Junior PLAYERS Championship Part of PGA TOUR $3 Billion Impact

The PGA TOUR announced it has surpassed $3 billion in all-time charitable giving. This number includes money donated from each of its tournaments as well as partner tours. The Junior PLAYERS Championship is supported by the PGA TOUR and has provided opportunities and memories for players and individuals since 2007. Some of that impact is showcased below.

After the second round of the tournament, the Hug Foundation and Heal Foundation partner together with the tournament to bring in campers with disabilities and give them the opportunity to interact and enjoy time with players from the tournament field. The tournament players conduct a clinic featuring a skills challenge and dinner which encourages the players to interact and bond with the Hug / Heal Foundation campers. This clinic is the highlight of the year for the campers and has become a yearly tradition for the tournament.

Since the tournament began in 2007 there has been an emphasis on inviting the best players from not just the United States, but also from around the world. Each year international players from every corner of the globe gather to test their skills against the top players from the U.S. In 2019, Jayden Schaper of South Africa, played in his third The Junior PLAYERS Championship and took home the trophy. Schaper used the experience gained from the tournament to improve his confidence and elevate his game to the next level. Schaper also competed in the 2017 and 2019 Junior Presidents Cup and carried his momentum into the European Tour's South African Open where he finished T6 and became the first amateur to finish in the top 6 since Ernie Els in 1989.

The AJGA has a long history of players who have gone on to play college golf and even further to the professional ranks. The Junior PLAYERS Championship is no exception, as it boasts an impressive list of alumni who have played in the AJGA's The Junior PLAYERS Championship and gone on to play in the PLAYERS Championship. Since 2007, 27 players have made the move from the junior version to the professional event, with a record 24 in 2019. The 2020 field will likely increase this number as more players make the move to the professional event.

From Junior PLAYERS to the PLAYERS:

Each year the tournament works to keep costs low in order to donate any proceeds back to charity. Since the tournament's inception in 2007, more than $91,000 has been given back to various charities which impact junior golf and the local community.