FAYETTEVILLE -- Top junior golfers from across the country and around the world will descend upon Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club this week.
The American Junior Golf Association All-Star at Lost Springs, presented by Visit Bentonville, will feature top female and male players between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. And all at once, the select group will be showcased for Northwest Arkansas to see.
AJGA Junior All-Star at Lost Springs, Presented by Visit Bentonville
When: Tuesday through Thursday (practice round Monday)
Where: Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club, Bentonville
Notable: Lost Springs first hosted the KMPG Stacy Lewis Junior Open as part of the AJGA series in 2012. The AJGA Junior All-Stars replaced the Stacy Lewis Junior Open at Lost Springs last year when the Stacy Lewis Open moved to The Blessings in Johnson.
2015 Winners: Boys — Wil Gibson, Jonesboro; Girls — Grace Ni, Cypress, Texas
Tournament Field:
Boys
Name^Hometown^Graduate Year
Zachary Bailey^Germantown, Tenn.^2019
Brock Barnhart^Robins, Iowa^2020
Sam Barrett^Thomasville, Ga.^2020
Benjamin Belden^Birmingham, Ala.^2019
Ford Bennett^Owings Mills, Md.^2019
Adam Bratton^Newburgh, Ind.^2020
Joshua Braverman^Naples, Fla.^2019
Jackson Brimfield^Chapel Hill, N.C.^2021
Benjamin Broadus^Dalworthington Gardens, Texas^2019
Mark Brown^Johns Creek, Ga.^2020
Beck Burnette^Blairsville, Ga.^2019
John Marshall Butler^Louisville, Ky.^2020
Jacob Calamaro^Newtown Square, Pa.^2019
Ryan Camras^Bismarck, Ark.^2018
Luis Miguel Castro^Sta. Rosa, Philippines^2018
Will Chambless^Culloden, Ga.^2019
Hanseung Chang^(South Korea) Austin, Texas^2020
Phillip Choi^Corinth, Texas^2019
Advait Chutke^Flower Mound, Texas^2021
Austin Coggin^Vestavia Hills, Ala.^2019
Maxwell Coutsolioutsos^Bradenton, Fla.^2018
Jack Crawshaw^Winnetka, Ill.^2019
Walker Crosby^Memphis, Tenn.^2019
Jackson Davenport^Austin, Texas^2020
Denver Davis^Fayetteville, Ark.^2019
Juan Delgado^Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic^2019
Adamo DiTullio^(Canada) Fort Lauderdale, Fla.^2019
Jaxon Dowell^Edmond, Okla.^2020
Alex Eickhoff^Hillsboro, Ill.^2020
Spencer Eiserman^Rogers, Ark.^2018
Ryan Eshleman^Vestavia Hills, Ala.^2020
Andrew Fakult^Rogers, Ark.^2020
Randall Fojtasek^Dallas, Texas^2020
Connor Gaunt^Cabot, Ark.^2019
Renato Gerena Jr^Peachtree City, Ga.^2022
Jack Glenn^Stillwater, Okla.^2019
Evans Gross^Birmingham, Ala.^2021
Justin Hand^Ellwood City, Pa.^2020
Dallas Hankamer^Temple, Texas^2021
David Harrison^Trophy Club, Texas^2019
Satchel Hirsh^Incline Village, Nev.^2020
Jake Holbrook^Granbury, Texas^2019
Brewer Hughes^Madison, Miss.^2019
Tyler Isenhart^Geneva, Ill.^2019
Will Jacobe^Houston, Texas^2019
Anmol Jhangra^Lawrenceville, Ga.^2020
Patrick Kahanek^San Antonio, Texas^2021
Siddarth Kalisetty^Flower Mound, Texas^2020
Jun Kim^Yongin, South Korea^2019
Samuel Kim^Carrollton, Texas^2019
Lambert Lan^(China) Windermere, Fla.^2019
Tripp Law^Birmingham, Ala.^2020
Brian Li^(China) Warren, N.J.^2019
Jiakun Li^Shanghai, China^2019
Alexander Lin^Oakland, Calif.^2018
Daniel Love^Owensboro, Ky.^2020
Cole Lum^Camarillo, Calif.^2021
Grayson Maddox^Tampa, Fla.^2019
Xavier Marcoux^(Canada) Lexington, Mass.^2019
Taylor John McGerity^Lake Mary, Fla.^2020
Palmer McSpadden^Fayetteville, Ark.^2020
Jay Nimmo^Benton, Ky.^2021
Gavin Noble^Ringgold, Ga.^2019
Dawson Ovard^Frisco, Texas^2019
Christopher Park^Plano, Texas^2020
Jose Alberto Perez^Miami, Fla.^2020
Kyle Peterson^Bixby, Okla.^2019
Nicholas Pleiman^Rogers, Ark.^2021
Said Powers^Edmond, Okla.^2019
Ethan Ray^Collierville, Tenn.^2020
E.J. Reisinger^Park Ridge, Ill.^2019
Cade Riggan^Paragould, Ark.^2020
Parker Rose^Stigler, Okla.^2019
Calum Ross^Johns Creek, Ga.^2019
Parker Rostowsky^Kennesaw, Ga.^2020
Brentt Salas^Barrigada, Guam^2018
Gordon Sargent^Birmingham, Ala.^2021
Mac Scott^Mountain Brook, Ala.^2020
Brenden Stanton^Flower Mound, Texas^2018
Garrett Starkey^Edmond, Okla.^2020
Ross Steelman^Columbia, Mo.^2019
Clay Stirsman^Carmel, Ind.^2020
Mac Thompson^Marietta, Ga.^2019
Cohen Trolio^West Point, Miss.^2021
Jackson Van Paris^Pinehurst, N.C.^2021
Dominic Wade^Scottsdale, Ariz.^2020
Rondarius Walters^Grand Prairie, Texas^2019
Braedon Wear^Maryville, Tenn.^2020
Aidan Willcoxon^Lubbock, Texas^2019
Joey Wiseman^Corydon, Ind.^2019
Ryan Ziegler^Granbury, Texas^2019
Logan Zurn^Birmingham, Ala.^2022
Girls
Name^Hometown^Graduate Year
Melena Barrientos^Plano, Texas^2021
Gabbi Bentancourt^Frisco, Texas^2021
Brooke Biermann^St. Louis, Mo.^2021
Jennifer Cleary^Wilmington, Del.^2020
Harmie Constantino^Taguig, Philippines^2018
Bentley Cotton^Austin, Texas^2020
Morgan Dabagia^Fort Wayne, Ind.^2020
Kate Dishman^Flower Mound, Texas^2019
Michelle Du^Irvine, Calif.^2019
Jackie Feldman^Austin, Texas^2021
Montgomery Ferreira^University Place, Wash.^2021
Madelyn Jones^Austin, Texas^2019
Trinity King^Arlington, Texas^2019
McKenzie LeDuff^Lake Charles, La.^2020
Soona Lee-Tolley^New York, N.Y.^2020
Manuela Lizarazu^Bogota, Colombia^2018
Emily Marrs^O’Fallon, Ill.^2018
Whitney Messer^Barbourville, Ky.^2019
Madyson Moy^Montverde, Fla.^2019
Annabelle Pancake^Zionsville, Ind.^2020
Megan Propeck^Leawood, Kan.^2021
Leila Raines^Galena, Ohio^2020
Kyndall Shamblin^Cleveland, Tenn.^2022
Elina Sinz^Katy, Texas^2020
Zoe Slaughter^Houston, Texas^2020
Britta Snyder^Ames, Iowa^2020
Alexis Sudjianto^Charlotte, N.C.^2019
Taylor Towers^Owasso, Okla.^2019
Marissa Wenzler^Dayton, Ohio^2019
Abby Whittington^Evansville, Ind.^2020
Jin Yu Wu^Shanghai, China^2020
Ke Yang^(China) Beaumont, Calif.^2020
Yukino Yoshihari^(Japan) Irvine, Calif.^2019
Emma Zhao^Windermere, Fla.^2018
Tianyi Zhuang^(China) Windermere, Fla.^2020
"It's a great event, and we're glad to have them," Lost Springs golf professional Todd Pinneo said. "The AJGA is top golfers from all over, even from outside the country."
Lost Springs is no stranger to hosting top-level junior events. Beginning in 2012, the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior Open -- part of the AJGA series -- was held at Lost Springs. After a three-year run, the Stacy Lewis Open moved to another course. But the AJGA was impressed with Lost Springs and asked the course to host a different AJGA event.
"When Stacy's tournament moved to the Blessings (in Johnson), the AJGA people asked us to do an All-Star tournament," Pinneo said. "So last year the tournament became part of that series."
The All-Star series in the AJGA is a points-based tournament based off player's rankings. If players have earned enough "performance stars" in AJGA events it can lead to invites into more tournaments.
This year's field at the AJGA All-Star at Lost Springs includes 92 boys and 35 girls, with a few more players added in a Sunday qualifier.
While the tournament draws players from as far away as China, the Philippines and Columbia, the field of local players is limited. Denver Davis, a sophomore-to-be at Fayetteville High, is one of the lucky few from Northwest Arkansas to be entered in this tough AJGA field.
"This is really good competition, and it's great that it's really close to home," Davis said. "I've played ASGA (Arkansas State Golf Association) events, and they're good competition, but playing AJGA is more of that competition."
Davis played in last year's AJGA All-Star at Lost Springs but suffered a back injury in his first round and was forced to withdraw. Bouncing back with a big tournament this week after last year's results is big motivation for Davis, not just because of last year but also because of what it can mean for the future.
"I'm just trying to play well and improve my (AJGA) ranking," Davis said. "I want to get out there and play well and get noticed by the college coaches. That's a big goal of mine."
Players will compete in a 54-hole stroke play with the tournament field being cut in half after the first 36 holes. Tee times Tuesday and Wednesday are between 7 and 9 a.m. and 11:45 a.m and 1:30 p.m. Final round tee times Thursday are between 7 and 9 a.m.
The public is welcome to come watch the AJGA Junior All-Star at Lost Springs, and admission is free.
"The course is in excellent shape," Pinneo said. "We're looking forward to a great tournament ,and everyone should come out and watch some great golf."
Sports on 06/13/2016