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AJGA
PING Junior at Mirasol First of Five-Event Swing Through Florida
The Sunrise Course, home to the PGA TOUR's Honda Classic,
to play host to inaugural event
A PGA TOUR stop will test 84 junior golfers when the AJGA
brings the inaugural PING Junior at Mirasol to the Country
Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., June 1-4.
“The kids are the future of the game so it’s important
to support them,” Director of Club Operations Mike Lane
said. “We’re looking forward to hosting some of
the best junior golfers in the United States at our club.”
Home to the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic through 2006, the
recently opened Sunrise Course is one of the most challenging
sets of holes in the state.
“It’s
a wonderful facility,” AJGA Tournament Director Derrick
Farnham said. “The course is very pristine. It’s
an amazing opportunity for AJGA juniors to play on the same
course that hosts the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic.”
Designed by renowned course architect Tom Fazio, the layout
combines the wetland features associated with Fazio’s
designs in South Carolina and green complexes comparable to
Donald Ross’ designs at historic Pinehurst No. 2. Fazio’s
masterpieces have been consistently ranked among America’s
Top 100 in Golf Digest and Golf Magazine.
“Being at a facility like this one is just unbelievable,”
AJGA Vice President of Operations Bobby Powell said. “The
architecture of the clubhouse is amazing. And any time you
play at a Tom Fazio design, you get a great quality course.
It speaks volumes when the PGA TOUR is also playing on the
course. Any time we’re at the same venue as a TOUR event,
you know it’ll be a wonderful tournament.”
While enjoying the incredible facility, the juniors will be
challenged in their short game. By all accounts, steep bunkers
and extensive greenside collection areas could cost juniors
strokes.
“The
course tests all aspects of the short game,” Lane said.
“The greens can repel an errant shot, and after walking
to the greens, your ball could be 40 or 50 feet away. You
must be precise with your irons to make a birdie. The course
tests the imagination. It’ll be interesting to see what
kind of shots the juniors play.”
After
watching the Honda Classic in March, juniors will have the
opportunity to compare their games to that of the professionals.
“It’ll be very challenging for the juniors,”
Powell said. “And it will be interesting for them to
see where they are driving the ball in relation to the professionals.”
AJGA
PING Junior at Mirasol Quick Facts
Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Date: June 1-4, 2004
Field: 84 girls and boys ages 12-18.
Format: 54-hole stroke play; 18-hole qualifier
June 1 at Mirasol Country Club
Course: The Sunrise Course a the Country
Club at Mirasol
Course Opened: 2003
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,407
Designed by: Tom Fazio
Noteworthy: The Country Club at Mirasol will
play host to the PGA TOUR's Honda Classic through 2006...
Home to Golf Digest School's National Headquarters, which
attracts some of the world's most prominent golf students
and instructors
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