The American Junior Golf Association and the United States Golf Association are pleased to announce the 2017 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award candidates in the Honorable Mention category. These juniors have shown selfless effort and commitment to helping those around them through their volunteer work and fundraising efforts. It is with great honor that the American Junior Golf Association and the USGA recognize their achievements.
The USGA-AJGA Presidents' Leadership Award honors one male and one female junior golfer annually who demonstrate leadership, character and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program: a joint initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA in 2005 to further develop junior golfers through volunteerism.
On Thursday, May 11, the finalists will be honored before announcing the 2017 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award recipients on Tuesday, May 23.
The Honorable Mentions for the 2017 USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award are:
Honorable Mentions
Boys
Jared Berlin, Los Angeles, California, Class of 2018
Evan Brown, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Class of 2017
Miles Brown, Petersburg, Virginia, Class of 2021
Rex Brietz Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina, Class of 2018
Rex Bryant III, Shreveport, Louisiana, Class of 2017
Mathew Chairuangdej, Allen, Texas, Class of 2018
Jack Crawshaw, Winnetka, Illinois, Class of 2019
Alexander Chin, Pleasanton, California, Class of 2017
Louis Daniele, Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Class of 2018
Thomas Eubanks, Charlotte, North Carolina, Class of 2019
Grayson Giboney, Mill Creek, Washington, Class of 2019
Derek Hitchner, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Class of 2018
George King, Hinsdale, Illinois, Class of 2018
Will Lewis, Raleigh, North Carolina, Class of 2018
Grayson Maddox, Tampa, Florida, Class of 2019
Dylan Nelko, Plymouth, Minnesota, Class of 2021
Andrew Nicholas, Owings Mills, Maryland, Class of 2017
Warrington “Quinn” Riley, Raleigh, North Carolina, Class of 2018
Thomas Salanito, Palm Harbor, Florida, Class of 2020
Stewart Slayden, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Class of 2020
Jackson Van Paris, Pinehurst, North Carolina, Class of 2021
Jonathan Wu, Hayward, California, Class of 2018
Girls
Isha Dhruva, Katy, Texas, Class of 2019
Tanya Eathakotti, Coral Gables, Florida, Class of 2018
Tiffany Hu, Cerritos, California, Class of 2018
Brianna Navarrosa, San Diego, California, Class of 2020
Adrienne Rohwedder, Prospect Heights, Illinois, Class of 2019
Symantha Rohwedder, Prospect Heights, Illinois, Class of 2020
Bella Setio, (Indonesia) San Marino, California, Class of 2018
Yoonju (Mary) Shin, (South Korea) Irvine, California, Class of 2018
Britta Snyder, Ames, Iowa, Class of 2020
Vanessa Wang, Rowland Heights, California, Class of 2018
Kailee Welch, Huntington Beach, California, Class of 2019
Kyla Wilde, Phoenix, Arizona, Class of 2021
About Leadership Links
Since 2009, the Leadership Links program has helped more than 2,000 junior golfers make a difference in their communities by generating more than $1.7 million in charitable contributions to hundreds of charities and the AJGA's Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant.
Leadership Links is a program that allows the AJGA to further its mission to help develop young men and women by teaching charitable-giving skills and service-oriented practices at an early age. This program gives juniors all the tools necessary to donate their time, talent and resources to local charities and the ACE Grant. Visit www.ajga.org/ll for more.
About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 annual amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.
The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf facility management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.
For more information about the USGA, visit usga.org .
About the AJGA
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 12-19) of more than 6,600 members from 50 states and 55 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 sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2017, adidas joined the AJGA as a Premier Partner, serving as the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 830 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, Ariya Jutanugarn, Alison Lee, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.