World's Best to Shine at Polo Golf Junior Classic
Junior golf's elite to compete in 32nd annual event

Yueer Cindy Feng (top left) and Rachel Morris (top right) combined for five AJGA victories during the 2009 season. Patrick Winther (bottom) will return for his title defense, while Emiliano Grillo (middle) will travel to PGA National fresh off a victory at The PING Invitational.

With a field that boasts the best junior golfers in the world, the 2009 Polo Golf Junior Classic is set up to be a powerful display of talent, heart and intense competition.

An AJGA tradition since 1978, the Polo Golf Junior Classic is junior golf’s premier event. The 2009 edition will feature 156 players, and each will vie to add their name to the impressive list of past champions that includes Hunter Mahan, Trevor Immelman, Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink, Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer, Vicky Hurst and Beth Bauer.

This year’s field represents the future of golf. In all, players from 11 foreign countries and 24 states will descend upon PGA National Resort & Spa’s Champion and Haig Courses in hopes of etching their name in the tournament’s storied history.

Jordan Spieth of Dallas headlines the Boys Division. The 2009 Rolex Junior Player of the Year won the U.S. Junior Amateur and finished second at both the Junior PGA Championship and the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods. He also picked up a fourth-place finish at the FootJoy Invitational and tied for fifth at The PING Invitational. A junior and two-time Rolex Junior All-American, Spieth is ranked No. 1 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

One spot behind Spieth in the Polo Golf Rankings is senior Bobby Wyatt of Mobile, Ala. Wyatt captured his first ever AJGA Invitational win at The Junior PLAYERS Championship in September. Also capturing a tie for third at the HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods, Wyatt is no stranger to competitive fields and will look to end the year in the same fashion it began.

Patrick Winther of Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., also will vie for a title at this year’s Polo Golf Junior Classic. Winther captured the 2009 HP Boys Championship at Carlton Woods after a sudden-death playoff with Spieth. He also secured a tie for ninth at this year’s PING Invitational. A first-team Rolex Junior All-American, Winther is ranked No. 4 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Emiliano Grillo of Bradenton, Fla., is coming off a win at The PING Invitational held in October. With a Polo Golf Ranking of No. 5, this Buenos Aires, Argentina, native has displayed just how dangerous he can be. Champion at the Junior World Golf Championship and top-10 finishes at three other AJGA Invitationals, Grillo will look to continue his streak at PGA National.

In the Girls Division, two-time Rolex Junior Player of the Year Victoria Tanco of Bradenton, Fla., will look to continue her strong history of Invitational success. A sophomore, Tanco qualified for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open and captured wins at the Mizuno Junior at Innisbrook and the Rolex Tournament of Champions. Tanco also tallied six additional top-10 finishes, including a second-place showing at The PING Invitational and a quarterfinal appearance at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

Yueer Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla., sits at No. 2 in the Polo Golf Rankings. The 13-year-old has made a statement in 2009 capturing wins at the McDonald’s Besty Rawls Girls Championship and the Thunderbird International Junior. With an appearance at the U.S. Women’s Open and four additional top-10 finishes, Feng will face familiar competition.

In the No. 3 spot in the Polo Golf Rankings, Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., brings experience to the Polo Golf Junior Classic. After advancing to the second round in 2008, Thompson will use her success in 2009 to propel her into the tournament. Thompson also took first-place finishes at the Laredo Energy Junior at Traditions, The Verizon Junior Heritage and the Junior PGA Championship.

Four-time Rolex Junior All-American Rachel Morris of Carlsbad, Calif., will bring experience and success to this year’s tournament. Ranked No. 4 in the Polo Golf Rankings, Morris compiled three victories in 2009, including her first Invitational win in dramatic fashion at The PING Invitational. With six additional top-10 finishes in 2009, Morris is no player to underestimate.