Golf Editor

The Thunderbird Invitational came to a close yesterday, after two days of intense competition at Papago Golf Club. The first-round action of the Thunderbird Invitational sponsored by The Thunderbirds began March 11.

The Phoenix Metro Junior Championship sponsored by Van’s Golf Shops teed off this past weekend, February 25-26, with a competitive field featuring some of Arizona’s top junior golfers – boys and girls – ages 8-18 competing in five different age groups.

Arizona’s best junior golfers – 31 girls and 51 boys – gathered at Mesa’s Longbow Golf Club February 18-19 to compete in the Fisher Bryan Invitational presented by Mina Harigae, the second coveted PING Junior Masters Series tournament of the 2023 JGAA season.

The New Year Classic kicked off January 28-29 at Raven Golf Club and Arizona Biltmore’s Adobe Course.

Held January 21-22 at Wigwam Golf Resort, Abbey Schutte of Goodyear won at the Warren Schutte Invitational presented by Hilgers Orthodontics, a PING Junior Masters Series tournament founded and hosted by her father, Warren Schutte.

The Warren Schutte Invitational presented by Hilgers Orthodontics tees off January 21-22 at Wigwam Golf Resort on the Red and Gold Courses. The first PING Junior Masters Series tournament of the 2023 season, the 36-hole, invitation-only tournament is tailored to Arizona junior golfers with the desire and ability to compete locally against top-ranked peers.

The 2023 Itty Bitty Open teed off January 14 at 21 Valley parks. Now in its 35th year, parents who attended the event decades ago are now beginning to introduce their kids to the game of golf at the same event.

The 2022 Patriot All-American teed off in the West Valley December 27-31 at Wigwam Golf Club in Goodyear, with a handful of JGAA alums toping the leaderboard.