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TPC
Courses Add Flare to 2005 AJGA Schedule |
TPC
courses in Memphis and New Orleans to host junior golf's best |
By
John Egnot
Manager of Media Relations
By taking a glance at the 2005 AJGA schedule, it’s easy
to see that some of the nation’s greatest golf courses
will be on display during the upcoming year. The AJGA’s
tradition of securing the best of the best is one that the association
takes great pride in.
An event that took center stage during the 2004 season was the
Fore!Kids Junior at the TPC of Louisiana. This latest addition
to the TPC circuit will play host to the PGA TOUR’s Zurich
Classic of New Orleans for the first time in 2005.
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| The
TPC of Louisiana will host an AJGA Invitational in 2005. |
In
2005, the AJGA will return to the TPC of Louisiana in late September
for the Fore!Kids Top 100, a brand-new invitational event that
will feature the best that junior golf has to offer.
A Pete Dye design, the TPC of Louisiana sits across the Mississippi
River from New Orleans and stretches out to 7,300 yards. The
course opened in the spring of 2004 and has quickly become recognized
as another gem in the TPC network.
“Our relationship with the golf course is excellent,”
said local Tournament Chairman Bill Haws. “The Fore!Kids
Foundation is housed on-site and we have a very close working
relationship with them. The TPC of Louisiana is an excellent
golf course that will host a PGA TOUR event for the first time
this year, and we are looking forward to it.”
“Thanks to the support of the TPC of Louisiana, the AJGA
had the opportunity to share the facility in 2004 before the
PGA TOUR players will for their 2005 event,” said Peter
Ripa, AJGA assistant executive director. “Their commitment
to the success of the event was sincere. As the Fore!Kids Foundation
Top 100 elevates to an Invitational, we look upon our friends
at TPC of Louisiana as a partner in the championship.”
In 2005, the AJGA will conduct the True Temper/David Gossett
Junior Championship on yet another TPC course, the Tournament
Players Club at Southwind in Memphis, Tenn. The event, which
will be contested July 18-21, marks another step in securing
the greatest golf facilities in the country.
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| The
TPC at Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., is the latest in the
TPC circuit to appear on the AJGA schedule. |
The TPC at Southwind opened in 1988. The par-71 jewel boasts
water on 10 holes and 96 bunkers throughout the layout that
reaches just over 7,000 yards, presenting a beautiful challenge
to any golfer.
"We
at Southwind believed that supporting junior golf was the right
thing to do," said Blaine Merritt, general manager of the
TPC at Southwind. "We are looking very much forward to
the event. The juniors will enjoy this golf course because it's
one that's challenging but fun."
“To host our new True Temper/David Gossett Junior Championship
at the TPC at Southwind will be special for our members. We
have a great relationship with the host organization at the
FedEx St. Jude Classic as well,” Ripa said. “However,
we recognize our friend John Hugghins, who oversees the TPC
facilities, as a catalyst in making this possible. Again, we
view the facility as a partner in the championship.”
The TPC at Southwind also plays host to a PGA TOUR event, the
FedEx St. Jude Classic, which takes place May 26-29.
Other TPC courses have expressed interest in hosting AJGA events
in the near-future.
“The TPC facilities commitment to the AJGA goes beyond
the championships,” said Ripa. “Thanks to their
generous support, our Junior-Am’s will enable the AJGA
to raise more money for grass roots junior golf in these communities.”
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