HARBOR SPRINGS — Golf can be a long four hours in the summer sun.
And in some parts of the country, that’s too long to be out under that sun. That’s part of what’s made the annual American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Coca-Cola Junior Championships to attractive at The Highlands in Harbor Springs year after year.
Many in attendance have spoke about their fondness for the nice greens and fairways and cooler summer temps.
Next week, the Coca-Cola Junior Championships returns to the Heather course at The Highlands, welcoming 78 boys and 38 girls at the top of their high school level game beginning on Monday, June 30.
Athletes from the Class of 2025 through 2029 will compete in the tournament that’s now been held by the AJGA since 2002, with a few years off in-between, while utilizing all three of The Highlands’ courses.
This year – like many others before – will feature a handful of athletes out of Northern Michigan competing, including Petoskey’s Riley Barr within the girls field and recent Harbor Light Christian graduate Vaughn Henagan in the boys field.
They’ll also potentially be joined by others out of the area, including Gaylord’s Marshall Krajniak, Leland’s James VanSteenhouse and Duncan and Crosby Robinson of Traverse City as alternates. Traverse City’s Grace Slocum is firmly within the field.
This year’s tournament will begin on Monday with a qualifier event for alternates trying to earn their way in.
The three-day main event will tee off at 7:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 1 between holes No. 1 and No. 10 on the Heather. The final round will then take place on Thursday, July 3 following a Wednesday cut day.
Slocum, a Division 4 state champ from Traverse City St. Francis, leads a talented group of athletes from around the state that earned at least a top three finish in their respective state finals tourney.
She’s joined by Division 1 state champion Jack Whitmore (Detroit Catholic Central) and Division 2 champion Brian Tillman (Chelsea) as the state champs. Cooper Reitsma (GR Christian) earned a runner-up finish in Division 2 and will be in the field as well as third place finishers Julian Sinishtaj (De La Salle) and Parker Stalcup (Clarkson Everest).
Golfers will come from 17 different state, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Florida, California, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Iowa, New York and Arizona.
Along with the United States, golfers will also hail from Canada, Mexico, China and Taiwan.
One of those international golfers will be Spencer Shropshire of Ramara, Ont. Canada, who earned the 2024 Coca-Cola Junior Championship boys title.
Mingyu Zhang of Beijing, China earned the 2024 girls title and will not return.
There have been two former champions from Northern Michigan, including former Petoskey standout Joey Garber in 2010 and Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank in 2021.
Garber is also one of a handful that have competed in the AJGA at The Highlands and later competed among the greatest on the PGA Tour.
The list of former Highlands champions turned pro, along with Garber, includes Ricky Romano from 2002, Jordan Niebrugge (2009), Doug Ghim (2011) and Donnie Trosper (2014). Niebrugge has competed in 87 PGA Tour events, with Ghim in 183 so far.
From the girls field, former champions now on the LPGA Tour include two-time champion Paula Creamer (2001, 2002), who owns 10 LPGA victories and over $12 million in winnings. The list also incldues Amanda Blumenherst (2003) and Grace Na (2008). Brooke Rivers from 2019 is also currently competing on the LPGA’s EPSON Tour.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championships returns to The Highlands, locals competing
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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