AJGA National Junior Golf Tournament returns positive Economic Impact back to Greenwood, SC for 6th year in a row.

GREENWOOD, S.C. – The American Junior Golf Association returned to Greenwood for the sixth time to host the Greenwood Junior Championship in April at The Links at Stoney Point.  The tournament brought in over $334,000 in Economic Impact, bringing the total Economic Impact to over $1.5 million in the six years Greenwood has served as host. 

Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation. The ACE Grant program recognized over $12,000 in funds raised through the Greenwood Junior Championship to provide scholarships to rising junior golfers.  As part of the program, AJGA awards a local charity in each hosting community. Greenwood’s own Burton Center Foundation will receive a portion of those funds to benefit their organization.  

Laurie Cordell, Executive Director of the Burton Center, commented “The Burton Center Foundation is pleased to partner with the American Junior Golf Association and Discover Greenwood in serving as the benefiting charity for this event.  We are also excited about the continuation this partnership.  In addition to the positive economic impact for Greenwood, it also gives us an opportunity to showcase the Burton Center and the many programs we provide for our clients.” 

About the AJGA  

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2018, the American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 7,000 members from 50 states and 60 foreign countries.

Preston Clarke, Tournament Director, stated, “We are grateful for our partnerships with Discover Greenwood and The Links at Stoney Point and look forward to returning to Greenwood, South Carolina, for the tournament’s seventh year. We are thrilled to have the Burton Center Foundation remain as the event’s benefitting charity. With the local community involved, we are looking at an opportunity to give back generously to this special charity and the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence Grant while providing a platform for juniors across the states to compete.” 

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 900 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Christie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.

About the Burton Center Foundation  

The mission of the Burton Center Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities & special needs, as well as their families, by providing resources to support the programs and services of Burton Center.  The Burton Center has been serving clients with disabilities and special needs in the counties of Abbeville, Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda, Lexington, and Greenwood since its inception in 1971 by Felton Burton. 

About Discover Greenwood  

Discover Greenwood is the primary destination marketing organization that improves the economy of Greenwood County and the region by increasing the number of overnight visitors to the area and driving higher average daily spending of all travel parties.  This AJGA tournament was recruited through the Sports ETA Marketplace with the goal of making Greenwood a premier golf destination for budding champion golfers. 

             Kelly McWhorter, Executive Director of Discover Greenwood, noted that partnerships such as this are part of what makes Greenwood an appealing sports destination. “We are again excited about joining with great community partners such as The Links at Stoney Point, Burton Center Foundation, as well as the AJGA and are grateful for Greenwood’s support of this significant event.”

The organization offers numerous services to meeting and event planners, including complimentary visitor packets, assistance with site selection as well as fulfilling requests for room rates for meetings, conferences, and sporting events.  For more information, visit the Discover Greenwood website at www.discovergreenwoodsc.com, or email them at info@discovergreenwoodsc.com. 

Pictured (l-r) are Kelly McWhorter, Executive Director, Discover Greenwood, Jeff May, former Executive

Director of the Burton Center Foundation, and Erin Nodine, Director of Sa