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Invitational of the Year: #JRSolheimCup

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The 2013 PING Junior Solheim Cup has been awarded the American Junior Golf Association’s Invitational of the Year Award and Social Media Award. The event successfully brought together the best female junior golfers from around the world and connected the continents through outstanding media and social media presence.

Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am fundraising tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with the highest media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Junior All-Star tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. Awards will be presented at the J.R. “Digger” Smith Awards Banquet in Braselton, Ga., on March 8.

The biennial event showcased the future of the women’s golf at The Inverness Golf Club in Englewood, Colo., Aug. 12-14. Beginning with a press conference and formal opening ceremonies, the PING Junior Solheim Cup featured 12 female junior golfers from America versus 12 from Europe in two days of team match play. Adding to the excitement of an international event was the Solheim Cup, which was contested the following week. Many members of the professional teams were onsite to encourage and cheer on their respective junior teams.

Leading the American Team was World Golf Hall of Fame member Kathy Whitworth, while Janice Moodie served as captain of the European Team. Players interacted with the legendary coaches throughout the week, heeding advice and laughs during and following the rounds. The week officially ended with closing ceremonies where John Solheim, Chairman and CEO of PING, spoke and congratulated the players. In addition to a multitude of tee gifts, which included golf bags, Ralph Lauren attire, backpacks and shoes, players enjoyed their own locker rooms and front-row seats for the opening round of the Solheim Cup.

 Using the hashtag #JrSolheimCup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup garnered attention on Twitter from users across the globe, notching 2,657,833 impressions and reaching 394,467 accounts. Notable contributors to the conversation included accounts such as PING, the Ladies European Tour and the European Solheim Cup team. Additionally, the event Facebook album received more than 200 photo “likes” and served as an inclusive photographic story of the competition.

The interaction far outweighed any previous AJGA event’s digital conversation, thus earning the AJGA’s inaugural Social Media Award.

The 2015 playing of the event will take place in St. Leon-Rot, Germany, at the St. Leon-Rot Golf Club.

Complete list of 2013 Tournament Awards .