PGA of America Announces Official Qualifying Events For 2018 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team

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Category: Inside Golf

Published: 2018-04-19

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (PGA of America) — As the countdown begins to the 11th Junior Ryder Cup at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, Sept. 24-25, the PGA of America has announced the official qualifying events and eligibility rules for the selection of the 2018 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team.

The U.S. Team will feature six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and members of the high school graduating class of 2019, or younger. In addition to the Junior Ryder Cup, there will be a coinciding Friendship Match at Le Golf National, site of the 2018 Ryder Cup, on Sept. 26. As well, the U.S. and European Junior Ryder Cup Teams will be a part of the Opening Ceremonies on Sept. 27. The American team is vying for its sixth straight victory in the biennial competition.

Among the Junior Ryder Cup alumni are major champions, PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players including: Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Hunter Mahan, Tony Finau, Lexi Thompson, Alison Lee and Brittany Altomare of the United States; and Rory McIllroy, Sergio Garcia, Nicolas Colsaerts, Suzanne Peterson, Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda of Europe.

The six girls who qualify for the 2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team will be announced on July 23, following the U.S. Girls Junior Championship. The six boys who will join them on the team will be announced following the conclusion of the Boys Junior PGA Championship on Aug. 3. There will be 10 players who qualify as exemptions and two Captain’s picks.

To be eligible for the 2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, all players must compete in their respective Junior PGA Championship and achieve one of the following qualifications:

2018 Exemptions

• 43rd Girls Junior PGA Championship winner and runner-up (total of 2), contested July 9-12, at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky. *
• 43rd Boys Junior PGA Championship winner and runner-up (total of 2), contested July 31-Aug. 3, 2018 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. *

*If the Girls Junior PGA Champion and/or Boys Junior PGA Champion is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the corresponding U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected. In the event of a tie for 2nd place between two eligible players in either the Girls Junior PGA Championship and/or Boys Junior PGA Championship, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following play to determine the spot. If the champion or runner-up is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the corresponding U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

• 2018 U.S. Girls Junior Champion, to be contested July 16-21, 2018, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.**
• 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion, to be contested July 16-21, at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.**

**If the U.S. Girls Junior Champion and/or the U.S. Junior Amateur Champion is not eligible, the next corresponding highest-ranked player on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

• Top two boys and top two girls from the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Points List (see charts below), which began awarding points at the 2017 Polo Golf Junior Classic. Events earning points will include: multiple AJGA Invitationals, USGA Junior Championships, Junior PGA Championships and select independent events, such as the Orange Bowl International Junior, Kathy Whitworth Girls Invitational and Scott Robertson Memorial. In addition, points are awarded to those juniors who make the cut in a 2017/2018 PGA Tour, LPGA Tour or USGA national event. 
  
  All U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Points List ties will be broken by each player’s respective 2018 Junior PGA Championship finish.

Captain’s Pick:

• The final two spots will be one boy and one girl Captain's pick. For these selections, the PGA will consider multiple national ranking systems, such as Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, Junior Golf Scoreboard, Rolex AJGA Rankings and World Amateur Golf Rankings to pinpoint the remaining top boy/girl selections.

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The idea for the Junior Ryder Cup came about in 1995, when a team of Europeans played an informal exhibition match against the Central New York PGA Section and area juniors. Two years later, the Junior Ryder Cup was formally introduced as an event in its own right, while played at Alcaidesa Links Golf Course, in Cadiz, Spain, and won by America, 9-7.

The United States captured the 2016 Junior Ryder Cup at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota, 15 1/2 to 8 1/2. One of the top players on the U.S. team was 2016 Girls Junior PGA Champion Lucy Li, who was also the youngest player in U.S. Women’s Open history. Her teammate Norman Xiong received the 2017 Division I Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award while playing for the University of Oregon.

​For more information on the Junior Ryder Cup, visit JuniorPGAChampionship.com, JuniorRyderCup.com or call PGA of America Headquarters at (561) 624-8400.

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