ARIZONA’S BEST JUNIOR GOLFERS COMPETE IN 24TH ANNUAL TOURNAMENT AT PAPAGO GOLF COURSE MARCH 3-4.
The Junior Golf Association of Arizona (JGAA) is hosting the 24th annual Thunderbird Invitational, which will tee off at Papago Golf Course March 3-4. The field will feature 84 players (54 boys and 30 girls) ranging in age from 13-18 competing in the third Junior Masters Series tournament on the JGAA schedule of events. Tee times for Saturday will begin at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. on Sunday with an awards ceremony following play.
“The Thunderbird Invitational is the one of the longest running JGAA tournaments we host, and thanks to the support of The Thunderbirds, it’s one of the best, too,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA. “They support the event financial, they show up each day in the same tunics they wear during the Waste Management Phoenix Open and volunteer their time helping out at the tournament. It’s a perfect fit for our Junior Masters Series.”
The JGAA’s Junior Masters Series is made up of five 36-hole, invitation-only, events where top-ranked Arizona junior golfers compete locally against their peers. Due to the strength of the field, players earn more national-level points. This helps Arizona’s best enter national junior golf tournaments as well as better prepares them for college golf and securing college golf scholarships.
The field is made up of the JGAA’s Boys and Girls Championship Divisions (FULL FIELD) who were invited to compete by virtue of their national ranking on Junior Golf Scoreboard – boys must be in the top 3,500 and girls in the top 1,500.
The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. In 2017 The Thunderbirds raised a record $10.1 million for charity from proceeds from last year’s tournament and have eclipsed $122 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932. For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com.
