Following the announcement of Babygrande Golf’s second sponsored event in California, the organization is adding a third event in the south. The Babygrande Atlanta Classic honoring Gene Siller will take place July 7-10 at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, Georgia. The event will feature 78 of the world’s top male and female junior golfers (ages 12-19) in a 54-hole stroke play format.
Babygrande Golf sponsors junior and amateur golf tournaments with their mission to support the worldwide growth and development of junior golf. Babygrande Golf sponsored their first AJGA event, the Babygrande D.C. Classic in July of 2023 at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington D.C. The event hosted a welcome reception sponsored by the Outpost Foundation where local Coaches from Georgetown, George Mason, Maryland and Howard joined Jeff Champ and Damian Cosby to highlight future opportunities in golf. The Babygrande D.C. Classic has been awarded the AJGA’s 2023 Newcomer of the Year award, which recognizes a stellar first-year event. In January, it was announced that Babygrande will host a second event in California, the Babygrande Stanford Junior All-Star.
The newly established Georgia event will serve as a memorial for Gene Siller, who was a PGA Director of Golf at Pinetree Country Club. Siller passed away on July 3, 2021, but his spirit lives on through many in the community.
Gene was an amazing father, friend, and Golf Professional. He had a passion for the game, especially junior golf. Our Membership is beyond excited to carry on Gene’s legacy with some of the best junior golfers in the country this July!
The tournament features a Qualifier on Saturday, July 6th and the Piedmont Bank Junior-Am honoring Gene Siller on Sunday, July 7th. The AJGA’s Junior-Am is modeled after the PGA TOUR’s Pro-Am in which a junior is paired with three amateurs to raise funds for the AJGA’s Liberty National Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant and the Gene Siller Memorial Grant.
The Siller Family and the Gene Siller Memorial Grant Team are incredibly grateful to AJGA, Babygrande Golf and Piedmont Bank for their extraordinary contribution to our mission in helping underprivileged junior golfers play, compete and learn the game of golf. This Junior-Am will be an elevated special day because the event falls on what would be Gene’s 50th birthday at the club he loved so much, while executing on a passion that filled his heart and mind every single day. We’re honored at the opportunity to give back, strengthen partnerships within the golf community, and most importantly for our family, to keep Gene’s legacy alive for my boys and our family. Thank you to everyone who will play a role throughout the entire tournament week – We are so appreciative for your contributions.
The Gene Siller Memorial Grant was created by the Siller Family in partnership with PGA REACH Georgia and Pinetree Country Club members to honor Gene’s life and passion through support of junior golf initiatives. The Mission of this grant is to provide financial assistance to young golfers throughout the state of Georgia by supporting those looking to learn, play and compete in junior golf initiatives.
The Georgia PGA is incredibly humbled, proud and thankful that the AJGA, Babygrande Golf, and Piedmont Bank are willing to partner and honor the late PGA Professional, Gene Siller, here in Georgia at Pinetree Country Club. Gene's tragic passing on July 3rd, 2021 struck the golf world tremendously, and through his family, friends, fellow PGA Professionals, and industry partners like those involved here, we have been able to create a legacy in Gene's honor to positively impact young junior golfers in Georgia. We are grateful to all involved as we aim to showcase local and national junior golf talent on the biggest stage and look forward to growing this event for years to come.
The competition kicks off Monday, July 8th and runs through Wednesday, July 10th. An award ceremony for the boys' top-5 and girls’ top-3 will take place at the completion of play on Wednesday afternoon. The AJGA and Pinetree Country Club extend a warm welcome to anyone wishing to come out to the club to watch the next generation of champions during the competition or to play in the Junior-Am fundraising event.
We chose to Title sponsor this tournament, in part, because it provides the opportunity to demonstrate to junior golfers how the golf community should come together to support one another when tragedy strikes. It’s imperative that as we grow this game, we also preserve its core values. Mr. Siller dedicated his life to the game of golf and it’s very important that we honor his legacy.
The AJGA and Gene Siller Memorial Grant Team are also looking for local supporters to help increase the charitable impact associated with the event. If you are interested, please contact Houston Denney, hdenney@ajga.org .
For more information about the Babygrande Atlanta Classic honoring Gene Siller, visit the tournament website or to learn more about the AJGA visit online through Facebook , X or at www.ajga.org .
About Babygrande Golf
Babygrande Golf was founded to support the worldwide growth and development of junior, amateur and collegiate golf. It was launched in 2022 as a division of Babygrande Global, Inc., an American diversified corporation based in New York with holdings in the music, film, sports, media, and supercar industries. Since launch, Babygrande Golf has sponsored, produced and marketed content related to several high visibility junior tournaments such as the AJGA Golf Performance Center Junior at Salem Golf Club in Westchester, New York, The Mack Champ Invitational in Houston, Texas, the Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open at the Piedmont Club in Haymarket, Virginia, and the 2024 ANNIKA Invitational in Orlando, Florida. The Babygrande D.C. Classic, which debuted in 2023 with the AJGA and the National Links Trust, will return in 2024 along with many other high-profile events that will be announced later this year.
For more information about Babygrande Golf visit babygrandegolf.org and follow us on Instagram and X @babygrandegolf.