The American Junior Golf Association has named the Circle K Junior Championship the recipient of the 2025 Open Tournament of the Year Award and Charitable Giving Award. The Charitable Giving Award marks the tournament's second consecutive year receiving the honor and recognizes its continued commitment to player experience, operational excellence and meaningful charitable impact.
The Circle K Junior Championship continued to elevate the tournament experience in 2025, highlighted by its first year at The Pfau Course at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Ranked among the top collegiate golf courses in the nation and No. 3 in Indiana, The Pfau provided a premier championship venue for one of the AJGA's marquee events. The successful transition to the new host site was supported by Indiana University Director of Golf Dan Hilker and Visit Bloomington Director of Sports Development Pete Nelson, whose efforts helped create a first-class championship atmosphere for players and families.
In addition to delivering an exceptional player experience, the tournament generated over $300,000 in charitable proceeds, earning recognition with the AJGA's Charitable Giving Award.
“The Circle K Junior Championship continues to set the standard for excellence on the AJGA schedule, both in terms of player experience and charitable impact. From its outstanding debut at The Pfau Course to the continued growth in sponsor and vendor engagement, this event exemplifies what is possible when strong partnerships come together with a shared purpose. We are incredibly grateful to Kevin Merritt, John Fairbanks and the entire Circle K team, along with their dedicated partners and volunteers, for their continued commitment to junior golf. Earning both the Open Tournament of the Year and Charitable Giving Awards is a well-deserved recognition of the long-term impact they continue to make on the AJGA and the communities they support.”
A strong foundation of volunteer support also contributed to the event's success. Joshua Shelton, Director of Business Development and Partnerships and Lecturer in Sport Management at Indiana University, served as volunteer chair and was the driving force behind the tournament's partnership with the university's Sport Management program. Through Shelton's leadership, 16 students volunteered throughout tournament week, gaining hands-on experience in event operations while helping deliver an exceptional championship experience.
Tournament week featured a variety of experiences for players, sponsors and supporters, including a Circle K Meet & Greet hosted at the Indiana University Football Stadium. The event also included two Junior-Am tournaments on Monday and an additional vendor outing on Tuesday.
“It's incredible to see the continued support each year from Circle K and a large number of amazing vendor partners that make the Circle K AJGA Event something special each year. A testimony to the corporate relationships that have been forged between Circle K and the top-tier vendors across the country that extends past day-to-day business. They show up for Circle K each day and each year to support this AJGA Event, really creating something special for the junior golfers, families and charities that benefit from our tournament. It's an honor to be a part of this and to celebrate our accomplishments and relationships each year during this event. A huge thank you to all that continue to show up for us, and we look forward to 2026.”
The Open Tournament of the Year Award recognizes an AJGA Open event that demonstrates excellence across all aspects of tournament operations, including player experience, hospitality, volunteer engagement and overall execution. The Charitable Giving Award honors tournaments that make a significant impact through fundraising and charitable contributions.
“Every year we strive to create a better experience for the players, families and sponsors than the previous year. We are very proud of the long-term relationships that we have built with our sponsors and we are humbled that they continue to support this tournament every year. We accept the Open Tournament of the Year and Charitable Giving Awards on behalf of the vendors, volunteers and staff who give so much and work so hard to make this a premier AJGA tournament year after year.”
The Open Tournament of the Year and Charitable Giving awards will be officially presented at this year’s Circle K Junior Championship, held June 22-25, 2026, at The Pfau Course at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.