CARRABASSETT VALLEY – For the third consecutive year, the nation’s top junior golfers have arrived at the Sugarloaf Golf Club for the 2015 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Coca-Cola Junior Championship this week.
The AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship is a 54-hole stroke play event, spanning four days with three rounds of competitive play. The tournament field is comprised of more than 140 male and female competitors ages 12-18, hailing from 17 different states, and eight countries—nine of which representing the state of Maine.
Players to watch in this year’s tournament include Amadeo Figus of Rome, Italy, who leads the men’s field in Polo Golf Rankings, with three top-10 finishes this season; Reese McFarlane of Cape Elizabeth, is the second highest ranked male competitor, boasting three top-ten AJGA finishes in the last two seasons. McFarlane was the top finishing amateur, tied for third place, in the 2015 State of Maine Championship, that was held at Sugarloaf earlier this month.
Birttany Park of Fullerton Calif., currently rated 156 in the Polo Golf rankings, and the only competitor in the field with an AJGA championship victory, leads the ladies division ahead of Christina Lu, of Longwood, Florida. New to the AJGA stage this year, Lu recently clenched her second top-10 finish at Boyne Highlands.
“Each year I am blown away by the amount of talent, commitment, and passion these young players have for the sport of golf,” said Steve Niezgoda, Sugarloaf’s head golf professional. “It is such an honor to host this event at Sugarloaf, and I look forward to seeing some of these young faces on the PGA tour someday.”
Also representing Maine in this week’s tournament are Cole Anderson of Camden, Eric Dugas of Pitsfield, Kyle Lamson of Bar Harbor, Carter Pearl of Newport, Drew Powell of Bangor, Julian Starbird of Hope, Erin Holmes of Cumberland, and Lauren Schonewolf of Cape Elizabeth.
Players will get a first look at the course today during the practice round; the tournament kicks off tomorrow morning.
The AJGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. Many of the top golfers on the PGA and LPGA are former AJGA members, including Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Davis Love III, and many others.
The Championship will run for four days, during which time the course will be closed to the public. A practice round was held on Monday, Aug. 24, with the first, second, and final rounds taking place on Aug. 25, 26, and 27, respectively. The tournament field will be cut to a minimum of 50 percent of the field following the second round.
For additional information on the Coca-Cola Junior Championship, please visit https://www.ajga.org/MicroSite/index.asp?TN=2015102#.
For additional information on the Sugarloaf Golf Club, please visit www.sugarloaf.com.
