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Stephen
Hamblin Honored by Golf Digest Magazine
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AJGA
Executive Director receives Individual Golf Digest Junior
Development Award
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American
Junior Golf Association Executive Director Stephen Hamblin,
of Alpharetta, Ga., has been named the recipient of the 2005
Individual Golf Digest Junior Development Award in the magazine’s
May issue, which will be on newsstands April 12. Since 1984,
the junior development awards annually recognize an individual,
municipality, corporation, club and association for contributions
to junior golfers.
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| Hamblin
(right) poses with David Holzworth after the Mizuno Junior
at Chateau Elan. |
Hamblin, who has been with the Association for the past 21 years,
has helped guide the AJGA to unimaginable heights, including
a 2005 tournament schedule of 75 events in 33 states, a membership
expected to exceed 4,500 and a full-time staff of 48.
“This award recognizes all the successes of the AJGA,”
Hamblin said. “It is a testament to an organization that
has a philosophy of thinking outside the box, being creative
and truly being a service organization. I am extremely proud
of this Association and what we have accomplished in its 27
years.”
Under Hamblin’s direction, the AJGA has done more than
simply stage events for the nation’s premier junior golfers.
A clear mission to the AJGA was established: help give players
exposure to college golf scholarships. A simple and objective
system for gaining entry into AJGA events was created. An effective
and revolutionary pace of play system was crafted, allowing
participants to play in an average of four hours, 25 minutes.
Perhaps most importantly, a financial assistance program was
instituted to combat the costs of a national junior golf schedule
for players with the ability but not the financial means: the
Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant.
Other recipients of the Golf Digest Junior Development Award
include: Chicago (Municipality); Wal-Mart (Corporation); Cyprian
Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Mass (Club) – home to the
AJGA Fidelity Investments Junior Classic; and the Georgia State
Golf Association (Association).
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