Three young Australian men have put themselves in position to play in the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup.
The US PGA Tour and American Junior Golf Association today announced current standings for the tournament, the forerunner to the 2017 Presidents Cup in New Jersey.
Perth’s Fred Lee, Canberra’s Josh Armstrong and Melbourne’s Karl Vilips were ranked Nos.2, 4 and 10, respectively, at the announcement.
The Junior Presidents Cup will run from 25-26 September at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey; two days later, the Presidents Cup will start at the nearby Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.
As of 3 August, the top 11 American junior boys in the AJGA Rankings will qualify for the US team, while the top 11 from outside the US and Europe in the World Amateur Golf Rankings will qualify for the International team.
The 12th and final spot for each team will be filled as of 6 September with the leading boy not already qualified for each team selected.
The PGA Tour finalised criteria for the tournament late last year. Participants must be at least 12 years old by the start of the tournament and must have not reached their 19th birthday or have graduated high school as of 1 January, 2017.
Participants must be amateurs who have not yet started college and are not members of a competitive collegiate golf program in order to be eligible.
Teams will be led by honorary captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, whose presence will ensure an unforgettable experience for each junior participant.
Each honorary captain will be supported by a captain, who will handle the primary duties during the competition, including the creation of the daily pairings and conducting the draw of the matches.
The US team will be captained by 2001 US PGA Championship winner David Toms, while the Internationals will be led by 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman.