I hope this newsletter finds you well and at the top of your game. If not, go see your local PGA Pro for a quick review. Don't struggle through it alone. The solution could be as simple as grip, posture or alignment.

It's hard to believe, but the NFJGTOUR Season is already coming to a close. Only ten events remain until season end. 

This week we head to the World Golf Village – Slammer and Squire for the “St. Augustine Junior Open” and then it is right into the “City Championship” the “Greater Jacksonville Junior Championship” at Eagle Harbor Golf Club sponsored by our friends at the Jacksonville Area Golf Association (JAGA). 

Our events this season have been jam packed with record fields. Recently at the “JAX Beach Junior Open” we had 109 players in the field and this week we have another record setting field with 114 players. It is crazy and golf is as hot as the summer temperature.

Our goal this year was four hundred members and today we registered member 392, so we are close.

Please review this newsletter and look at all the outstanding accomplishments and milestones of our juniors. It is incredible what our youngsters are doing. How about a ten under par round of sixty-one by Luke Balaskiewicz at the Notah Begay Junior Golf National Championship Florida regional qualifier. Or how about five under par round of 67 by Orange Parks Matthew French in the US Junior Amateur Qualifying and four under par 68 by St. Augustine’s Nolan Harper. 

The alumni are rocking too, as Elizabeth Kondal captured the “First Coast Women’s Amateur” with a five under par as well. Can it get any better? You bet, these kids are focused and are provided the finest golf instruction around.

In the coming weeks, the top twenty-five juniors in the point standings will battled it out at the “North Florida Junior Amateur” at the World Golf Village-King and Bear. The reward is to represent the North Florida Junior Golf Tour at the AJGA “Junior PLAYERS Championship” at TPC Sawgrass come September.  If you have nothing to do, come out and watch some pretty cool golf. You will be glad you did.

Seven North Florida area juniors will soon be heading northwest to the state of Oregon to compete in the 2022 Junior Amateur. Each of the juniors have their own story to tell of how they got there, but the bottom line is they have all dedicated themselves to the game and achieved their goals of advancing. Now the battle begins to qualify and advance to the final 64, a match play competition to join champions like Tiger Woods, David Duval, Jordon Speith and Scottie Scheffler. Carson Brewer advanced via an exemption because he was a 2021 quarterfinalist. Miles Russell, Phillip Dunham, Andrew McLauchlan, Sam Davis, Matthew French, Nolan Harper and Luke Balaskiewicz all advanced by topping fields in state qualifiers.

During the 2022 season the NFJTOUR has hosted three Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship local qualifiers providing additional higher level golf opportunities for area juniors. Two qualifiers were held at Marsh Landing Country Club and one at the Mark Bostick Golf Club to identify players who advanced to the Florida Regional qualifier at Indian Springs Country Club for the girls and Mission Inn Resort and Club for the Boys.

Forty-four players advanced to the regional event with a shot to go to the National Championships at Koasati Pines in Kinder, LA on November 3-9.

The Boys would headed to Mission Inn Resort and Club and after round one ten NFJGTOUR players, in four age groups would be in contention. Upon completion of the event, three players would advance to the National Champion. Ponte Vedra's Cameron Reed, Jacksonville's Lucas Gimenez and Henry Robards. Robards would require sudden death and who birded the first hole of a three way playoff to make it to the BIG show. The last to qualify was from the NFJGTOUR was Luke Balaskiewicz. He would head to the University of Georgia to qualify and represent he did firing a 10 under par round of 61 in round one. He would finish at -11 par 13 shots ahead of the next competitor. Wow!

NFJGF provides local junior golfers, ages 7-19, an opportunity to be a member of the organization which will allow them to play in competitive tournaments that are affordable, professional and are consistent with the USGA Rules of Golf and the Conditions of Competition. The tournaments and events provide an opportunity for junior golfers to build a solid foundation, gain tournament experience and compete among their peers for the love of the game. The experience will help prepare junior golfers, if they so desire, to compete in any State or National event. NFJGF will also promote, fund and manage a scholarship fund. NFJGF will strive to provide scholarships to junior golfers that have participated as a member, uphold the values of the organization and pursue a degree at an accredited college or university.

The values governing NFJGF will be to operate the organization and impact young people with integrity, honesty and fairness. We will promote the values of self esteem and pride in our events, with our members, among each other and the community. Our decisions will be made with an objective, fact-based thought process. We will work together to nurture independent thinking which fosters taking responsibility for your actions.

To motivate our younger generation into loving the sport of golf by providing and financially supporting the NFJGTOUR, the North Florida Middle School Golf Program for all schools including Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns and other counties. In doing so we will prepare our junior golfers for competition in high school golf, college golf, higher level golf opportunities (state and national) and perhaps achieve the biggest dreams of all, the LPGA or PGA TOUR's.