Hulse wins ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Stroke

Playing in his last ASGA Championship as a junior, 17-year-old Lane Hulse of Fordyce fired a final round of three-under par 69 to win the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Boys Stroke Play Championship at Texarkana Country Club. Hulse trailed by four strokes entering the final round but turned the front nine in three-under par 33 with a birdie on #1 and an eagle on the par-5 7th hole, to go with 7 pars, to grab the lead. Steady golf on the back nine, including birdies on #16 and #17 closed the Championship in style with a six stroke victory over Dylan Lovell of Harrison and Nate Smith of Benton. Hunter Smith, a 16-year-old from Cabot, edged his classmate at Cabot High School, Colby Benton and won the ASGA Junior Boys Player of the Year title. Smith will receive the award October 29 at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock. Thanks to all that helped make the 2009 ASGA Junior Tournament Season a success!

Roachell wins ASGA Mountain Valley Stroke Play

Congratulations to 14-year-old Summar Roachell of Conway, winner of the 2009 ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Girls Stroke Play Championship at Texarkana Country Club. She is shown with the Lou Miller Trophy, named in honor of ASGA Hall of Famer Lou Miller. Summar also wrapped up the ASGA Junior Girls Player of the Year and will receive that award Thursday, October 29 at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock. To see all of Summar's tournament results, click on Junior Girl Point Standings at www.asga.org

Also, congratulations to all age division winners and thanks to all the mother, fathers, grandparents, brothers and sisters that helped support these young women in 2009 and for making the ASGA junior tournament schedule a success!

Final 2009 ASGA Junior Tourney at Texarkana CC

Historic Texarkana Country Club, where the legendary Byron Nelson once hung his hat as golf professional, hosts the final ASGA Junior Designated Tournament of 2009 this week. The ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Boys and Girls Stroke Play is August 4-6 and 54 holes will determine both player of the year titles. Hunter Smith and Colby Benton are neck-and-neck in the boys race and Katie Webb leads Summar Roachelle by a narrow margin in the girls race. Last year's junior girls stroke at Pine Bluff CC went 54 holes - and then 6 more in a playoff between Taylor Fisher and Roachelle. Fisher won the tournament and the ASGA Junior Girls Player of the Year. It is unknown at this point what will unfold at TCC, but one thing is clear: Superintendent Ken Sawyer has the course in great shape (he always does) even after 8 inches of rain recently. Tee times are 8:00 - 9:30 off #1 & #10 first two days. Players are repaired for Thursday's final round. I apologize for not "blogging" recently - five days at the US Junior Am in NJ and a week in Ardmore, OK for the Big I National Championship - I will catch up and hope to blog everyday from TCC this week. Stay tuned.......more excitement to follow!

The Future of Golf is in Good Hands!

The future of this wonderful game is in the hands of our young players - and these three players are true gentlemen of the game. Shown, from left, Trent Burroughs, 11 of Donaldson; Zach Leming, 11, of Malvern; and Logan DePriest, 10 of Marshall. I was lucky to draw these fine young players in my group today at the Arkansas PGA Chapter Junior Tour State Finals at Burns Park. Trent qualified to go to Oklahoma with a fine round of 41, while Logan had a 44 and Zach a 46. It was not only their golf skill that impressed me - THEY ACTED LIKE GENTLEMEN - and that should make their families very proud! Check out the winners photos at www.asga.org

Good Luck to All in PGA Junior Tour

Congratulations and good luck to all the boys and girls participating in the Arkansas PGA Chapter Junior Tour State Tournament this week.

The younger boys and girls will play Burns Park on Wednesday and the older boys and girls will play Greystone (Cypress Creek Course) on Thursday. The low qualifiers in each age division will advance to the South Central PGA Section Tournament later this month.

Special thanks to all members of the Arkansas PGA Chapter who hosted regional tournaments and to Steve Ralston, PGA Professional at Burns Park and Dustin Ralston, PGA Professional at Greystone for hosting the state tournaments. I have been invited to play and appreciate the invite and look forward to playing with the juniors both days. A number of PGA Professionals from across the state will also be playing.

Please check the ASGA website - www.asga.org - as we hope to have photos of the winners!

Ball on Putting Green - Do You Have to Putt?

An interesting rules situation happened at the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Match Play at Foxwood G.C. in Jacksonville. Lane Hulse's ball came to rest on the front left of the 14th green and the hole was on the upper tier. The contour of the green made it almost impossible to putt and being the talented player he is, he took a sandwedge and chipped the ball over the fringe. Note that his caddie, Wilson Anthony is attending the flagstick because the ball is on the green. Hulse did not take a divot, instead sweeping the ball off the turf and went on to make par! So the answer is no, you do not have to putt - sometimes you have to chip a ball on the green!

What Powers ASGA Champions - Chocolate Milk?

Whew! I can finally catch my breath. June was a busy month for the ASGA. We crowned Champions in the Men's Stroke, Mid-Senior Stroke, Junior Boys Match, Junior Girls Match and Monk Wade Father & Son.

I was cleaning off my desk, looking at some of the hundreds of photos the ASGA staff takes during tournament season and this one caught my eye. Micah Radler, our Junior Girls Match Play Champion and her brother/caddie Sawyer drinking Chocolate Milk during play at Foxwood - not Gatorade, Powerade or Vitamin Water. That's their Dad, Hug, catching some shade in the background!