Playing on the same stage as PGA TOUR professionals presents a unique challenge to any golfer. But to the participants of The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf, it’s an annual experience.
A record-setting 12 AJGA alumni from The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf will compete at THE PLAYERS Championship May 11-14.
Since 2007, the AJGA has hosted The Junior PLAYERS Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. The Invitational aims to give male junior golfers a PGA TOUR experience with caddies, locker room access, similar course setup and media training.
Junior PLAYERS Championship alumni at the 2017 PLAYERS Championship:
- Blayne Barber | T55, 2007
- Daniel Berger | T8, 2010
- Patrick Cantlay | T6, 2008; T14, 2009
- Matthew Fitzpatrick | T43, 2011
- Emiliano Grillo | T25, 2008; T2, 2010
- Smylie Kaufman | 68th, 2008
- Michael Kim | T22, 2010
- Brooks Koepka | T9, 2007
- Grayson Murray | T68, 2011; 6th, 2010
- Patrick Rodgers | T3, 2009; 7th, 2010
- Jordan Spieth | T2, 2010
- Justin Thomas | T38, 2008; T26, 2009
Among the alumni competing in this year’s edition include eight top-10 finishers in The Junior PLAYERS Championship and two stars in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Spieth and Grillo rank the highest among Junior PLAYERS finishers at T2 in 2010, while Rodgers never finished lower than seventh in the event. Rodgers is looking to make his first cut at THE PLAYERS Championship in just his second trip.
Barber, Cantlay, Kim and Murray are making their debuts at THE PLAYERS Championship.
Rodgers and Kim are the only Junior PLAYERS Championship alumni who will tee off together. They will play with AJGA alum Roberto Castro at 12:46 p.m. off No. 1.
THE PLAYERS Championship First-Round Tee Times
Past PLAYERS Championship participants Ben An, Bud Cauley (alternate) and Morgan Hoffmann (alternate) also competed at the Junior PLAYERS Championship.
Cauley was the first AJGA alum to make the transition from Junior PLAYERS to The PLAYERS Championship , while Hoffmann is the only past champion to compete at THE PLAYERS. Hoffmann won the inaugural Invitational in 2007.
From battling against 78 of the top-ranked boys in the world to 144 of the top-ranked golfers in the game, these alumni will have a chance to test their knowledge of the course and compete for their first title at the Stadium Course.
Stay tuned to @AJGAGolf on social for more coverage of AJGA alumni competing at The PLAYERS Championship.