Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship to take place July 20-21
ASHLAND — For more than four decades, the Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship has served as the unofficial start of the high school season for Ashland-area youth.
The two-day tournament is set to take place Wednesday at Brookside Golf Course and Thursday at the Ashland Golf Club.
“The timing is great on this tournament because the high school golf season starts August 1,” said Mick Briggs, Pro Shop manager at Brookside. “This gives any of the kids who are planning to compete on any of the high school teams a good warmup of getting out there and competing in a competitive environment and playing a little competition to see where they stack up against other kids and get them ready for the competition.
“It’s also right at the end of [the] junior golf [program], so it gives those kids a chance to go out and see if they did any better than the year before after completing the program for another year.”
Participants must be an Ashland resident or attend an Ashland County school to compete in the tournament, which will follow United States Golf Association and Ohio High School Athletic Association rules.
The entry fee is $25 per player and is payable at Brookside. Registration closes at noon Tuesday.
The tournament will feature six divisions differentiated by age and gender. Division I is for 17- and 18-year-old boys, Division II 15-16 boys, Division III 13-14 boys and Division IV 10-12 boys. Division V (girls, 15-18) and Division VI (girls, 14-and-under) complete the field.
Divisions I, II, III and V will all play 18 holes each day, while divisions IV and VI will play nine holes per day.
Each division winner and runner-up will receive a trophy.
Briggs has been involved in the local sports scene for quite some time. He’s passionate about teaching area youth the game of golf while growing the sport, so helping to organize the tournament is a win-win for him.
“Whether it was 150 years ago when my kids were playing little league ball and peewee football and all of that, I’ve always been involved with kids,” he said. “To bring it out here to a sport that I’m passionate about, it’s a hoot for me just to get the kids into a competitive environment and to see all of the grit and determination on their faces.
“I just get a kick out of it.”
Reach Chris at csnow@times-gazette.com
On Twitter: CSnow_TG
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship set to begin July 20
