21ST ANNUAL STARBURST JUNIOR GOLF CLASSIC RETURNS JUNE 17-18

NTPGA • December 18, 2018

21ST ANNUAL STARBURST JUNIOR GOLF CLASSIC RETURNS JUNE 17-18

WACO, TX – The 21st Annual Starburst Junior Golf Classic, one of the largest junior golf tournaments in the state, returns to the Greater Waco area June 17-18, 2019. A Greater Waco Chamber event, the Starburst Junior Golf Classic will host hundreds of players from ages of 7 to 19 across two days of tournament play at two Waco-based golf courses, Cottonwood Creek Golf Club and Ridgewood Country Club. Registration opens today, Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at StarburstGolf.com and will close on Wednesday, June 12 at 2 p.m. or when all spots are full. 

 

This year, Starburst Junior Golf Classic is proud to partner with the Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA), and the event will be a part of the NTPGA’s All American Tour. The All American Tour features nationally ranked tournaments for junior golfers who have achieved a high level of golf and tournament experience and offers national and regional tournament exemptions as well as AJGA Performance Based Entry to top finishers. 

 

“We are proud to host participants from across the U.S. and are excited to have this opportunity to showcase our community once again,” said Amanda Haygood, director of sports and special events for the Greater Waco Chamber. “We believe our new partnership with NTPGA will offer junior players a big opportunity that will challenge and build their golf tournament experiences.”

 

The following changes have been made for the 2019 Starburst Junior Golf Classic: 

 

• SBJC will be a two-day, 36-hole tournament played at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course and Ridgewood Country Club. All players will play one tournament round at each golf course.

 

• Update to age division structure: Boys 7-8, 9, 10 and 11 divisions have been eliminated and replaced with a Boys 12 & Under division; Girls 7-8, 9-10 and 11 divisions have been eliminated and replaced with a Girls 12 & Under division.

 

• Partnership with AJGA will continue and division champions will continue to receive PBE stars. 

 

• Caddies will not be permitted in the Boys and Girls 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and Championship divisions. Caddies will be permitted in the Boys and Girls 12 & Under divisions. Per AJGA policy, caddies in the Boys & Girls 12 & Under divisions may not be a parent/guardian of the player. 

 

• NTPGA will conduct registration and scoring.

 

• Live scoring during Round 1 and Round 2 and scores will be posted electronically on the golf course and inside the clubhouse.

 

• NEW to the Welcome Dinner: awarding of $5,000 college scholarship.

 

*PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAYERS DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NTPGA JUNIOR TOUR TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STARBURST JUNIOR GOLF CLASSIC

 

The Starburst Junior Golf Classic will kick off with activities and vendors at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course on Sunday, June 16. Players can pick up their player swag bags and tournament pairings, participate in a College Coach Chat, enjoy dinner, practice their swings and watch 1,300 golf balls fall from the sky for the Greater Waco Chamber’s Helicopter Golf Ball Drop. “The popular Helicopter Ball Drop is a unique aspect of our tournament that really engages all of our players and their families,” added Haygood. “Players – and anyone in the community – can purchase a $5 raffle ticket to match a golf ball. It’s an impressive sight, watching up to 1,300 golf balls be dropped from a helicopter. And the owner of the ball that lands in, or nearest, to the golf hole will win $1,000!” 

 

Players who have completed their junior or senior year of high school will be eligible to win a $5,000 college scholarship from the NTPGA during a drawing at the Welcome Dinner. 

 

Complete tournament information can be found at StarburstGolf.com. With questions concerning registration, new rules and regulations, contact Blake Trahan, Senior Coordinator of All American Tour Operations at the NTPGA, via email at btrahan@ntpga.com or (214) 420-7421. For general questions about the tournament, contact Amanda Haygood at (254) 757-5611 or by email at ahaygood@wacochamber.com. 

 

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About the Greater Waco Chamber:

The Greater Waco Chamber is a business leadership organization that advances a forward-thinking and visionary agenda for economic growth and quality of life. The Chamber prepares and markets Greater Waco for the businesses and jobs of the future and enhances the quality of life of the community by promoting strategic development. For more information, visit WacoChamber.com.

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