The American Junior Golf Association is excited to partner with LPGA tour professional Mariah Stackhouse in hosting the Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational at Stanford Golf Course. The three-day, all-girls Invitational will run from September 2 through 4 at Stackhouse’s alma mater, Stanford University.
Stackhouse joins fellow LPGA Tour players Annika Sorenstam, Alison Lee, Sung Hyun Park, Se Ri Pak, Stacy Lewis, Albane Valenzuela and Marina Alex, in lending her name to a top junior golf tournament in 2021.
My AJGA experience was invaluable in my growth both as a golfer and as a person, so I am delighted to be able to help provide an opportunity for the best girl golfers in the world to display their skills at a place that is so special to me, Stanford University. Thank you to the AJGA, Stanford, the AJGA Girls Championship and Scott Timmons Hipp for making this possible.
The 66-player field from across the world will be made up of the top girls in the Rolex AJGA Rankings in addition to sponsor invites. Now in its 13th year, former AJGA Girls Championship brings a storied history as it swaps coasts. Past champions include LPGA professionals Yealimi Noh and Emma Talley, along with Symetra Tour professionals Sierra Brooks and Karen Chung.
"The AJGA is excited to bring Mariah onboard to host her first AJGA event, especially a high-level, all-girls Invitational at her alma mater," said Chief Business Officer Jason Etzen. "This event will also provide a platform to honor those who continue to pave the way for girls junior golf."
The Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational will mark the fourth time Stanford Golf Course has hosted the AJGA. Previous events include the 1993 Canon Cup (now known as the Wyndham Cup), the 2019 Swinging Skirts AJGA Invitational, and the 2020 AJGA Girls Invitational at Stanford. Stanford Golf Course, designed by George C. Thomas and Billy Bell Jr., opened in 1930 and is owned and operated by Stanford University. In 2015, Golfweek rated Stanford the No. 6 college course in the country.
Stackhouse, the 2011 Player Representative to the AJGA Board of Directors, had an impressive junior career. The four-time AJGA champion earned Rolex Junior All-America honors three times, including a first team appearance in 2011. Stackhouse finished T2 in the 2011 edition of the event she now sponsors.
She went on to play for the Stanford Women’s Golf team from 2012 to 2016 and turned professional in 2017. She was named to the All-Pac-12 first team three times and recorded 24 top-10 finishes, including four individual wins. Stackhouse was also a four-time Stanford All-American who helped lead the Cardinal to the 2015 National Championship. In Stackhouse’s four years on the LPGA Tour, she has earned five top-10 finishes.
In 2009, longtime supporter and sponsor, Scott Timmons Hipp had a vision to bring an all-girls event to Greenville, South Carolina, to help showcase their talents. The AJGA Girls Championship grew to be one of the strongest female fields on the AJGA schedule. In 2021, the AJGA Girls Championship will partner with Mariah Stackhouse and Stanford Golf Course to provide an unforgettable all-girls Invitational.
I am excited to see the AJGA Girls Championship move to the next level as an Invitational, and am so proud to work with Mariah Stackhouse to make this the best event on the AJGA schedule.
The Mariah Stackhouse Girls Invitational will continue to award the Betsy Rawls Legacy Award . Which honors an individual who has worked to advance girls' junior golf. The award, given annually since 2009 at the AJGA Girls Championship, has honored PGA of America Past President Suzy Whaley, Chairman and CEO of PING Golf John Solheim, Golf Broadcaster Dottie Pepper, and former LPGA professional Nancy Lopez. The recipient of the 2021 Betsy Rawls Legacy Award will be honored on-site at Stanford Golf Club in September.
The 54-hole tournament begins with an official Practice Round Thursday, September 2, continues with a 36-hole college format on Friday, September 3, and concludes with the final round on Saturday, September 4.
For more information about the AJGA check us out on social media at Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .