The juniors are coming.
Many of the top girls and boys junior golf players from around the world are set to compete May 15-17 in the 32nd annual Scott Robertson Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.
The 54-hole stroke play event plays out over the 27-hole Roanoke Country Club course in Northwest Roanoke. Established in 1899 and designed by A.W. Tillinghast, the historic course has been host over the years to the Virginia State Golf Association Open, VSGA Junior, VSGA Mid-Atlantic, Virginia State Amateur and VSGA Men’s Team Matches.
The event is held in memory Scott Robertson, a promising young Roanoke Country Club golfer. Scott, a 14 year-old 9th grader at North Cross School in Roanoke, was a top student and sports enthusiast who had won his age division in several junior golf tournaments. Scott died as a result of infectious mononucleosis in 1982.
The tournament offers spectators the opportunity to watch future stars of both the LPGA and PGA Tours up close and personal among the play in four divisions, girls and boys 14-under, and girls and boys 15-18.
Former Scott Robertson winners currently playing on the LPGA Tour include 2010 Women’s U.S. Open winner Paula Creamer, Jessica Korda, Aree Song, Kristy McPherson, Moriya Jutnaugarn and 2014 Scott Robertson winner Brooke Henderson.
Henderson has hit the ground running after her Scott Robertson win. Although she won three professional events as an amateur, thus ineligible to collect purses, she finished tied for 10th in last year’s LPGA U.S. Open and turned pro in December.
The LPGA denied her request for an age exemption since she is only 17, but that has not affected her motivation despite being limited to a small number of sponsor exemptions and having to play in qualifiers. Henderson held the lead after 3 rounds in late-April’s Swinging Skirts Classic LPGA Tour event in San Francisco before finishing 3rd. Her minus-7 total netted her $ 132,721 in prize money.
2012 Men’s U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson, Jon Curran, Hunter Mahan and Kevin Na are former Robertson boys champs who now ply their trade on the men’s PGA Tour.
This year’s tournament will feature 168 participants representing 24 states and 13 foreign countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam.
Over 360 applications were received for the 168 spots, and the older divisions will see an estimated 90 players in the boys and 40 in the girls divisions. Ten American Junior Golf Association All-Americans are in the field, 7 girls and 3 boys.
According to tournament administrator Debbie Ferguson, now in her 16th year at that position, 20 of the girls in this year’s older division have committed to play college golf and 38 of the young men entered in the older boys division are on their way to play at the college level.
Last year, over 30 college golf coaches attended the Robertson to scout and recruit prospects. And, no wonder. The 2014 girls 15-18 field was ranked 5th in the nation for strength of field, with the 15-18 boys field ranked 19th nationally.
The 2015 Robertson will offer plenty of local flavor. Sam Comer and Brad Williams, both players at Hidden Valley High School, join Sean Kessler of Fincastle in the boys 15-18 division. Hidden Valley’s Kristin Hearp, a Virginia Tech signee, will carry the banner in the girls 15-18 division, with Alisa Marie Carabello (Troutville) and Jayde Dudley (Roanoke) qualifying in the girls 14-under.
The Scott Robertson Memorial has given over $175,000 to help establish The First Tee of Roanoke Valley.
Admission is free each day, and fans can monitor tee times and scores by logging onto www.scottrobertson.com
Bill Turner