Media Release – Monday, June 23, 2014
TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup 2014 Supported by JAL Tees Off June 24
TOYOTA CITY, Japan – The newly-expanded TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup 2014 Supported by JAL will tee off in Toyota City, Aichi-Prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday, June 24. The Chukyo Golf Club’s Ishino Course will once again play host to the 22nd annual event.
The 2014 boys’ tournament will now feature a field consisting of the best junior golfers from 15 countries across six continents.
“The tournament committee is excited for the expansion to 15 countries,” Vice Chairman Eiji Tagashira said. “That, combined with the talented players set to participate, should make this one of the most competitive tournaments in our 22-year history.”
The TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup 2014 Supported by JAL, which follows a four-players-count-three scores format, will consist of four rounds played June 24-27. It is the world’s only junior golf championship in which 15 national teams – winners of regional qualifiers held across six continents and participated in by nearly 70 national teams – compete for the world championship.
Defending-champion Venezuela and 2009 champion Argentina will be joined by Chile – seeking its first title – as the South American participants.
Host Japan – winner of three TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup titles – will be accompanied by fellow Asian representatives Korea (one title) and Thailand while 2012 champion Australia returns following last year’s one-stroke, runner-up finish.
Africa will have two participants – continental champion South Africa and Zimbabwe. South Africa’s 2001 TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup championship team – Africa’s lone title-winner – featured future British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
North American qualifier winner Canada will be joined by Mexico and the United States – winners of the most TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup titles with seven, the last of which came in 2005.
Europe will be represented by three countries – continental champion France, Italy and Norway. Norway has two TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup championships to its name (2006, 2008) while France and Italy are each looking for their first.
The girls’ event will feature a field of the best junior golfers from five countries across four continents. South American champion Colombia and European champion Sweden will be joined by three traditional powers – Japan, Korea and the United States – chosen by the Executive Committee.
“The tournament committee is enthused about the addition of the girls’ tournament to this international championship,” Chairman William Kerdyk said. “This year’s inaugural event will feature a dynamic field consisting of the strongest girls’ golf programs in the world.”
The girls’ competition, which follows a three-players-count-two scores format, will also consist of four rounds played June 24-27.
In addition to Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, notable former participants of the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup include Bud Cauley (USA), Kevin Chappell (USA), Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe), Russell Henley (USA), Ryuji Imada (Japan), Trevor Immelman (South Africa), Anthony Kim (USA), Hunter Mahan (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Edoardo Molinari (Italy), Justin Rose (England), Kyle Stanley (USA), Henrik Stenson (Sweden) and Camilo Villegas (Colombia).
For more information, please visit www.wjgtc.org