10 Junior PLAYERS alumni to play in THE PLAYERS
Patrick Rodgers and Jordan Spieth (background) played in the penultimate group in the final round of the 2010 Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
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In 2007, Morgan Hoffmann won the inaugural Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf. This year, he will make his third start at The PLAYERS Championship.
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In its nine-year history, The Junior PLAYERS Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf has become a major influence on the PGA TOUR’s flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship. This week, 10 Junior PLAYERS alumni will compete at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, the most since Bud Cauley became the first alumnus to play in THE PLAYERS in 2012.
Each year, the AJGA uses the same hole locations and yardages as the PGA TOUR, and professional caddies work with the competitors throughout the championship. These experiences help prepare players for the biggest stages in amateur, college and professional golf, and this is especially true for the Junior PLAYERS graduates that earn a tee time at THE PLAYERS.
"Never in my dreams did I think I'd actually get back here, so it's pretty cool to actually get back here," said Smylie Kaufman, who played Junior PLAYERS in 2008 and will make his PLAYERS Championship debut this week. "I'm not surprised of the names that have made it to this championship and have already had success. It's cool for me to see those guys have success here and know that I can do the same this year. It's going to be fun."
Byeong-hun An (1st appearance at THE PLAYERS)
- 2007, T49 (80-77-74 – 231)
- 2008, 52nd (80-76-77 – 233)
- 2009, T19 (75-74-75 – 224)
Daniel Berger (2nd appearance)
- 2010, T8 (75-73-72 – 220)
Matthew Fitzpatrick (1st appearance)
- 2011, T43 (79-73-76 – 228)*
Emiliano Grillo (1st appearance)
- 2008, T25 (75-74-75 – 224)
- 2010, T2 (72-69-72 – 213)
Morgan Hoffmann (3rd appearance)
- 2007, 1st (71-67-71 – 209)
Smylie Kaufman (1st appearance)
- 2008, 68th (80-77-81 – 238)
Brooks Koepka (2nd appearance)
- 2007, T9 (71-78-71 – 220)
Patrick Rodgers (1st appearance)
- 2009, T3 (71-68-75 – 214)
- 2010, 7th (78-67-74 – 219)
Jordan Spieth (3rd appearance)
- 2010, T2 (73-69-71 – 213)
Justin Thomas (2nd appearance)
- 2008, T38 (76-74-78 – 228)
- 2009, T26 (72-79-75 – 226)
*Note: The second round was played on Dye’s Valley Course in 2011-2013.