This
annual event was initiated by the South Carolina Junior Golf
Association several years ago in conjunction with Can-Am Days which are
celebrated every spring on the Grand Strand. It began as an
opportunity to invite our young northern friends to South Carolina for
a dose of Southern Hospitality coupled with some stiff competition, and
it has quickly become an event of international importance. In 2010 we included the top
8 girls from each delegation as well!This past spring marked the 12th Annual Can-Am Junior Team Matches. Nine years ago, the Can-Am Junior Matches were rescued by the Wachesaw Plantation membership when Bay Tree, the original site, closed. By offering financial support and eventually the Wachesaw Plantation Club course itself, the competition matching Canada's top 16 junior players against South Carolina's top 16 junior players has become an exciting yearly event. Wacheasaw has agreed to host these matches through 2013 and in future competitions, as we hoped, we expanded to include junior girls as well!
In the first 11 years, the Can-Am Junior Team Matches have seen over 40 South Carolina junior golfers who had participated in these matches go on to play competitive golf at the collegiate level. The matches have also witnessed a player make five birdies on the front nine and yet make the turn at two down and even seen seven-hole birdie stretches. A select few of these youngsters have followed up their Can-Am competitions with NCAA National Championships!
WHO: The top eight
junior golfers from the Province of Ontario will take on the top eight
junior golfers from South Carolina. WHAT: The objective is to establish and maintain an annual junior golf competition between the Province of Ontario and the State of South Carolina in celebration of our great relationship.
WHERE: The 2009 competition will take place at the Wachesaw Plantation Club, in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
WHEN: The tournament will take place the third weekend of March which is during the Can-Am Days Celebration held in March. There will be practice rounds conducted on the Friday prior to the matches, for the juniors to get in a round prior to tournament play.
WHY: The state of South Carolina enjoys a special relationship with Canada, especially the Province of Ontario. Canada is by far one of our largest trading partners. For that reason, many Canadian businesses have relocated to South Carolina to take advantage of the favorable economic climate. Myrtle Beach, in particular, has become a destination for thousands of Canadians during the winter holiday break in March and many believe Myrtle Beach to be the "Golf Capital of the World."
The South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation was created by the South Carolina Golf Association in 1995. The Foundation will be utilizing this event to solicit sponsorships from both American and Canadian businesses and individuals in excess of the costs of the event. Any moneys derived from the tournament will be used to promote the game of golf in South Carolina through programs conducted by the South Carolina Junior Golf Association.
The South Carolina Golf Association was founded in 1929 and the South Carolina Junior Golf Association was established in 1990. The SCJGA was established to promote and enhance the opportunity of young people to be introduced to the game of golf. Through our 19 chapters we are reaching over 2,200 young people each year, many of which would have never had the chance to play the game. Our Junior Golf Association is also responsible for Junior Golf Land facilities, programs such as Clubs for Kids, Little Legends (little league golf), the HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION Rankings, which is South Carolina's Official Junior Golf ranking system and finally the SCJGA tournament series which includes 14 major championships.
HOW: The South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation will host the Ontario team through support from Surfside Realty in Surfside Beach just north of Murrells Inlet. The Canadians begin their stay a week prior to the Matches and use the week as an instructional camp. The juniors will play different courses in Myrtle Beach, Sunday through Thursday, as this is also their Spring Break. Therefore, this is the spring instructional camp for some of the top Canadian juniors, as well as a serious competition come the weekend. Tournament events begin as of Friday since this is not a holiday week for South Carolina juniors and the SC team cannot arrive until that afternoon.
