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MacKinzie Kline Receives AJGA Jerry Cole Sportsmanship Award

MacKinzie Kline Receives AJGA Jerry Cole Sportsmanship Award

REUNION, Fla. — MacKinzie Kline of Encinitas, Calif., received a distinct honor Sunday night when she was awarded the AJGA Jerry Cole Sportsmanship Award. Kline was presented the honor by the American Junior Golf Association at the 30th annual Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet.

Kline was born with a congenital heart defect and has inspired many through her fundraising efforts across the country. Named the National Spokesperson for the Children’s Heart Foundation at the age of 10, Kline has already raised $1 million to help children born with congenital heart defects. By the end of 2008, the 15-year-old high school sophomore hopes to raise another $1 million.

The AJGA strives to impress upon young golfers the importance of respecting fellow competitors and the game of golf. One way to achieve this is the Sportsmanship Award. Each year, the AJGA selects one member who has displayed exemplary sportsmanship both on and off the golf course and honors this person at the annual Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet.

For the 30th consecutive year, the finest junior golfers in the world were recognized by the AJGA Sunday evening for their outstanding accomplishments at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet held at the Ginn Reunion Resort’s Grande Ballroom.

The AJGA is dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

However, this overall growth and development includes more than just improving or mastering one’s golf skills; it is to produce well-rounded, successful, honest and humble young adults.

Since its founding in 1978, the AJGA recognizes and rewards juniors for their impressive feats on the course, in the classroom, as well as for exhibiting sportsmanlike behavior. The sportsmanship award honors an individual who possess qualities such as integrity and true-heartedness and signifies the importance of living true to these virtues.

Others honored at the Rolex Junior All-American Awards Banquet include the Rolex Junior Players of the Year - Peter Uihlein of Bradenton, Fla., and Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla. - the Rolex Junior All-America Teams and the HP Scholastic Junior All-America Team.

Rolex Watch USA, a supporter of the AJGA since 1983, became an AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. The distinguished timepiece maker is the proprietor of the Rolex Junior Players of the Year, Rolex Junior All-America Teams and the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet. Rolex also sponsors the Rolex Tournament of Champions and Rolex Girls Junior Championship, two of the AJGA’s most competitive major championships. As a Premier Partner, Rolex is the Founding Partner to the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program and an Official Partner to the biennial PING Junior Solheim Cup.