U.S. Kids World Golf Championship

Tomorrow's Professionals are Teeing-it-up at Pinehurst this August

Jul 20, 2007

This year's U.S. Kids World Golf Championship will field a record of over 1,100 golfers from around the world. It's a great showcase of talent and the popularity of golf.

Junior golfers will travel from such far away places like the United Arab Emirates, Bolivia, Malaysia, China, India, the Czech Republic and South Africa. In all, the international contingent will total 258 players from 32 countries. Their should be approximately 800 boys and 300 girls taking part in the golf tournament.

The largest international delegations are from Mexico (43 players), the United Kingdom (31) and Canada (31), Columbia (19) and Japan (19). In all, 12 countries will be represented by five or more players. Of the 60 plaques awarded for the first- through fifth-place finishers in 2006, 19 went to international players, including three for first place.

The U.S. players come from 45 states. With 122 players, Florida has the largest number of entries, followed by California with 120. The host state, North Carolina, will field 44 players. Players qualify for the championship by winning their age and gender division titles at state qualifying events held throughout the U.S. and at international qualifiers and through other qualifying criteria.

The tournament, which is returning to the North Carolina Sandhills area for the second year in a row, will be played on the No. 3, 5 and 8 courses at Pinehurst Resort, along with Longleaf Golf & Country Club, Midland Country Club, Mid Pines Golf Club, Little River Golf Resort and Talamore Resort. The courses will be shortened to gender- and age-appropriate lengths between 1,300 and 6,000 yards.

Following practice rounds and opening ceremonies on Aug. 1, the three-day stroke play event begins on Aug. 2 in 12 age and gender groups. Rounds are 9 or 18 holes per day, depending on age group. Following the World Championship, the U.S. Kids Golf World Cup will be held on Aug. 5 on Pinehurst No. 2 with the top 12-year-olds from the World Championship squaring off in a U.S. vs. international match-play event.

Dan Van Horn, founder and president of tournament sponsor, U.S. Kids Golf, says that "Golf is an international sport, and this tournament provides dramatic evidence of the game's growing global popularity." Van Horn further adds, "As we're seeing on the men's and women's professional tours, international players are some of the game's very best players. When you see the caliber of these kids' games, you know why."

The tournament should prove to be a fantastic competition to see, as it does every year.

The copyright of the article U.S. Kids World Golf Championship in Golf is owned by Alan L. Hammond. Permission to republish U.S. Kids World Golf Championship in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.