The 42nd Boys Junior PGA Championship will be played July 31-August 3 at The Country Club of St. Albans Lewis & Clark Course in St. Albans, Missouri. Here's everything you need to know about the event:
City: St. Albans, Missouri
Dates: July 31-August 3, 2017
Architects: Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish
Year Opened: 1992
Trophy: Jack Nicklaus Trophy
Format: 72-hole, stroke-play Championship, with a cut after 36 holes to the low 70 plus ties. In the event of a tie after 72 holes, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff.
Eligibility: The Boys Junior PGA Championship is open to males who are no older than 18 years of age on August 3, 2017
Entry: Players qualify for the championship through their local PGA Section Championship.
Defending Champion: Norman Xiong
PHOTOS: Practice Rounds | Photos from every round
ROUND 1 RECAP: Dawson Ovard shoots 64, leads after Round 1
ROUND 2 RECAP: Akshay Bhatia shoots record 61 at the 42nd Boys PGA Championship | Highlights from his round
ROUND 3 RECAP: Akshay Bhatia continues to break records at 42nd Boys Junior PGA Championship | Round 3 Highlights
ROUND 4 RECAP: Bhatia wins 42nd Boys Junior PGA Championship with record-setting performance | Bhatia puts stamp on Jr. PGA Champ.
RELATED: Impressive field at Boys Junior PGA Champ. | Faces of the Boys Junior PGA
The Junior PGA Championship for girls was also contested at St. Albans, July 18-21. Rose Zhang was the winner of the championship.
“The PGA of America is excited to significantly expand the field for our new Junior PGA Championships, beginning in 2017, at such a historically significant venue as the Lewis and Clark Course at St. Albans,” then-PGA President Derek Sprague said last year. “By creating separate boys and girls events, we will double the number of players for all of our Sections. In addition, the number of boys and girls participating in each Championship will increase from 78 to 144 each. We believe this is an important investment in the future of the game, in order to provide more opportunities for top players nationwide to compete in our Junior PGA Championships.”
In 1991, the award-winning architectural firm of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish were selected to design and build the Lewis and Clark course at St. Albans. Renowned for its natural beauty of rolling hills, wooded terrain, valleys, lakes and natural wildlife, with a true reverence for the rich history of the area, the course and the prestigious St. Albans clubhouse opened in 1992. The St. Albans property bears many historic symbols that were meticulously preserved by the designers, from Civil War era graves that dot the property to the striking stone homes designed by Theodore Link, famed architect of St. Louis Union Station.
“On behalf of the members and staff of The Country Club of St. Albans, we are honored to host the 2017 Junior PGA Championships,” said Joe Schwent, PGA Director of Golf Operations at St. Albans. “We know the players will enjoy our Lewis and Clark golf course which has consistently been ranked in the Top 10 courses in the state of Missouri by Golf Digest. We are proud to have been selected, and look forward to welcoming the PGA of America and the top junior golfers in the country.”
PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley serves as Junior PGA Chair for the Girls PGA Championships and PGA of America President Paul Levy serves as Junior PGA Chair for Boys PGA Championships in 2017.
The 2018 Junior PGA Championships will serve as the final PGA of America qualifying venues for the 2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team in Paris.