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Another Year of International Representation on the CJGA Tour By Roy Gentlesroy.gentles@cjga.com International representation has always been a staple within the CJGA Competitive Development Program as membership with the CJGA allows any junior golfer in Canada an opportunity to qualify and represent CJGA Team Canada on an international scale in numerous tournaments. 2008 will prove to be no different with a lineup of over ten high-profile, prestigious international events in which to qualify. Recently, CJGA Team Canada has demonstrated that Canadian junior golfers should be considered to be among the best in the world through victorious performances at the Euro Junior Golf Cup in St. Andrews, Scotland for the past three years as well as last year’s Mizuno North America Cup hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont. 2007 also witnessed the introduction of what will surely be one of the top junior golf tournaments in the world as the inaugural Canadian International Junior Challenge (CIJC) was held at the KaneffGolf owned Royal Niagara Golf Club. A team of Canadian juniors took on the best in the world on home soil where Norway took first place, while Canada finished in third spot after three days of team stroke play competition. Participating as a member of the CJGA Team Canada at the international level not only provides junior golfers with the chance to compete against the best juniors in the world, but it also provides them with experience and skills that are highly valued by college coaches. Additionally, members of CJGA Team Canada who are fortunate enough to qualify for the Euro Junior Golf Cup and the Mizuno North America Cup will attend elite level training camps conducted by CJGA Regional Coach Sean Casey at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Players who participate in these international events receive the type of experience that can help bring one’s golf career to the next level. Examples of past CJGA Team Canada members who have used international experience to advance their careers include Chris Baryla of Vernon, B.C., Kira Meixner from Richmond, B.C., Jessica Potter from Coquitlam, B.C., and Cory Bartlett from Shanty Bay, Ont. All of these players advanced to play college golf, at University of Texas-El Paso, Kent State, University of San Francisco, and Lincoln Memorial University respectively. Baryla has graduated from a successful college career and currently plays on the Nationwide Tour, while Meixner, Potter, and Bartlett are all currently playing in the NCAA. In order to qualify for an international event the individual must participate in the designated qualifier for the international event in which they wish to participate. Scores will then be adjusted based on the difficulty of weather conditions, course conditions, course slope, and course rating. The adjusted scores are then reviewed by the committee, and the juniors with the lowest adjusted score will be selected to participate as a member of CJGA Team Canada for that particular event. The CJGA offers many different styles of international play available including individual stroke play and Ryder Cup style team formats. Individual Stroke play The most prestigious international tournament offered for individual stroke play is the Junior World Golf Championships which was first started in 1968 and has consisted of participants from 73 different countries. This year the tournament will take place in San Diego, California from July 15th-18th, and offers multiple divisions based on gender and age. The following tournaments are qualifiers for the Junior World Golf Championships:
*Junior Worlds qualifying for juniors aged 10 & under Team Formats
The Mizuno North America Cup is also a Ryder Cup style event in which Canada and the United States square off in head to head competition. In 2008, the tournament will be held in Bluffton, South Carolina from July 7th-10th. Team Canada was victorious on home soil in 2007 in order to bring the All-time series to a score of 3-2 in favour of the Americans. The following tournaments are qualifiers for the Mizuno North America Cup:
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