PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The 2006 Junior Ryder Cup will take place Sept. 18-19, at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, United Kingdom. The Matches mark the third formal connection between The PGA of America and Ryder Cup Ltd., which biennially stage the Ryder Cup.
The U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team will consist of six boys and six girls who are American citizens and are Class of 2007 graduates or younger. The invitation criterion consists of the following:
First, the U.S. Champion of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, July 17-22, 2006, at Rancho Santa Fe Country Club in San Diego, Calif., will be awarded an automatic birth to the U.S. Team. The second exemption is awarded to the winner of the U.S. Girls Junior Championship on July 17-22, 2006, at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. Next, the top two boys and girls from the PGA of America's flagship junior event, Westfield Junior PGA Championship, Aug. 10-13, 2006 at Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio, will be eligible. Next, the leading two boys and girls in the Junior Ryder Cup final point standings following the Westfield Junior PGA Championship (the final major of the summer) will earn automatic Junior Ryder Cup berths. The final boy and girl to complete the 12-member team will be chosen by U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Captain Jack Connelly and announced at the Westfield Junior PGA Championship, much the same as Tom Lehman will do at Medina Country Club for the professional Ryder Cup team.
The U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points system was revised in the fall of 2005 to mirror the Ryder Cup points system, so that in Junior Ryder Cup on years, a premier tier event victory will be worth 675 points, compared to 300 under the previous system, and points for positions two through 15 has been increased. Points are also awarded at top tier event championships along with PGA Section Championships and USGA Section Championships. Only the top 15 finishers in premier championships, the top 10 finishers in the top-event championships, and the overall winner from the PGA and USGA Section championships are eligible to earn points.
The U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team will meet up in Atlanta, Ga., on Thurs., Sept. 14, fly to London, England, and then be transported to get acclimated and play in practice rounds at Celtic Manor Resort Sept. 15-17. Opening Ceremonies will kick off the event on Sept. 17, followed by a Boy-Boy and Girl-Girl Best-Ball event on Sept. 18. A Boy-Girl Best-Ball event will take place on Sept. 19, followed by closing ceremonies. A Junior-Am event will be held on Sept. 20. The boys and girls will either travel back home on Sept. 21 or travel to Dublin for the opening ceremonies of the 36th Ryder Cup at The K Club in Straffan, Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 22-24. Complimentary Ryder Cup tickets and discounted room packages will be offered by the European Ryder Cup Committee to the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team and their parent or guardian chaperones.
For further information about the Junior Ryder Cup, visit www.pgajuniorseries.com or www.PGA.com/juniors or call The PGA of America national headquarters at (561) 624-8400.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing the game and the business of golf.
