AJGA, LDA Team Up For Two Long Drive Events

BRASELTON, GA - The AJGA, in conjunction with the Long Drivers of America, will host two RE/MAX Junior World Long Drive Championship qualifying events, the AJGA announced Tuesday.

It represents a perfect match: the best players in junior golf and the premier showcase for power golf.

AJGA members who receive invitations to the FootJoy Boys Invitational in Greensboro, N.C., and the Rolex Girls Junior Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla., will have the opportunity on Tuesday, June 14, to compete in qualifying events associated with the 2005 RE/MAX Junior World Long Drive Championship.

“We’re really excited to begin a relationship with the Long Drivers of America and the RE/MAX Junior World Long Drive Championship,” said Jason Etzen, AJGA executive vice president of development. “It is going to be a very fun and unique event that will showcase some of the best junior golfers in the world and their ability to rip it off the tee.”

Through an agreement between the AJGA and Long Drivers of America, winners of the long drive competition at the two AJGA Invitational events will earn spots in the RE/MAX junior finals, scheduled for August 10-13, 2005 at the National Sports Center in Minneapolis.

A field of 288 junior golfers will vie for RE/MAX long drive titles in eight age group divisions, four each for boys and girls. Champions will be crowned in the nine and under, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-18 divisions.

"Based on the remarkable performances we've seen from juniors during RE/MAX championship week in Mesquite (Nevada), we felt it was time to create a competition exclusively for junior golfers with its own regional qualifying events and own world finals," said Art Sellinger, LDA's chief executive officer. "It's amazing to see the speed and power junior golfers can create. I'm sure the AJGA standouts competing in these two special qualifying events in June will post the same kind of impressive numbers."

The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, which brings together the longest drivers in the world, has conducted the junior competition for three years.

"We invite all AJGA members and other junior golfers to participate in the inaugural RE/MAX Junior World Long Drive Championship," Sellinger said. "Besides the two AJGA events in June, we have an additional 34 regional qualifying events taking place between now and the first of August. Qualifiers will take place all across North America, so finding one within a particular geographic region won't be difficult."

What can AJGA members take part in their first official long drive competition expect to experience? According to Sellinger, they can count on having a real blast.

"Everyone who plays golf enjoys taking out the big stick and seeing how far they can move their ball off the tee," he said. "It's no secret that the driver is the most popular club in the bag, so we encourage every golfer, especially juniors, to tee it up and take a rip."

Information on the Long Drivers of America and the 2005 RE/MAX Junior World Long Drive Championship, including rules and regulations for the competition, can be obtained at www.longdrivers.com or by calling (888) 233-4654.

For more information, please contact AJGA Sponsorship Coordinator Matt Larson at (770) 868-4200.