The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) returned to the Florida Panhandle over the weekend with the AJGA Preview presented by Destin-Fort Walton Beach at the Shalimar Pointe Golf Club.
- The tournament, which ran April 11-13, featured 78 junior golfers ages 12-19 from across the country. For many participants, this marked their first opportunity to compete in a nationally ranked event.
Emily Storm of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, captured the Girls Division title with a 7-over-par 151, securing her first AJGA win. Storm landed a clutch birdie at the end to clinch the tournament and carded five birdies throughout the event.
“This win proves to me that as long as I stick to playing my game, I can come out on top in any tournament,” Storm said. The tournament marked her first AJGA appearance.
In the Boys Division, Jacksonville’s Ethan Gossman claimed victory with a 5-over-par 149, winning in dramatic fashion with a birdie in a one-hole playoff. Gossman, who recorded six birdies throughout the competition, shot a bogey-free back nine in the first round.
“The most important thing for me going into the playoff was to forget how I finished in those final holes and keep my composure,” Gossman said. “In golf, you have to have a short memory.”
- Part of the AJGA’s Preview Series, the tournament was designed for first-time AJGA participants and younger juniors looking to build their tournament résumés. The series serves as a steppingstone for those aspiring to compete at collegiate or professional levels.
Shalimar Pointe Golf Club, known for hosting U.S. Open qualifiers, welcomed the AJGA for the first time. The 18-hole Dye-Finger designed course featured tree-lined fairways, strategically placed bunkers and manicured greens along the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay.
The AJGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of young golfers seeking college scholarships. Its alumni include professional golfers like Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang.
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