Mini-Tour Overview (2011-12 Season)
The Elite Mini Tour was developed as a result of the experiences of the TJGT Board of Directors & staff. The purpose of the Elite Mini Tour is to offer competitive, well run nationally ranked tournaments ( 36 & 54 holes events) to expose the younger players to national rankings and the AJGA PBE system earlier to educate & inform parents on the roadmap to elite junior golf & college scholarship opportunities. This will allow players to start playing the TJGT & AJGA earlier with greater knowledge of the Performance Based Entry System and allow the families to take advantage of the mentorship of the TJGT staff on recruiting, scholarships and college academic & athletic opportunities. The Elite Mini tour will offer age divisions for boys & girls ages 8-9, 10-11, 12-13. This allows players to enter the rankings earlier and learn valuable information about navigating the TJGT and AJGA systems.
Membership: Cost: $50 Regular Membership, Timeframe Sept. 1, 2011 - Aug, 31 2012.
Tournament Fees: Range from $125 to $250 depending on course venue and 36 or 54 hole events. Each participant receives tee gifts @ EVERY Event. TJGT does allow non-members to play during the season for an additional $50 fee at each event. Non-Members will still receive all tee gifts.
Click here to register as a member and read more details on each membership!
The Texas Junior Golf Tour (TJGT) was founded in 1989 in Austin, Texas, when several Austin High School golf coaches and parents realized a need for a higher level competition during the fall and winter season that would supplement high school golf along with regional PGA/USGA events and provide more national exposure to collegiate golf programs. The TJGT started with just eight tournaments and has since expanded to include more than 60 events during the 2008/09 season. Tournaments in 1989 consisted of only local Austin/San Antonio players and have grown into some of the strongest fields in junior golf. Players from coast to coast as well as many international countries, such as Mexico, Scotland, Venezuela, Ecuador, Canada and Korea, are now participating.
Caddies will be allowed in all divisions 8-9, 10-11, 12-13. The 12/13 age division will allow players to prepare for the Jr. All Star Division (12-14 division) on the TJGT and AJGA. The 12/13 players are permitted to play both the Elite Mini-Tour and TJGT Big Tour if they are capable of keeping up with pace of play standards on TJGT. Furthermore, parents & players will have the opportunity to play at TJGT invitational venues on a dedicated golf course while also participating in the invitational environment with banquets, college coach question & answer evenings, AJGA PBE seminars etc. Mini-Tour parents will also have the ability to gain valuable information from parents of older players that will assist them with future decisions for their junior. TJGT leadership believes the experience with their own juniors and players of the TJGT High School coaching staff will provide information & education to make educated & informed decisions that will save significant financial & time resources.
TJGT Overview/History
The Texas Junior Golf Tour Inc. (TJGT) was founded in Austin early in 1989. Several Austin High School golf coaches and parents realized the need for higher-level competition during the fall and winter season that would supplement high school golf along with regional PGA/USGA events and provide national exposure to collegiate golf programs. The TJGT started with just eight tournaments and has since expanded to include more than 90 events including an Elite Mini-Tour and The Texas Collegiate Amateur Tour. The ‘Big Tour’ for ages 12-18 offers over 70 events throughout the year. The Elite Mini-Tour offers apx. 10 events for ages 8-12 and the “TCAT” (Texas Collegiate Amateur Tour) for collegiate & amateur players up to age 25. TJGT offers AJGA Performance Based Entry (PBE) at every event as well as Golfweek, Jr. Golf Scoreboard rankings and top-level amateur exemptions. at selected tournaments. In 1989, tournaments consisted of only local Austin/San Antonio players but have since grown into some of the strongest fields in junior golf. Players from coast to coast, as well as many international countries such as Mexico, Scotland, Venezuela, Ecuador, Canada, and Korea, are now participating. Presently, TJGT invitationals and majors are played at venues such as UT Golf Club @ Texas, Traditions @ Texas A&M, Jimmy Austin GC @ University of Oklahoma, Twin Rivers GC @ Baylor University, Redstone GC, TPC Four Seasons, TPC San Antonio, Horseshoe Bay Resort, Barton Creek Resort and historic Dornick Hills CC in Ardmore Ok. Redstone, Four Seasons, TPC San Antonio and the Houstonian all host PGA & LPGA Tour Events.
The TJGT has produced more than 3300 collegiate golfers at all levels of the NCAA, NAIA & NJCAA who have received either a golf or academic/leadership scholarship. TJGT’s scholarship success rate for graduating seniors has exceeded over 85% for boys and 95% for girls in the past three years. Former TJGT players have accomplished great honors playing collegiate golf or academic success. They have been involved in national championships at all levels of NCAA and amateur golf. Several players are now playing on the PGA & LPGA tours. Jhonattan Vegas and Stacy Lewis are former TJGT players who have won on the PGA/LPGA Tours. TJGT players every year populate the All-American golf and academic teams. For example, 2009 Division I National Champion Texas A&M played with three former TJGT players with former TJGT standout Bronson Burgoon executing one of the most famous shots in college golf history. The 2010 NCAA Championship final match: Augusta State and Oklahoma State involved TJGT alumni. Additionally, McLennan Community College won the 2009 & 2010 NJCAA National Championship with four TJGT players. Several of these outstanding alumni complete summer internships that focus on leadership, customer service, tournament operations, schedule planning and most importantly mentoring fellow junior golf players and families on the day to day experiences of college golf.
The leadership of the TJGT staff & Board of Directors are unique from the majority of junior tours. TJGT’s leadership consists of former college coaches & parents of TJGT players, High School standouts, American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) players as well as current & former collegiate players. For example, TJGT Board of Directors Chairman Mike Neece, was a member of the great University of Houston National Champion teams and played professionally. Coach Monzingo, TJGT’s VP/Director of Operations was an outstanding collegiate golfer, twenty-year high school coaching veteran, and a former college coach at Eastern New Mexico and University of Oklahoma. The tournament staff is made up of more than 40 Texas high school golf coaches with multiple years of experience with junior golf and high school age players. TJGT has selected the best and most respected coaches to join the operational staff.
TJGT is the exclusively endorsed by the Texas Association of Golf Coaches and is the founder of the new HighSchoolGolfScoreboard.com. This site is the first to post high school golf results and rank team & individuals with the NCAA’s provider of scoring & rankings: Golfstat. Highschoolgolfscoreboard.com is now the largest ranking system in the country with more players in the system than Golfweek or Jr. Golf Scoreboard. HSGS has been selected by the Texas UIL to live score the annual Texas State High School Championships and works in close coordination to promote high school golf thru the highschoolgolfscoreboard.
Overall, the TJGT leadership utilizes years of hands-on experience with their own children at all levels of junior, collegiate and amateur golf to help each TJGT family navigate The Road to College Golf. There is no sacrifice for this hands-on experience when navigating members thru elite junior golf, AJGA, and the college recruiting/scholarship process. Our entire staff of fellow parents & coaches consider it an honor to serve each family and help fulfill their dreams of playing college golf and receiving an academic/leadership scholarship.
Click Here to Listen to President Dave Jones Golfweek Magazine Podcast with Asher Wildman.
Dave gives you a history and overview of the tour and its vision.