The Championship Division is for elite junior golfers ages 13-18. Players must meet certain criteria before being approved the play in this division.
What are the benefits?
This division gives you access to our PING Junior Masters Series, Arizona Junior Amateur exemptions, ability to play your way into the Quintero Cactus Cup and the Arizona Junior Matchplay Championship, as well as the chance to play for the Arizona Travel Teams (full-time AZ residents only). Also improves your JGS ranking by playing against a better strength of field.
What is the criteria to be in this division?
When evaluating whether a player is eligible for the championship division, we will look at their Junior Golf Scoreboard profile to look at their ranking, tournament scores (both JGAA and non-JGAA events), yardages, number of events played in, and age to determine whether they qualify. We will also take on-course maturity levels into consideration when making this decision. If you do not have a JGS ranking, we will ask for other competitive tournament scores (we will not look at your GHIN handicap index).
| 15-18 Years Old | 13-14 Years Old |
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** The JGAA has the right to approve or deny any requests based on the information given.
How do I submit a request to be in the championship division?
Before submitting a request, please make sure you meet all the criteria mentioned above. If you do meet the criteria, please email mckenzie@jgaa.org with the following information:
- Players Name
- Graduating Class
- Residence
- Current JGS ranking
What if I don't meet the criteria?
No worries, we have over 20 tournaments throughout the year open for players to continue to improve their game until they meet all the criteria! To see what tournament you are eligible for, take a look at our 2026 schedule below, click on a tournament name you’re interested in – then look under ” Tournament Information” for the eligibility requirements for the event.
2026 Schedule
What is Junior Golf Scoreboard?
The Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking system is based on a formula that reviews a player’s record in 36-hole or longer tournaments over the last 365 days. Tournaments drop out of the calculation after one year. A player must have four events within the year to be ranked. All two-day JGAA tournaments for the 13 & older divisions are JGS ranked + 1000’s of others across the country.
PING Junior Masters Series
The PING Junior Masters Series consists of five tournaments in Arizona with a limited field of the best junior golfers across the country. MORE INFO
Arizona Junior Amateur
The 2026 Arizona Junior Amateur is June 22-24 at Talking Rock Golf Club in Prescott, AZ. Winners will receive fully exempt AJGA status and the Girls Champion will earn an exemption into the 2026 USGA Girls Junior in Durham, NC. MORE INFO
Quintero Cactus Cup
The Quintero Cactus Cup is a Ryder Cup style event for the Top 10 championship division boys & girls from the previous season. The Founder Team and Charter Team will compete against each other in 3 different matches with JGAA staff members serving as team captains. MORE INFO
Arizona Junior Matchplay Championship
The Arizona Junior Matchplay Championship consists of the top-16 boys and girls championship division players from the current season. The 2026 Championship is July 23-24, 2026 at The Estancia Club.
