Actual Grow The Game Files: Notah Begay Junior Golf National Championship On Golf Channel
/While a lot of Tour pros think they are growing the game by their mere presence in exotic dictatorships where public beheadings are a thing, others are actually trying to grow the game.
On Wednesday December 8th from 7-9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel airs the Notah Begay Junior Golf National Championship. It’s the culmination of a two-stage, 30 regional effort to reach the finals. Named after and started by the former Tour player and NBC analyst along with former Golf Channel colleague Ryan Burr, who will be part of ESPN+’s PGA Tour Live Coverage team in 2022.
Burr’s son is an accomplished junior golfer and like many exposed to that world, wondered if there was a better way to help kids get tournament experience and seen by coaches without some of the AJGA’s excess. He pitched the concept to Begay who has long given back to various causes, including junior golf.
This will be the second time the event airs on television and gives some older juniors a chance to shine. Last year Lance Christensen got some attention with a 357 yard drive and ended up getting a golf scholarship to New Mexico State.
The National Championship played 54-holes with four divisions: Boys 14-18, Boys 13 & Under, Girls 14-18 and Girls 13 & Under.
More impressive is the encouragement of participation by kids and the promise to pick up entry fees if they can’t afford it. They are also offering a giveaway of free entry fees for the entire Begay Junior Golf Tour schedule for the lucky kid who answers a trivia question. Nice work guys.
