PGA Junior League Golf Offered to San Angelo Children for First Time

San Angelo’s children are participating in PGA Junior League Golf this year for the first time. Golf pros at Bentwood and San Angelo Country Club are teaching and sharpening basic golfs skills to kids under 13. According to a press release from PGA, “The primary focus of PGA Junior League Golf is on the recreational and developmental nature of regular season matches for golfers of all abilities.”

Director of Instruction at Bentwood Country Club Neil Gowan added, “This is the first year that we’ve done the PGA Junior League, so to get 27 [kids participating] the first year in this town was fantastic.”

Gowan said the kids’ ages range from 6 to 12. Additionally, there is a variety in the skill levels of the group at Bentwood, including 10 children new to golf and a few competing to qualify in the world championships.

“I think that’s a great mix because they boost the other kids,” Gowan said. “They look up to them, and they want to play to their level.”

As the regular season ends, the All-Star tournaments are about to begin for the junior league. The most talented players will be gathered in to 10 player teams; these teams will be traveling throughout Texas competing against other teams of skilled players.

The end goal for these All-Star teams is the PGA Junior League Golf Championship. The 2016 and 2017 PGA Junior League Golf Championships will be held at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 2016 Championship is scheduled for Nov. 19-21 on the Raptor course.

“Sometimes, I think the culture of golf gets lost, and it’s considered an old man’s game,” Gowan said. “You have to wear the button down shirt and look nice all the time. This is a way, I think, to lower the bar on that and just allow the kids to come out. We’ve got kids from all circles of life coming to play this game. I think a program like this is so great because it allows people to get access to the game and play.”

PGA claims that a record-setting 30,000 kids participated on 2,500 PGA Junior League Golf teams nationwide last year. That is a 233 percent increase from 2013. Furthermore, the National Golf Foundation says the number of junior golfers (ages 6-17) in the U.S. has increased by 20 percent, from 2.5 million in 2010 to 3 million juniors playing golf in 2015.

“Golf is a great sport for parents to consider for their kids, and PGA Junior League Golf brings a fun team concept to a game that can be played for a lifetime,” said Scott Kmiec, Senior Director of PGA Reach, PGA REACH, the charitable arm of the PGA of America. “Through PGA Junior League Golf, PGA and LPGA, professionals are providing golf instruction to boys and girls, along with teaching them the character skills and values of the game that they can carry into their adult lives.”

The Junior League has gained the support of several PGA and LPGA Tour players, including Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson, who are Official Ambassadors for PGA Junior League Golf.

“I’d just like to thank the PGA and Chuck Higgins for letting me know about this program," Gowan said. “They’ve been great about supporting [me] and giving advice. I’m 25, so I’m just starting this program myself. This is my first year, and Chuck was there to really answer any questions that I had. It’s great that we can have this program, and I think it’s going to really build out here in this little town.”