By Preston Smith, AJGA Communications
The Phillips brothers can be summed up in one quote.
“My goal here at the FJ Invitational is to beat him,” Trent Phillips, 15, said pointing at his older brother.
“Well my goal is to beat him too,” Trevor Phillips, 17, replied. “It’s quite a rivalry.”
The brothers, competing together in the same AJGA tournament for the fifth time, arrive at the FJ Invitational aiming to top each other’s success. Earlier this year, the Phillips brothers each tied for second at the Wells Fargo Junior Classic presented by Mizuno. Trevor will be looking to improve upon his finish at the FJ Invitational last year while Trent will be making his debut at Sedgefield Country Club.
“I just love these types of tournaments,” the elder Phillips said. “I love trying to make it to the last day in the hunt, being in contention. Last year I walked up on the putting green and thought these greens were going to be really easy to putt. That was the worst mistake I could have made. This year I know to read the greens much closer.”
Trevor and Trent have followed similar paths to this point in their AJGA career. Combined they own 15 top-10 finishes and have competed in eight Invitationals. Trevor notched top-10 finishes in his first three AJGA tournaments in 2011, while Trent had a streak of four straight top-six finishes in 2014. Both have verbally committed to the University of Georgia, with Trent committing last week.
While they are here to play junior golf at the highest level, the brothers’ competitive spirits are sure to enjoy the festivities that come with the FJ Invitational, including the table tennis the juniors play in their down time.
“He’ll beat me in ping pong, I’ll go ahead and concede that right now,” Trevor said. “I’ve beaten him plenty of times, but when it comes down to pressure ping pong, he will beat me. We’re ready for pressure golf this week though. In fact, we couldn’t be more ready for it."