by David Ball
Staff Writer
The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass will once again have a tournament feel this weekend as more than 75 of the world’s top golfers compete for a coveted Players Championship. Except this time, the winner may not even be old enough to drive.
Today marks the beginning of the first-ever Junior Players Championship presented by the PGA Tour in conjunction with the American Junior Golf Association. The event continues Saturday and wraps up the final round on Sunday.
Players between the ages of 15 and 18 from more than 20 states and 15 different countries were invited, including 56 of the top 60 players on the AJGA’s Polo Junior Golf rankings. The tournament was the brainchild of PGA Tour officials, who wanted to create a major-type event for junior players similar to the PGA Tour’s Players Championship.
AJGA Vice President of Communications Steve Ethum said the talented field that turned out for the event proved that it was time for a junior tournament of this profile.
“I think when you dangle TPC Sawgrass in front of these players, and then they know that the PGA Tour is involved, you just can’t ask for anything better,” said Ethum. “We want people to come watch and see the future of the PGA tour. Really, a number of these players could be playing in the Players Championship one day.”
One of those players is Washington native Cameron Peck, 16, who played in the Junior-Am fundraiser on Thursday. Foursomes paid $2,000 to play 18 holes with a nationally ranked junior, with the money going to the AJGA Foundation and the First Tee Scholars program.
Peck’s group approached the famed island green of the 17th hole, and Peck knocked a three-quarter-swing pitching wedge 10 feet from the pin. The amateurs each ended up in the drink, adding to the 150,000 balls each year that can be found in the water.
“I don’t think this hole is really that hard,” Peck quipped, before two-putting his way to a par. “I’m pretty comfortable hitting a pitching wedge onto the green. But we’ll see what happens during the tournament.”
Texas native Josh Jones, 18, followed in the next group and hit an equally impressive tee shot, while his playing mates had varied success. A birdie putt put Jones two-under through five holes.
“I would say a couple-under par would be a good score leading this event,” said Jones. “But this is a hard course. It’s really one of the greatest tracts out here, and I’ve played some really great tracts.”
Representing Jacksonville will be 17-year-olds Bud Cauley and Sean Dale, both of whom are home-schooled. Cauley has given a verbal commitment to play golf at the University of Alabama after graduation in 2008.
The tournament rounds begin at 8 a.m. Friday to Sunday, with an awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. The event is free and open to the public.