International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) will host a prestigious Global Junior Golf (GJG) event in December 2018, which opens the gates for international players to experience WAGR ranked tournaments in the U.S. The American GJG ‘tournament swing’, also including a tournament near Bishops Gate Golf Academy (IJGA Bishops Gate), will give juniors more possibilities to play on the home soil of college coaches, which ultimately helps their college placement process. IJGA will showcase the event not far away from its Bluffton Campus. GJG members will have the chance to visit and explore IJGA. Additionally, special packages will be available for GJG members to train at IJGA, introducing them to the full expertise of IJGA’s coaching team led by Jonathan Yarwood. GJG is very proud to offer their members extra value over the off-season with this future premier junior tournament.
IJGA will be listed from 2018 onwards as a Global Junior Golf Performance Center. GJG is seeking and accepting only premium academies from around the world as GJG Performance Centers, which deliver top professional training facilities and family atmosphere for juniors, so juniors can ultimately chase their golf and collegiate dreams. IJGA has a long history of building top juniors and have helped players from around the world to achieve successful college careers. It is a great honor that IJGA is now connected and will be able to share training and education resources and expertise to all GJG members around the world!
A big thank you to Ms. Lee-Anne Misseldine, CEO of International Junior Sports & Education Advisors (IJSA) and her staff for promoting junior golf. GJG took the opportunity to have a quick interview with Lee-Anne about the upcoming exciting endeavors:
GJG: Lee-Anne, once again a big thank you from the GJG family for promoting junior golf and for the exiting extended partnership. How do you feel about the new endeavors?
Lee-Anne: It has been a pleasure working with Global Junior Golf for the last couple of years. We have been so impressed by the passion and professionalism of the team and feel very aligned in our values and mission for growing junior golf. This new partnership, expanding into IJGA and bringing GJG events to the USA, was a natural progression for our already successful partnership and we are very excited for the new opportunities this will bring to our students and GJG members.
GJG: Please introduce International Junior Golf Academy to the GJG family.
Lee-Anne: IJGA is a very well established brand in junior golf, with a rich history over 20 years. At IJGA we believe in developing the whole person—the athlete, the student and the young adult. Emphasizing both intensive training and scholastic achievement through the nationally accredited Heritage Academy, IJGA has produced some of the best junior golfers playing within the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). As a result, nearly all of our students receive college scholarships to the top collegiate golf programs in the United States. Highly sought after, the diverse student body represents 28 countries as athletes and scholars. The golf team is led by Jonathan Yarwood, a UK PGA Master Professional with over 20 year’s experience in developing some of the world’s best juniors. Set in the golf paradise of Hilton Head, IJGA is ideal for players wanting to accelerate their progress and develop their game.
GJG: The goal of the “American tournament Swing“ of Global Junior Golf is that juniors have a chance to meet each of your academies (IJGA Bishops Gate & IJGA) and additionally play top international tournaments. Can you tell us something about the hosting golf courses and each of the tournaments?
Lee-Anne: We are so excited to be hosting two Global Junior Golf events in December of 2018, both which will be operated in partnership with the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT). The first will be in Hilton Head, South Carolina, one of the most prestigious golf regions of the U.S., followed by an event in Central Florida, close to IJGA Bishops Gate. At this time we are working to secure both courses, which will be highly ranked courses, providing excellent challenges and conditions. Both events will be powered by IJGA and IJGA Bishops Gate respectively. We expect to have course confirmations in early March and look forward to those exciting announcements.
GJG: Can players expect that college coaches will attend the event?
Lee-Anne: IJGA is a premier junior program, with a strong network of college coach relationships and connections. Coaches are always looking for good student-athletes for their programs and rely on our recommendations to make recruiting decisions. We will be inviting as many college coaches as possible to attend our event to give exposure to the players and showcases their abilities.
GJG: During each event, players and parents will have the chance to attend Lecturing nights about College Golf and Academy life. Can you give some advise on how players should prepare for these educational sessions? Do they need to bring any information with them? And do you have any advice on how to approach college coaches?
Lee-Anne: The college recruitment process is complex and potentially overwhelming. Some students are unable to approach a coach due to NCAA rules, which restrict communication with students under a certain grade. At each academy, we will be conducting in-depth educational sessions to outline the process and provide practical tools to help student and families create their college plan. It would be helpful to bring your golf resume updated with academic scores such as GPA, SAT and TOEFL scores.
GJG: IJGA has produced some very successful alumni students. Who are some of your alumni, and from which part of the world do juniors attend IJGA?
Lee-Anne: We have students and alumni from all over the world, who have been successful in their collegiate and professional golf careers, as well as many who went on to pursue their passion in a number of other areas. The purpose of IJGA is to prepare our students not just for golf, but also for life, and give them the tools to be their very best, not matter what their path.
IJGA alumni include Morgan Hoffmann, Shanshan Feng, Song-Hee Kim, Pablo Larrazabal, In-Kyung Kim, Stephanie Meadow to name a few.
