage on: ESPN2 and ESPN+ on Friday, Oct. 8; ESPNEWS and ESPN+ on Saturday, Oct. 9; and ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 10.
“For the players and their Captains, Coaches and families, the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship will deliver an amazing experience that they will always treasure,” said PGA of America President Jim Richerson. “Fun and teamwork are at the heart of PGA Jr. League, and these qualities will certainly be on display at Grayhawk Golf Club. That's why the PGA of America and our PGA Professionals are extremely proud to present this very special Championship live for the first time ever on the ESPN family of networks.”
The eight-player All-Star teams represent 12 states at the Championship, including:
Team California - Encinitas (California) Ranch Golf Course
- Captain: John Mason,PGA
- Coach: Jackie DeWald-Mason
- 2015 and 2018 National Champions
Team Connecticut – Torrington (Connecticut) Country Club
- Captain: Bob Sparks, PGA
- Coach: Jim Bunel
- Third consecutive Championship appearance
Team Florida - Marriott Golf Academy (Orlando)
- Captain: Cori McAuliffe, LPGA
- Coach: Jeff Beaver
- First Championship appearance
Team Illinois - Cog Hill Golf & Country Club (Lemont, Illinois)
- Captain: Kevin Weeks, PGA
- Coach: Clayton Pendergraft, PGA
- Fifth consecutive Championship appearance
Team Minnesota - TPC Twin Cities (Blaine, Minnesota)
- Captain: David Branstad, PGA
- Coach: Tony Serpico, PGA Associate
- Third consecutive Championship appearance
Team New Jersey - Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club (Bedminster, New Jersey)
- Captain: Jeremy Eccles, PGA
- Coach: Shannon Fish
- First Championship appearance
Team North Carolina - Waterford Golf Club (Charlotte)
- Captain: Brent Reneau, PGA
- Coach: Mike Abate, PGA
- Second consecutive Championship appearance
Team Oklahoma - Battle Creek Golf Club (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)
- Captain: Amanda Fisher, LPGA
- Coach: Cary Cozby, PGA
- Second consecutive Championship appearance
Team Pennsylvania - Westwood Golf Club (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania)
- Captain: Troy Williams, PGA
- Associate Coach: Jason Higginbotham
- First Championship appearance
Team Tennessee - Clear Creek Golf Club (Bristol, Virginia); Blackthorn Club (Jonesborough, Tennessee); Pine Oaks Golf Club (Johnson City, Tennessee); and Cattails and MeadowView (Kingsport, Tennessee)
- Captain: Casey Barnes, PGA
- Coach: Duncan Hill, PGA Associate
- First Championship appearance
Team Texas - Brookhaven Country Club (Dallas)
- Captain: Joey Anders, PGA
- Coach: April Pyle
- First Championship appearance
Team Utah - Thanksgiving Point Golf Club (Lehi, Utah)
- Captain: Tele Wightman, PGA
- Coach: Jeff Pedersen
- First Championship appearance
The National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship kicks off Thursday, Oct. 7, with a fun Skills Challenge and Welcome Party hosted by National Car Rental. Play begins Friday (Oct. 8) with an 18-hole team aggregate stroke play scramble, counting the top three of four pair scores per nine holes. On Saturday (Oct. 9), the same format and scoring is followed, and the 18-hole totals from both days will be combined for a 36-hole aggregate team total.
The final four teams are seeded based on their Friday and Saturday performance and will compete in head-to-head match play in the semifinals on Sunday (Oct. 10). The two winners will then face each other in the Championship match in the afternoon, while the other two teams will compete for third place.
ESPN will air six hours of live coverage across ESPN2 and ESPNEWS Friday through Sunday, in addition to two hours on ESPN+ Friday and Saturday. On-air talent includes PGA Honorary President and PGA Jr. League Captain Suzy Whaley, Michael Collins, Andy North, and Taylor Zarzour. Collins and North were on-site for the 2019 Championship, which was taped and aired as a two-hour highlight show on ESPN2. The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Friday, Oct. 8
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (8 a.m.-10 a.m. MT) – ESPN2
- 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MT) - ESPN+
Saturday, Oct. 9
- 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET (8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. MT) - ESPNEWS (Re-airing on ESPN2 at 3 a.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 10)
- 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MT) - ESPN+
Sunday, Oct. 10
- 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. MT) - ESPN2
National Car Rental was named the inaugural title partner of the Championship Season in February. PGA Jr. League’s biggest corporate partner since 2018, as well as an Official Partner and the Official Rental Car of the PGA of America since 2012, National’s new title partnership aims to continue fueling meaningful growth of PGA Jr. League and supporting the program’s endeavors to welcome more kids to the game.
Beginning with Section Qualifiers and Championships held by all 41 PGA Sections, winners advanced to the Regionals, which is the penultimate event for 13u All-Star teams competing for the 12 spots in the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship (players are no younger than 10 years of age and no older than 13 years of age as of July 31, 2021). The picturesque Grayhawk Golf Club has hosted the Championship since 2016, where it will remain through 2022.
PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of the PGA of America’s 501(c)(3) foundation, PGA REACH, with the goal of making the program accessible to all youth regardless of background, circumstance or ability. This year to date, more than 2,800 scholarships have been awarded to players who qualified for financial assistance or were from military families. Additionally, donations through the newly-launched PGA Jr. League Scholarship Fund have positively impacted more than 850 players.
Boys and girls ages 17 and under learn and play golf on teams, wear numbered jerseys and receive expert coaching from PGA Professionals. This year, approximately 64,000 players have participated in PGA Jr. League, and the fall season is ongoing through the end of the year.
New in 2021, 17u All-Star teams (players are no younger than 14 years of age and no older than 17 years of age as of July 31, 2021) were also formed from a combination of players in each league to compete in the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship Season. Competing 17u All-Star teams concluded their Championship Season journey at the Regionals to determine the age division’s inaugural champion.
For more information about PGA Jr. League and the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship, visit PGAJrLeague.com.
