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HP Scholastic Junior All-Americans Named by AJGA - October 2008

Twenty-four junior golfers honored by AJGA, HP for achievements on the golf course, in the classroom

Twenty-four of the nation's brightest minds and junior golfers were named to the HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team by the American Junior Golf Association and HP Tuesday. The 2008 team, sponsored for the 14th consecutive year by HP, consists of 12 young men and 12 young women who demonstrate the ability to excel both on the golf course and in the classroom.

To be eligible for the HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team, boys must have placed in the top 10 of an AJGA event, while girls needed a top-five finish. The selections were then based on grade-point average, class rank, SAT/ACT scores, leadership skills, community service and writing ability. Candidates were required to submit an essay or poem no longer than 400 words that creatively focused on the game of golf.

This year's overall essay winner was Katie Sylvan of San Diego, Calif. The Francis Parker School, where Sylvan is enrolled as a senior, will receive a computer compliments of HP.

These outstanding individuals will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet Nov. 23 at The Grande Ballroom at Ginn Reunion Resort in Reunion, Fla. By being named to this team, each player is also eligible to participate in the Polo Golf Junior Classic, one of the most prestigious events in junior golf, taking place Nov. 22-28 at Ginn Reunion Resort.

"HP is delighted once again to recognize academic excellence with the naming of the 2008 HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team," said John Dayan, vice president of marketing, Personal Systems Group Americas, Hewlett Packard. "The AJGA works hard to prepare young adults for life after high school by instilling honor, perseverance and good sportsmanship. HP is proud to be associated with the AJGA and this great group of young adults."

For more information contact Steve Ethun in the AJGA Communications Department at sethun@ajga.org or (678) 425-1786.

Click here to see the 2008 HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team!

Tournament Day
By Katie Sylvan

The alarm rings. As I strain to open my eyes, I can barely make out the blurred digits of the clock. It is five in the morning. The hotel room is pitch dark. I push open the curtains and look out towards the streetlight that is illuminating the cars in the parking lot below to check whether it is raining. I slip on my clothes that I have laid out the night before and grab the golf bag that is sitting by my bed. As I walk to the car, I feel a warm breeze against my face and hear the crickets chirping. My father is waiting for me in the rental car with a Starbucks coffee and blueberry muffin. We drive the five minutes to the golf course as I listen to my iPod.

We arrive at the golf course, which is still covered with dew from the previous night. My spot on the driving range is completely undisturbed. The sun is beginning to rise and the air is still as I begin my routine. The silence is broken by the rhythmic sound of my club hitting against the golf ball. Alone on the practice range, I am overcome by a sense of freedom and harmony with the environment that feels both spiritual and artistic. The way I see it, the ball is my canvas and the club is my brush. I am an artist.

Focusing on my target, I do not notice the others that arrive. Soon there is an orchestra of golf balls, small white dots scattered against a background of green. I stop to admire my work. Looking around, I see other artists busy with their own creations. I am filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement as I gaze out toward the oak trees that beckon me to the first tee.