Former Arkansas Razorback Stacy Lewis will host a unique junior golf event this summer in Northwest Arkansas that will pit girls and boys against each other in a 54-hole tournament.
Lewis, one of the leading players on the LPGA Tour, announced Wednesday that the KPMG Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational will be played June 22-25 at The Blessings in Johnson. The event coincides with the LPGA's Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, where Lewis is the defending champion.
The format is the first of its kind for the American Junior Golf Association where boys and girls will compete against each other in a stroke-play event.
"It's never been done before," said Shawn Quill, director of sports marketing and sponsorships for KPMG. "They've never been in mixed groups before."
The tournament field will be made up of 64 players -- 32 girls and 32 boys -- ages 12-15 with foursomes comprised of two girls and two boys. Golfers will play in mixed pairings to determine the boys and girls division champions, as well as introduce a new boys vs. girls team competition. The team competition will use the top eight cumulative boys' scores and the top eight cumulative girls' scores to decide the overall team champion.
"I am excited about how this format will not only help to spark new friendships, but will also encourage the development of a healthy gender-blind respect for each other as fellow competitors," Lewis said in a news release.
Quill said the format will offer a level playing field for the girls and boys with each teeing off from different tee boxes.
"It always comes down to the short game," Quill said.
Quill said the area will not lose the AJGA tournament that once carried Lewis' name. Instead, the Junior All-Star at Lost Springs will be held Aug. 10-13 at Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club in Rogers, according to the AJGA website.
The Blessings is the home course of the Arkansas men's and women's golf teams.
"It has always been extremely important for the club to support junior, college, and amateur golf," said Richard Cromwell, general manager of The Blessings. "The opportunity to continue this tradition and partner with Stacy makes the Junior All-Star Invitational a perfect fit for our club."
Sports on 03/26/2015