Six AJGA juniors from Tennessee took it upon themselves to get together and show their community the true meaning of Playing It Forward.
Taylor Manning, Tyler Smith and Dustin Wilder, all of Brentwood, and Michael Orme, Chris Sherry and Natalie Turk of Franklin, all were part of the tournament field for the AJGA Southeast Junior Open, which was held this week at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn. The six decided they wanted to give back and did so by participating in the AJGA's Playing It Forward program.
The six juniors went out in the local community to solicit pledges for the number of pars, birdies and eagles they made during the tournament. During the tournament week, each par was worth $1, birdies $5, and eagles $10 for the six juniors.
With the tournament being completed, they raised $6,282.
The AJGA Playing It Forward program is an opportunity for juniors to support the AJGA and local charities in a very real and meaningful manner through first-hand participation in the AJGA¹s goal of enhancing and developing the "overall growth and development" aspect of the AJGA¹s Mission Statement. It is also a way for juniors to give back to local charities within the communities in which they reside.
All proceeds raised throughout the tournament will be split between The First Tee of Nashville and the AJGA¹s Youth Development Initiatives.
For more information on the Playing it Forward program or those participating, please visit the Playing it Forward Web site or contact Beth Dockter with the American Junior Golf Association at bdockter@ajga.org .