By Anne-Marie Colant, AJGA Communications
The AJGA has a long track record of players participating in the U.S. Junior Amateur, making it to the championship and then coming to play for the Wyndham Cup, all in a two-week span. Since the last time Wyndham Cup was held at The Stanwich Club in 2008, there have been eight U.S. Junior Amateur finalists play for the Cup.
After winning the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2008, Lexi Thompson came to Greenwich, Connecticut, to play for the East Team. Along with Thompson was Cameron Peck, who won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2008 and played opposite of her on the West Team. The trend continued with West Team member Scottie Scheffler in 2013 and West Team member Philip Barbaree in 2015.
Other AJGA finalists include East Team member Justin Thomas in 2010, West Team member Alison Lee in 2012, East Team member Davis Riley in 2014 and current West Team member Noah Goodwin in 2016.
Goodwin won five matches and advanced to the championship last week. The Southern Methodist University commit, traveled from The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, to play for Jason Miller and Blair Thompson on this year’s Wyndham Cup West Team. Goodwin may have some mental exhaustion, but he is ready to play and have a great time this week.
“I’m just going to try to rest up and give it my all during the first round,” Goodwin said. “It’s going to be a blast this week. The team aspect is great and not something we get to do a lot.”
Philip Barbaree, after a 37-hole win at River Plantation Club’s Dye Course, came to Old Town in 2015 to help the West claim the Cup for the third year in a row. Two match play competitions back to back may intimidate some, but Barbaree found it to be a great way to unwind.
“It was really good for my mindset, grinding for so long on the course and then kind of getting to relax and play a team competition that’s a lot of fun,” Barbaree said.
The 2016 Wyndham Cup begins Tuesday morning with four-ball matches at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.