JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) will be returning to Georgia on June 21-22, 2010 with the Lake Lanier Jr. Classic in Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia.  The Lake Lanier Jr. Classic will be held at the Legacy on Lanier Golf Club.  Lake Lanier Islands is located just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  Juniors will compete over 36-holes of stroke play in one of five age divisions: Boys 16-19, Boys 13-15, Boys 10-12, Girls 15-19, or Girls 10-14.  This event will be ranked by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard (NJGS) and the South Carolina Junior Golf Association Heritage Points (SCJGA).

The Legacy on Lanier Golf Club represents a return to the Golden Era of Golf.  Created by renowned designer Billy Fuller, Legacy on Lanier Golf Club offers stunning views of Georgia’s Great Lake and is an unrivaled golf experience.  The layout traverses a natural setting with twelve scenic holes on the water and offers tactical challenges for the avid golfer while not proving too daunting for the casual golfer.  Legacy on Lanier Golf Club is certainly a challenging and pleasing lakeside experience.

Lake Lanier Jr. Classic

June 21-22, 2010

Legacy on Lanier Golf Club

Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia

Registration deadline June 11, 2010

About the HJGT: The Mission of the HJGT is to accommodate the ladies and gentleman of junior golf with an extraordinary experience in a competitive environment.  The HJGT is a regional golf tour providing junior golfers between the ages of 10-19 an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment.

For more information regarding the Lake Lanier Jr. Classic on June 21-22, please visit our website at www.hjgt.org, call the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour headquarters at (904) 379-2697, or email info@hjgt.org.

Heavy rains forced the cancellation of round two of the Valdosta Junior Classic. The 18 hole event was held on the Plantation and Bottom nines at the Valdosta Country Club. Winners of this event were based on round one scores.

Dylan Freeman of Athens, Ga., and Scott Wolfes of St. Simons Island, Ga., both fired a 1-under 71 in the Male 16-19 division. Both golfers were named co-medalists in the event. Local golfer Dona Kioseff captured the Female 15-19 title after posting a 75.

Freeman and Wolfes had a three-shot advantage in the Male 16-19 Division. Colt Crymes of Athens, Layton Truax of Savannah and Ted Moon of Lilburn, Ga., are all tied for third at 74. Truax claimed the third place award through a scorecard playoff.

Kioseff won by five shots in the Female 15-19 Division over Dakoda Dowd of Palm Harbor, Fla., who carded an 80. Coleman Humphrey of Auburn, Ala., was third with an 83.

In the Male 14-15 Division, Shea Sylvester of Roswell, Ga., won the division after shooting 78. Kameron Williams of Hoschton, Ga., and Luke Miller of Mobile, Ala., were tied for second with 81s. The second place award went to Williams, while Miller was awarded third by virtue of a scorecard playoff.

Michaela Owen of Alpharetta won the Female 12-14 Division after a round of 82. Elizabeth Kim of Martinez, Ga., was second with a 90, while fellow Martinez native Sarah Harrison finished third.

Nicholas Mineo of Cumming, Ga. captured the Male 12-13 Division after carding a 73. Zachary Healy of Norcross, Ga., was second with a 75, while local Tyler Dallas finished third with a 79.

Atlanta, Ga. (September 24, 2009) - Junior golfers and their families from around the Atlanta area came together to celebrate and be honored at the annual Atlanta Junior Golf (AJG) awards banquet held at prestigious Druid Hills Golf Club.

Kicking off the evening was guest speaker, current President of the Georgia State Golf Association, Chris Cupit, who spoke before more than 150 attendees about his experiences with AJG, the benefits of learning to play golf for a lifetime and personal insights regarding the role of parents as positive role models for their children from his years of involvement with the game of golf.

Matthew McKagen (Powder Springs) and Isabella Skinner (Cumming) were both recognized for their outstanding seasons on the golf course. Each player claimed the coveted Giddings’ Cup at the Grand Championship held in August and top honors at the banquet as Players of the Year in their respective divisions. Skinner also claimed the Metro Atlanta Automobile Dealers Association (MAADA) Award for accruing the highest point average at the end of the season, a perfect 120 points.

Keeping with the tradition of the evening, juniors were recognized for their success in the following categories: All-Atlanta Junior Golf Teams, comprised of the top-10 juniors in the Open and the top-five juniors in the Club divisions; All-Atlanta Junior Golf Academic Teams, recognizing high school boys and girls, who have excelled in the classroom during the previous school year with a 3.5 or higher grade point average; Overall Boys and Girls Grand Champions; and Players of the Year, boys and girls in the Open divisions, who completed the year on top.

The 2009 Junior Golf Ambassador award was presented to long-time Druid Hills golf professional and now Director of Golf, Randall Couch, for his 40 years of dedication to supporting junior and amateur golf alike. Mr. Couch’s steadfast effort to propagate golf is evident in his support of local junior golf and the annual Dogwood Invitational tournament held at the golf club where he works.

Additionally, The Larry Nelson Sportsmanship Award, which identifies one individual who demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship as voted on by summer staff members, was awarded to Nick Fazio (Carrollton). The Most Improved Male and Female Awards were given to Open division players Matthew McKagen and Katherine Skeeles (Marietta), and the Aroha “Roh” Wezner Trophy, similar to the PGA Tour’s Vardon Scoring Trophy, was awarded to Jacob Harper (Valley, AL) for the lowest overall scoring average from the 2009 season, 70.75.

Atlanta Junior Golf is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization and gains its funding through memberships, sponsorships and contributions. Contributions to the association are thus tax deductible by individuals and corporations alike. Based in Marietta, the organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of leading area business people, golf enthusiasts and golf professionals. Members of the Board serve as volunteers and help guide the activities of the organization. For more information, log on to www.atlantajuniorgolf.org.

*See the following pages for a complete listing of all our 2009 award recipients.

**Editors Note: For more information, please contact operations manager Matt Hooper at (770) 850-9040 or mhooper@atlantajuniorgolf.org

Jacksonville, FL- Nearing the end of only its second year, the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) has seen vast improvements in its number of members and the overall quality of its competition and tournaments. Based out of Jacksonville, the HJGT is open to all junior golfers from the ages of 10 to 19 and now hosts tournaments in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The juniors play in one of five divisions: Boys 16-19, Boys 13-15, Boys 10-19, Girls 15-19, and Girls 10-14. Mario Conte, Executive Director, founded the Tour to provide junior golfers with an opportunity to play exceptional courses in a competitive environment. With his low membership fee of $15, he wants this opportunity to be extended to as many junior golfers as possible. Conte says, “I want to be sure that we host memorable tournaments for the players, but I absolutely think that it needs to be affordable.”

Conte started the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour entirely on his own without being backed by golf associations or golf school academies. The HJGT started with a few members and small fields for its tournaments; it has now grown to almost 800 members, with strong competition at the tournaments and the attention of college coaches. In its first year, 26 tournaments were hosted by the Tour, which grew to 37 in the second year, and next year the project number of tournaments is 50. All of the tournaments are ranked by the National Junior Golf Scoreboard and the tournaments held in South Carolina and Georgia have the results submitted for the South Carolina Junior Golf Association Heritage Points. The Tour itself has its own point race and awards the top-10 finishers in each division with points for every tournament. The points accumulate throughout the year and selected age divisions receive American Junior Golf Association exemptions. Points also help determine which players will be extended an invitation to the season ending HJGT Tour Championship on December 5-6, 2009 at Saddlebrook Course in Wesley Chapel, Florida. The top point earners, as well as the champions from each tournament, will have an invitation extended to them. The Tour Championship will be Golfweek/Titleist ranked and will also feature AJGA exemptions.

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is committed to preparing juniors for their future and collegiate play. The HJGT tournament play is governed by United States Golf Association rules. The website has an entire section devoted to resources for the players during their college searches and the HJGT has also teamed up with Play Collegiate Golf, which provides a scouting tool for selecting the appropriate university. College coaches frequently visit the website of the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour for the leaderboard and results of tournaments, which are all powered by BlueGolf.

The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is continually looking to improve to make the experience for the junior golfers an exceptional one. Looking ahead to the 2010 season, Conte remarks, “We are optimistic that the competition will get a lot stronger and inevitably, our rankings will continue to grow.” For more information about the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, please visit the HJGT website at www.hjgt.org or find the fan page on Facebook.com.

NEWNAN, Ga—Canongate Junior Tour member and Sharpsburg resident Cody Sapp is on quite a roll. The 16 year old high school junior was not only part of the victorious Canongate Nike Cup Team over Labor Day weekend, but he managed to rally from two holes down to win a pivotal point on the final nine to help secure the win for Canongate. Sapp took that momentum with him into the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour (SJGT) event held September 12-13 at Country Club of Columbus where he won the Boys 16-18 age division after firing rounds of 72-69.

“Coming straight from putting on the same type of greens at The Nike Cup at Whitewater Creek really helped my confidence at Country Club of Columbus,” says Sapp. The win was Sapp’s first on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, a regional competitive tour that showcases the best junior golf talent in the Southeastern United States. The course in Columbus is certainly atop his favorites as he finished in the top 10 in the same event last year, placing seventh.

This recent win moves him up to 5th in the point standings among all junior golfers in his age group on the SJGT. He also had a runner-up finish in the Grand Championship event for the Atlanta Junior Golf Association recently, firing rounds of 74-73-74 at Callaway Gardens.

Sapp credits his improved golf swing with time spent under the tutelage of former PGA Tour member David Schreyer, a Canongate instructor teaching out of Braelinn Golf Club in Peachtree City. In addition to his golf swing, Cody feels his mental approach to golf and competition has been aided by mental coach Ben English and a more focused workout program which has increased his strength and stamina.

With a little over a year remaining until early signing dates for college golf scholarships, Sapp has the time and talent to continue climbing the National College Scoreboard rankings and attract the eye of college coaches around the country. If his recent play is any indication of what lies ahead, Sapp will have his share of coaches following his play with great interest.

NEWNAN, Ga. – Up and coming women’s golf star, Mariah Stackhouse, and teammates Laura Coble, 45, of Augusta, and Dori Carter, 22 of Valdosta recently captured the 2009 USGA Women’s State Team Championship. The tournament, held at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, took place September 1-3. Forty-nine states in the United States were represented at the tournament, with each state fielding a team of its top three women amateurs to compete in the 54 hole match. Team Georgia concluded the tournament with a 54-hole total of 436, outlasting the rest of the field by nine strokes.

Mariah Stackhouse, the youngest member of the Georgia team at 15 years of age, posted a 54 hole total of 222. Getting off to an early start, Mariah concluded the first round of play shooting a 74, helping her team jump out to an early four stroke lead. Day two of the tournament tested the team from Georgia as the team from Minnesota took the overall tournament lead halfway through the second round. Showing some resilience, the Georgia trio came out in the afternoon and regained the tournament lead by three strokes.

As the third round of play was underway, things were not off to a good start for Mariah and her teammates. With a triple bogey six on the par-3 fourth hole Mariah quickly found herself sitting at four over par. Stackhouse then kicked it into gear playing her final 14 holes six under par. Through those 14 holes there was a stretch in which she made four consecutive birdies beginning on number seven continuing with a chip in on eight and a 30-foot putt at the ninth hole. As the third round and the tournament concluded Mariah posted a two under par 70 on her way to helping Georgia win by nine strokes.

2009 has been a spectacular year for Mariah Stackhouse thus far. Since turning 15 early this year she has won the Georgia State Amateur, The Yamaha Women’s Western Open as well as being on winning teams in the 2009 Nike Cup and the USGA Women’s State Team Championship to name a few. As one of the top amateurs in the country the future looks bright for Mariah Stackhouse.

Yowell, Ulp, Stachler and Jones Claim Titles at Fall Classic

September 16, 2009 (Flowery Branch) – It took two sudden-death playoff holes to determine a winner in the Boys 15-18 division after David Yowell (Marietta) and Cameron Winder (Buckhead) were tied at the top of the leader board after 36 holes at 151. Yowell birdied the second playoff hole sticking a wedge shot within six feet on the difficult par-5 18th to defeat Winders. Yowell was able to hang on for the win despite a back nine 41 leading to a second round 78. Winders, victor of two Fall Series events in 2008, has proved to be a real threat in Atlanta Junior Golf (AJG) events so far in 2009 as well. Ross Ward (Gainesville) finished in solo 3rd after a stellar back nine 33 during the final round finishing just two shots out of the lead.

Bailey Ulp (Suwanee) played the most consistent golf of anyone in the field. Ulp’s consecutive rounds of even-par 72 lead him to an eight shot victory in the Boys 13-14 division over Pep Brown (Gainesville). Ulp made eight birdies, more than anyone else in the field. Reeves Bell (Gainesville) finished in 3rd place at 157.

In the Boys 12 & Under division, Ryan Stachler (Milton) carried his momentum from the Summer Series into the fall posting a second round 75 and clearing the field by four shots despite a first round 84. Stachler, 2008 Grand Champion for his division, has placed 1st in every AJG event he has competed in for 2009. Walker Oskin (Duluth) finished in 2nd place at 163 one shot ahead of 3rd place finisher Spencer Ralston (Gainesville).

Kayla Jones (Alpharetta) also continued her great from play from the summer, shooting 86-82–168 to finish in first place, two shots ahead of Margaret Yeh (Cumming). Camryn Cole (Gainesville) finished in solo 3rd place.

Held Saturday and Sunday September 12-13 at Royal Lakes Golf & Country Club in Flowery Branch, Ga. this was the 3rd annual playing of the 36-Hole Fall Classic.

Atlanta Junior Golf is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization and gains its funding through memberships, sponsorships and contributions. Contributions to the association are thus tax deductible by individuals and corporations alike. Based in Marietta, the organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of leading area business people, golf enthusiasts and golf professionals. Members of the Board serve as volunteers and help guide the activities of the organization. For more information, log on to www.atlantajuniorgolf.org.

**Editors Note: For more information, please contact operations manager Matt Hooper at (770) 850-9040 or mhooper@atlantajuniorgolf.org.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – The Canongate Golf Clubs  (www.canongategolf.com) junior golfers edged the Robert Trent Jones Trail team by two points after five sets of team and individual matches in the 2009 Nike Cup held September 5-6 at Whitewater Creek Country Club in Fayetteville, Georgia.  After heading into Sunday’s final two rounds of individual play with a one stroke lead, the Canongate Golf Clubs’ team lost that lead Sunday morning.  However, a strong showing in the final nine hole matches proved to be the deciding factor as Canongate won the Cup for the first time in the event’s three year history.

With momentum going Robert Trent Jones Trail’s way heading into that nine, the Canongate juniors rallied in every age group to win pivotal points, with the girls leading the way taking five of six possible matches.  Most matches were decided on the final hole, with a contingent of family and fans from both sides viewing from the veranda of the Whitewater Creek clubhouse.

After play, Canongate was presented team and individual trophies by Canongate Junior Tour Director and event organizer Scott Szymoniak.  Chris Lamey, Captain of the Robert Trent Jones Trail team and Nike representative, vowed to win the Cup in 2010 when the event will be contested in Alabama.

Several Canongate juniors had outstanding individual performances including junior phenom Mariah Stackhouse who swept all five of her matches.  Rachel Dai (Suwanee), Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee), Lauren Court (Lawrenceville), Emily Stallings (Brooks) and Nicholas Budd (Woodstock) all earned four of five points.  Details of each nine hole match session are below:

Winning points for Canongate Saturday in Fourball Format were:

Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale)/Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee)

Haley Austin (McDonough)/Rachel Dai (Suwanee)

Nickolaus Budd (Woodstock)/Trenton Sanders (Woodstock)

Michael Hines (Acworth)/Jack Stumpfig (Villa Rica)

Christian Humber (Fayetteville)/Nick Burns (Peachtree City)

Cory Griffin (McDonough)/Matt Youmans (Dacula)

Brad Dull (Sharpsburg)/Cody Sapp (Newnan)

Winning points for Canongate Saturday in Alternate Shot Format were:

Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale)/Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee)

Lauren Court (Lawrenceville)/Emily Stallings (Brooks)        

Nick Mineo (Cumming)/Andrew Bourg (Fayetteville)

Garrett Marschke (Suwanee)/Connor Edwards (Newnan)

Seth Morris (Sharpsburg)/Brad Dull (Sharpsburg)

Winning points for Canongate Saturday in Scramble Format were:

Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale)/Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee)

Haley Austin (McDonough)/Rachel Dai (Suwanee)

Lauren Court (Lawrenceville)/Emily Stallings (Brooks)

Nickolaus Budd (Woodstock)/Trenton Sanders (Woodstock)

Christian Humber (Fyaetteville)/Nick Burns (Peachtree City)

Matt Youmans (Dacula)/Cory Griffin (McDonough)

Winning points for Canongate in Morning Sunday Singles were:

Cody Sapp (Sharpsburg)

Brad Dull (Sharpsburg)

Nick Burns (Peachtree City)

Garrett Marschke (Suwanee)

Michael Hines (Acworth)

Nickolaus Budd (Woodstock)

Lauren Court (Lawrenceville)

Rachel Dai (Suwanee)

Emily Stallings (Brooks)

Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee)

Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale)

Winning points for Canongate in the Afternoon Sunday Singles were:

Cody Sapp (Newnan)

Matt Youmans (Dacula)

Christian Humber (Fayetteville)

Jack Stumpfig (Villa Rica)

Connor Edwards (Newnan)

Garrett Marschke (Suwanee)

Michael Hines (Acworth)

Andrew Bourg (Fayetteville)

Nickolaus Budd (Woodstock)

Lauren Court (Lawrenceville)

Rachel Dai (Suwanee)

Emily Stallings (Brooks)

Haley Austin (McDonough)

Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale)

The third annual Nike Cup was a tremendous success in bringing some of the top juniors from two strong golf states together by way of support from Nike Golf, Canongate Golf Clubs, and the Robert Trent Jones Trail.  Additional local sponsor support came from Chick Fil A and BB&T Bank.  The event has seen tremendous growth and attention in just its third year as several juniors competing in this event are ranked in the top 100 junior golfers in the world.

The Canongate Junior Tour consists of 250 juniors from all of the Canongate Golf Clubs, with top juniors in each age division earning a position on the Nike Cup Team after a year-round competitive schedule.  This competitive junior golf tour is designed to take junior golfers from the first stages of competitive golf to higher levels. Players ages 7 to 17 compete in events throughout the year and four “major” events in which the juniors earn points for the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings.  For more information, visit www.cgperformancecenters.com.