The Texas Junior Golf Alliance recently partnered with the Volunteers of America Classic to give junior girls a chance to qualify for an LPGA tournament. Scheduled for Sept. 4-6, the 16-player match play qualifier will be played at the same site of the VOA Classic, Old American Golf Club in The Colony.
“One of our goals as an event is to impact the community in a meaningful way,” Octagon Senior Sales Director Brooke Lee said. “Allowing junior golfers from all over the region an opportunity to compete and win a spot into our tournament will continue to promote women’s golf in a positive light.”
The Volunteers of America Classic Girls’ Match Play Championship is for elite junior girls who will graduate high school no earlier than 2021. Players earn exemptions into the championship based on their performance throughout Texas Junior Golf Alliance events in 2020. The number of exemptions are divided among the Alliance partners as follows: seven from the Legends Junior Tour, four from the Northern Texas PGA’s All American Tour, four from the Southern Texas PGA’s Prestige Tour and one from the Houston Golf Association’s Performance Series.
The LJT exemptions include the winners of the Texas Girls’ Invitational (Ashley Yen), Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship on June 29-30 (TBD), Texas Junior Amateur on July 27-29 (TBD), George Hannon Junior Invitational on August 10-11 (TBD) and the top three players not already exempt on the Player of the Year Standings.
The NTPGA exemptions include the champions of The Challenge at The Tribute on June 8-9 (TBD), #WHOSNEXT Championship on June 15-16 (TBD), Fort Worth Junior Open on June 29-30 and the Azalea Trail Junior Classic on July 20-21.
“As a junior golfer, to have an opportunity to qualify and compete in an LPGA event in your home state is a bucket list item,” NTPGA Executive Director Mark Harrison said. “Every young lady who plays junior golf in Texas on the All American Tour, Prestige Tour or Legends Junior Tour should aspire to try and qualify to compete in the Volunteers of America Classic Girls' Match Play Championship.”
The STPGA exemptions include the champions of the Girls Junior PGA Championship Qualifier on June 8-9, Mid-Summer Showcase on June 22-23, Aggieland Classic on July 12-14 and Shootout in the Hills on July 20-21.
“We are always focused on providing our junior golf members a roadmap but more importantly unique opportunities to play at the next level,” STPGA Executive Director Thomas Hutton said. “An exemption like this will clearly motivate young ladies to work on their game and gain valuable experience within our programs.”
The HGA exemption will be extended to the winner of the Eddie Burke Sr. Young Houstonian on June 23-25 at Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring.
The single-elimination bracket will be formed by a random drawing conducted at the player’s dinner on Thursday, Sept. 3. The seven LJT qualifiers and HGA qualifier will be selected to fill one side of the 16-player bracket, while the four NTPGA and four STPGA qualifiers will fill out the other side of the bracket.
The first two rounds of the VOA Classic Girls’ Match Play Championship will be played on Sept. 4. The semifinal matches will take place the next day, and the Sept. 6 championship match will determine the LPGA exemption.
“The VOA Classic Girls’ Match Play Championship delivers on our vision of providing Texans with opportunities for world-class competition in their home state,” TGA Executive Director Stacy Dennis said. “Providing our juniors with an opportunity to experience an LPGA event is a unique opportunity to help inspire our players.”
Over the years, the Texas Junior Golf Alliance has produced many professional female golfers. Last year’s Volunteers of America Classic Champion, Cheyenne Knight of Aledo, played on the NTPGA All American Tour and was a two-time LJT champion. Other Texas Junior Golf Alliance alumna include two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, Kristen Gillman of Austin, and 12-time LPGA winner Stacy Lewis of The Woodlands.
The Texas Junior Golf Alliance extends its sincere appreciation to the Volunteers of America Classic for partnering to give these female junior golfers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Texas Junior Golf Alliance prides itself on growing the game and promoting women’s golf.
“The Volunteers of America Classic is excited to reward a young female athlete with the opportunity to play in a professional LPGA event and watch them learn from their experiences at our event,” Lee said. “We hope this will leave an everlasting impact on this young player and help them stay focused on their professional goals.”
The Volunteers of America Classic will be played one month after the qualifier at Old American Golf Club on Oct. 1-4. For more information on the VOA Classic Girls’ Match Play Championship, click here.
About the Texas Junior Golf Alliance: Formed in 2012, the Texas Junior Golf Alliance is a joint venture between the Texas Golf Association, Northern and Southern Texas PGA and Houston Golf Association. The ongoing mission of the partnership is to provide junior golfers a clear path to the best tournaments in Texas. In the Alliance, each of the three tier-two organizations (STPGA, NTPGA, HGA) run events that serve as qualifiers into the statewide tier-one events conducted by the TGA’s Legends Junior Tour, including the Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Texas Cup Invitational, Texas Girls’ Invitational and the Texas Junior Amateur.
