The 2016 Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts will be played in Pleasanton, California, from July 5 - 8. The Invitational – put on in conjunction with Yani Tseng and the Swinging Skirts – will be the first at Ruby Hill Golf Club since the 2013 AJGA Junior at Ruby Hill.
With 15 Rolex Junior All-Americans and 35 AJGA champions, the 72-player all-girls Invitational field is one of the toughest tests in junior golf. Twenty-four players have already committed to play college golf.
Among those returning to the Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts, Mariel Galdiano, who finished T3 in 2015. The UCLA commit from Pearl City, Hawaii, is returning to compete for the title at No. 10 in the Polo Golf Rankings. The three-time Rolex Junior All-American has 22 top-10 finishes in national junior golf events, but is still searching for her first AJGA win.
Although she never played in AJGA events as a junior, Tournament Host Yani Tseng is now in her third year of partnership with the organization. The 15-time LPGA champion will be playing in the U.S. Women’s Open at nearby CordeValle, and stopped by to give a clinic with the juniors after her practice round on Monday.
“When I was younger, in the position that these girls are in, I always wanted to play in AJGA events,” Tseng said. “I’m very honored to be in a position to help allow all these girls to compete in one of the best tournaments in the U.S.”
Ruby Hill Golf Club is a par-72 course being played at 6,326 yards for the Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts. Tournament rounds will be played from July 5 – 8 at Ruby Hill Golf Club, with tee times running from 7:30 – 9:20 a.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees.
About the Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation
The Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation is a non-profit organization based out of Taiwan whose members, both male and female, compete in a skirt or kilt on the golf course and help grow the game internationally. In addition to staging the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic and Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters (Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Tour co-sanctioned event), the Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation has conducted the “Dream-chasing Cup” throughout northern, central and southern Taiwan to help lay the foundation for Taiwanese junior golfers to make it to the international stage.
About the American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-18) of nearly 6,500 members from 49 states and more than 50 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation.
TaylorMade-adidas Golf became the AJGA’s National Sponsor in 2016 after more than 25 years of support. Rolex, which is in its fourth decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 600 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Zach Johnson, Justin Thomas, Stacy Lewis, Vicky Hurst, Alison Lee, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.