In my most recent post, I was able to report that Nick Gross, who starred scholastically at Downingtown West and is a freshman with Southeastern Conference power Alabama, had finished in a tie for sixth place individually, helping the Crimson Tide to a runnerup finish in the Watersound Invitational at the Shark’s Tooth Golf Course in Panama City Beach, Fla.
I first came across Nick Gross when he was dominating the Philadelphia Section PGA Junior Tour’s coed 12-and-under nine-holers when he was 12. Four years later Gross, a week short of his 16th birthday, was playing in the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals and was one of most coveted college recruits in the country.
The Philadelphia Section PGA can’t promise that kind of success to the junior golfers who sign up to play on the Philly Junior Tour (PJT). But, obviously, it has happened.
More likely, you will just have a lot of fun learning to play a game that you will probably still be playing 50 years from now. You will meet youngsters who just might turn into friends for life. You might improve enough to become a member of your high school golf team. You might even get good enough to play college golf, maybe not at the upper echelons of Division I like Gross, but there’s a lot of smaller colleges out there with golf teams.
The Philadelphia Section PGA, through its charitable arm, PGA REACH Philadelphia, wants every kid who might be interested in pursuing the game, even if they think playing on the Philly Junior Tour might not be affordable, to get that shot.
PGA REACH Philadelphia is once again offering Diversity Scholarships with scholarship opportunities for junior golfers ages 18 or younger from diverse backgrounds who have a passion for golf to participate on the Philly Junior Tour.
Diverse backgrounds can include racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic and academic/professional factors.
Time is running out, but there is time. The deadline to apply is March 3, next Monday, and you can find the link to the application on the Philadelphia Junior Tour’s website.
The scholarship includes Philadelphia Junior Tour membership for 2025. The scholarship also pairs recipients with a Philadelphia PGA professional who acts as a mentor for the fledgling junior golfer.
Scholarship recipients will be eligible to tee it up in at least seven Philly Junior Tour events each year until that boy or girl is older than 18.
Don’t think you’re any good at golf? That makes you just the person who should be giving the Philly Junior Tour a shot.
I’ve been reporting Philly Junior Tour results for more than 20 years and I’ve seen boys and girls who couldn’t break 50 for nine holes end up playing in the high school state championship a few years later. It’s really the fun of reporting the results is to see the light bulb go on for some kid and watch him or her suddenly become a pretty good player, sometimes in the space of just one summer.
With opportunities like the Diversity Scholarship, you don’t have to be a country club kid to take up the game. You just have to want to play.
It’s the best game, this golf, but, of course, I’m biased. Why not just give it a shot? You’ll find out for yourself.
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