Junior Worlds

[leezer99]

Junior Worlds stars on Tuesday! Couple of WRX kids playing (that I will not ⭐ on the leaderboard). 

 

Tee Times: Tee Times - Junior World Golf

 

It is a shame that the event has lost some of its luster with the history it has. 

 

 

[golfdad1]

1 hour ago, leezer99 said:

Junior Worlds stars on Tuesday! Couple of WRX kids playing (that I will not ⭐ on the leaderboard). 

 

Tee Times: Tee Times - Junior World Golf

 

It is a shame that the event has lost some of its luster with the history it has. 

 

 

Field hasn't been strong for years. Too many big invitationals now.

[Bizzle80]

Well they let us in so how strong can it be? 
 

j/k. We (my daughter) are here to see friends from all over the world, challenge herself and play the best she can. On range yesterday next to teams from Japan and Thailand…

 

It is really cool to see state sponsored junior teams. They are all geared up in uniforms and have teams of coaching here with them….but Kind of hard to compete with that when you are just a dad w a budget and a kid who is not a full time golfer yet (not that I want her to be)

Edited July 7 by Bizzle80

[golferdad8]

On 7/6/2025 at 9:22 AM, leezer99 said:

 

It is a shame that the event has lost some of its luster with the history it has. 

 

 

I agree, 100%. We were a one and done going to that event.

 

In addition to the event being a total zoo during sign up for 500 ppl at the same time while 80% of the field were ages 7 to 13, you competed against them for hotel rooms and get to pay $1000 surge pricing a night for 5 nights at the Hilton. 
 

On top of that, they gave out 30 to 40 exempted spots to southern Californians and several spots to many tiny countries, while allowing for only 2 for Northern California. Finally, reducing this from a four days event to three days led many people to choose other tournaments over this one (sorry Upswing). After all, most of the other top junior invitationals were better run, more focused, less expensive, and better swags!!! 😂 
 

 

[LOB-Dwight]

Torrey South for the 15-18 division is the best thing this tournamnet has going for it. Coaches like to see good performances on a tough course!  Overlooked Carlos Astiazaran won this in 2023. He’ll be at Vandy this fall after two excellent years at UOP. 

[kekoa]

I had thoughts of WD'ing, but my son shot a great score to qualify so I thought why not.  He has never played Torrey before so this will be a good test.  Yesterdays practice round proved that the course is no joke.  Luckily the rough was playable.  Long, windy, and rock hard greens.  Ughhh.....

[phillyspecial]

Why did this tournament go downhill so much?  

[leezer99]

12 minutes ago, phillyspecial said:

Why did this tournament go downhill so much?  

The AJGA mostly but also other events started pulling top talent. 

[golferdad8]

3 hours ago, leezer99 said:

The AJGA mostly but also other events started pulling top talent. 

Yep, AJGA used to have a few tournaments a week for 6 to 7 weeks of summer. Currently, I think they are up to 6+ tournaments per week for 12 weeks. Therefore, they can certainly pull a lot of top players away from Torrey Pines. 

Also, many junior players are now playing amateur tournaments during the summer, such as Western junior, north south, northern Junior, etc.

 

Given the prestige and swags that are given out for high school invitationals, I think it will be difficult for the general tournaments to keep up their prestige. This is one of the reasons why the Notah begay, despite its CNBC air time/informercials, never got the top players to come to their invitational.
 

Similarly, as with uswing, the top players no longer want to go because the best coaches are no longer going to general events that are surrounded by little kids running around.

[phillyspecial]

16 hours ago, golferdad8 said:

Yep, AJGA used to have a few tournaments a week for 6 to 7 weeks of summer. Currently, I think they are up to 6+ tournaments per week for 12 weeks. Therefore, they can certainly pull a lot of top players away from Torrey Pines. 

Also, many junior players are now playing amateur tournaments during the summer, such as Western junior, north south, northern Junior, etc.

 

Given the prestige and swags that are given out for high school invitationals, I think it will be difficult for the general tournaments to keep up their prestige. This is one of the reasons why the Notah begay, despite its CNBC air time/informercials, never got the top players to come to their invitational.
 

Similarly, as with uswing, the top players no longer want to go because the best coaches are no longer going to general events that are surrounded by little kids running around.

Interesting when put in context of the young kids around.  Stuff like Junior Worlds, I think of in context of <13 anyway, same bucket as USKG.  Once 13+, its all AJGA and the prestige jr events mentioned.   

[leezer99]

This morning's leaderboard. Damn, kids are good these days!

 

 

It appears that someone put the yardage in for the par.

Edited July 9 by leezer99

[wegobomber31]

On 7/8/2025 at 12:07 PM, phillyspecial said:

Why did this tournament go downhill so much?  

 

I asked someone in the know, and they said the event still gets a ton of coaches.  It's pretty clear that U.S. kids have migrated to other competing tournaments, but who's to say the international field isn't really strong? I'm seeing a WAGR of 240+ which is really strong and much higher than the same event last year.

[kiddoc]

Played Torrey on July 4

 

On the range a 10 year old girl had Trackman and 3 adults telling her what the data meant.

 

[phillyspecial]

6 hours ago, kiddoc said:

Played Torrey on July 4

 

On the range a 10 year old girl had Trackman and 3 adults telling her what the data meant.

 

This can be shocking to see for those unfamiliar w top level junior golf.  While I have never had a launch monitor on the range before a tournament for either of my kids, they essentially live on one when practicing at home and all off-season when we are inside.  

 

I suspect with a few international 'teams' at the JWs with coaches in tow, this is pretty standard stuff.  

[golferdad8]

19 hours ago, wegobomber31 said:

 

I asked someone in the know, and they said the event still gets a ton of coaches.  It's pretty clear that U.S. kids have migrated to other competing tournaments, but who's to say the international field isn't really strong? I'm seeing a WAGR of 240+ which is really strong and much higher than the same event last year.

Wagr is overrated & skewed for international players - most top wagr players underperform relative to lower ranked teammates/players in college. 

[mojomover]

9 hours ago, kiddoc said:

Played Torrey on July 4

 

On the range a 10 year old girl had Trackman and 3 adults telling her what the data meant.

 

we go to a driving range in the Bay Area which is affiliated with a local university. A lot of the local junior golfers practice there. I think I see more Trackmans and GC quads there than at a PGA tour event.  One kid uses both of them, at the same time and has a backup GC quad. 

[golferdad8]

2 hours ago, mojomover said:

we go to a driving range in the Bay Area which is affiliated with a local university. A lot of the local junior golfers practice there. I think I see more Trackmans and GC quads there than at a PGA tour event.  One kid uses both of them, at the same time and has a backup GC quad. 

This is funny - is the kid any good? 
We have both Trackman and GC4 also. 
At a certain point, just to out & play golf?! 😂

[mojomover]

44 minutes ago, golferdad8 said:

This is funny - is the kid any good? 
We have both Trackman and GC4 also. 
At a certain point, just to out & play golf?! 😂

 

To be fair, the kid is good (Class of 2030). He does use GCquad on the course for his practice rounds etc; he and his data are very data driven, so guess it works for them 🙂

 

 

[Tugu]

4 hours ago, golferdad8 said:

Wagr is overrated & skewed for international players - most top wagr players underperform relative to lower ranked teammates/players in college. 

First page of WAGR is literally the who's who of college golf and next generation of pros ie. The Koivuns, Clinton's etc. Interestingly the top end of WAGR is overwhelmingly American, with a few internationals who play the college circuit. Which by the way is 2nd to none in numbers of high powered events. Nowhere in the world has more high powered WAGR events quite like the USA. But to benefit, one has to at least go under par, which we now know MOST college kids do not.

 

Not comment due to lack of interest on my part for kids ranked in the hundreds or thousands. 

[golfdad1]

7 hours ago, Tugu said:

First page of WAGR is literally the who's who of college golf and next generation of pros ie. The Koivuns, Clinton's etc. Interestingly the top end of WAGR is overwhelmingly American, with a few internationals who play the college circuit. Which by the way is 2nd to none in numbers of high powered events. Nowhere in the world has more high powered WAGR events quite like the USA. But to benefit, one has to at least go under par, which we now know MOST college kids do not.

 

Not comment due to lack of interest on my part for kids ranked in the hundreds or thousands. 

I'm sure that commenter is just talkimg about wagr for Junior players. Weak int'l junior events get way more points than top US events, so the int'l Junior rankings should be taken with a grain of salt.

[Tugu]

1 hour ago, golfdad1 said:

I'm sure that commenter is just talkimg about wagr for Junior players. Weak int'l junior events get way more points than top US events, so the int'l Junior rankings should be taken with a grain of salt.

A comparison was made about performance with college players. But overall, which ranking system shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt?

Edited July 11 by Tugu

[wegobomber31]

On 7/10/2025 at 9:09 AM, golferdad8 said:

Wagr is overrated & skewed for international players - most top wagr players underperform relative to lower ranked teammates/players in college. 

You'll get no disagreement from me here. I doubt there is anybody who has done more to try to shine a light on this issue.

But the WAGR was just as flawed a year ago as it is now so a year-over-year comparison of Power of the same event likely means this year's field is a little stronger than last year's, even if we don't recognize the names.

[Galvin Lux]

On 7/8/2025 at 7:50 AM, golferdad8 said:

I agree, 100%. We were a one and done going to that event.

 

In addition to the event being a total zoo during sign up for 500 ppl at the same time while 80% of the field were ages 7 to 13, you competed against them for hotel rooms and get to pay $1000 surge pricing a night for 5 nights at the Hilton. 
 

On top of that, they gave out 30 to 40 exempted spots to southern Californians and several spots to many tiny countries, while allowing for only 2 for Northern California. Finally, reducing this from a four days event to three days led many people to choose other tournaments over this one (sorry Upswing). After all, most of the other top junior invitationals were better run, more focused, less expensive, and better swags!!! 😂 
 

 

Care to share the other Top Junior Invitationals?

 

Future Junior Masters looks fun. Us Kids world or teen world always seem decent. 

 

For me..... Uswing and FCG world have way too much presence from all the Asia junior golfers, if one want their kid to compete against the kids from Asian then its the tournaments to be at, but for me, like you have said, a 350 night per room have surged to 600-1000 which is ridiculous. 

[Galvin Lux]

On 7/10/2025 at 2:04 PM, kiddoc said:

Played Torrey on July 4

 

On the range a 10 year old girl had Trackman and 3 adults telling her what the data meant.

 

I have seen a 9 year old kid with 3 coaches ( fitness, swing, mental or putting ), both parent, and a personal caddy, yes with trackman and all their fancy equipment, madness! Oh I do not think the kid placed ... insane what money can do but win! 

[Tugu]

9 hours ago, Galvin Lux said:

Care to share the other Top Junior Invitationals?

 

Future Junior Masters looks fun. Us Kids world or teen world always seem decent. 

 

For me..... Uswing and FCG world have way too much presence from all the Asia junior golfers, if one want their kid to compete against the kids from Asian then its the tournaments to be at, but for me, like you have said, a 350 night per room have surged to 600-1000 which is ridiculous. 

Asia is approximately 60% of the world's population and 30% of the earth's land area.

 

What in your opinion would be the right amount or balance of Asian junior golfers?

 

Do junior golf events like world juniors and say most California AJGA's have a lack of diversity issue in that there are simply "too much presence from all the Asia (Sic) junior golfers?

 

Edited July 12 by Tugu

[MahalNeneng]

On 7/9/2025 at 1:22 PM, wegobomber31 said:

 

I asked someone in the know, and they said the event still gets a ton of coaches.  It's pretty clear that U.S. kids have migrated to other competing tournaments, but who's to say the international field isn't really strong? I'm seeing a WAGR of 240+ which is really strong and much higher than the same event last year.

Coaches are there to see the internationals that make this a mainstay stop of the year. Cheapest international scouting trip possible.

[leezer99]

55 minutes ago, MahalNeneng said:

Coaches are there to see the internationals that make this a mainstay stop of the year. Cheapest international scouting trip possible.

With the best weather. 

[golferdad8]

1 hour ago, MahalNeneng said:

Coaches are there to see the internationals that make this a mainstay stop of the year. Cheapest international scouting trip possible.

Good weather for coaches & wife/kids/family + legoland = boondoggle.
 

Many junior tournaments have crap locations/weather - ask anyone who traveled to Iowa for Western Junior. Not that it’s bad for recruiting, but it’s not a boondoggle! 

[kiddoc]

On 7/10/2025 at 5:41 AM, phillyspecial said:

This can be shocking to see for those unfamiliar w top level junior golf.  While I have never had a launch monitor on the range before a tournament for either of my kids, they essentially live on one when practicing at home and all off-season when we are inside.  

 

I suspect with a few international 'teams' at the JWs with coaches in tow, this is pretty standard stuff.  

I was not shocked at all…..I loved the reaction of my son, who recently graduated from D1 golf…priceless

[golfdad1]

On 7/11/2025 at 8:32 PM, Galvin Lux said:

Care to share the other Top Junior Invitationals?

 

Future Junior Masters looks fun. Us Kids world or teen world always seem decent. 

 

For me..... Uswing and FCG world have way too much presence from all the Asia junior golfers, if one want their kid to compete against the kids from Asian then its the tournaments to be at, but for me, like you have said, a 350 night per room have surged to 600-1000 which is ridiculous. 

Top invitationals/tournaments outside of the AJGA:

 

Tier 1: Junior Invitational (Sage Valley)

US Junior, Junior PGA Champ, Western Junior, Dustin Johnson, Jones Cup

 

Tier 2: Scott Robertson, Bobby Chapman, Elite Invitational, Southern Junior, North & South, IMG 

probably forgetting some