LONDON — The American Junior Golf Association will head to London for the first time when Crooked Creek Golf Club hosts 144 players for the PNC Bank Junior Championship presented by London & Laurel County, Aug. 4–8. Top junior golfers from Kentucky and around the country will travel to compete in this 54-hole stroke play event.

“The AJGA is thrilled to bring a brand new event to London, Ky.. With the tremendous support of PNC Bank and the local community we’re looking forward to a tremendous tournament and hopefully a new tradition,” said Matt Larson, AJGA Midwest Regional Director.

Prior to the event, an 18-hole TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Qualifier will be held on Aug. 4, at Crooked Creek. The qualifiers give juniors an opportunity to “play their way in” to coinciding AJGA Open tournaments or build status for entry into a future event. The qualifier series offers opportunities for AJGA juniors at approximately 50 AJGA Open events.

During the tournament week, some of the top juniors participating in the championship will also take part in the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament on Aug. 5.

Supporting golf at the grassroots level, Junior-Ams allow the AJGA to make contributions to local junior golf charities and programs in hosting communities.

“We expect to welcome about 500 out of town families for the week of the tournament,” London-Laurel County Tourist Commission Executive Director Rodney Hendrickson said. “At other AJGA Tournaments it’s common to have every SEC, ACC and Big 10 golf coach in attendance as well as a multitude of smaller college coaches. Over 75 percent of AJGA Tournament participants go to college on golf scholarships. Every single member of the most recent USA Ryder Cup team as well as three members of the European Ryder Cup team played on the AJGA circuit as juniors.”

This event and many others like it are supported by the Kentucky Sports Authority, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. For more information, visit www.teamky.com.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include David Toms, Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.