Taking place on Sunday, 18th April, at St Ives (Hunts) GC, a challenging inland links course in Cambridgeshire.
The IMG Academy Junior World Championships is one of the world’s most prestigious junior golf tournaments, with over 1200 of the best junior golfers from over 50 countries worldwide, all trying to win their age category.
Founded in 1968 in San Diego, California, previous winners include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Ernie Els, to name just a few.
The British Junior Golf Tour is the only way that a player from the UK can qualify for this tournament.
Providing the second of two opportunities for players to earn their places on to the BJGT team travelling to the USA in July 2021.
Facilities at St Ives (Hunts) GC are excellent, with a driving range, short game area, pitching green and two putting greens.
Needingworth Rd, St Ives, PE27 4AD
In addition to the COVID-19 guidelines that we must all adhere to (please see event email or the homepage of our website), we need to share some additional information for this particular event:
‘Rule of 6 or Two Households’ – Please do not gather in groups larger than 6 if from more than two households at any point during the day.
Parking – Car park provided, and overflow parking available.
Registration – At the allocated marquee adjacent to the Pro Shop.
Food & drink – At the rear of the Clubhouse, and open from 7.30 am. Food is NOT included in your entry fee.
Range balls – These will be available at the range, with tokens to be purchased at the Pro Shop.
Toilets – Main toilets available in the Clubhouse corridor.
Practice rounds – Due to current COVID-19 restrictions at St Ives (Hunts), which means that the course is being reserved for members only at this stage, practice rounds are not available, but the club may offer us some tee times closer to the event. If so, we will notify you via email and/or social media.
Tee times are available via the links below, but please ensure that you check the link again prior to the event, as there may be updates to the start sheets.
TEE TIMES
The BJGT will be offering up to four places per age group, per gender (four boys and four girls) overall (i.e. from both qualifiers), subject to qualifying within scoring requirements:
Within +18 for age groups 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14, and within +10 for the 15-18 division.
Within +9 for the divisions playing 9 holes: 6/Under and 7-8.
At St Ives (Hunts), the following places will be available:
6/Under Boys, up to 2 spaces. 6/Under Girls, up to 2 spaces
7-8 Boys, up to 2 spaces. 7-8 Girls, up to 2 spaces
9-10 Boys, up to 2 spaces. 9-10 Girls, up to 2 spaces
11-12 Boys, up to 2 spaces. 11-12 Girls, up to 2 spaces
13-14 Boys, up to 2 spaces. 13-14 Girls, up to 2 spaces
15-18 Boys, up to 2 spaces. 15-18 Girls, up to 2 spaces.
NOTE. Pace of play is very important, and this will be monitored strictly on the BJGT in 2021; slow play will be penalised!
Course Lengths (18 holes)
6/Under Boys – 1335 yards – Par 36, 9 holes (Front 9)
6/Under Girls – 1335 yards – Par 36, 9 holes (Front 9)
7-8 Boys – 1990 yards – Par 36, 9 holes (Front 9)
7-8 Girls – 1335 yards – Par 36, 9 holes (Front 9)
9-10 Boys – 5626 yards – Par 75
9-10 Girls – 3940 yards – Par 72
11-12 Boys – 5626 yards, Red Tee – Par 72
11-12 Girls – 5626 yards, Red Tee – Par 72
13-14 Boys – 6566 yards, Yellow Tee – Par 72
13-14 Girls – 5626 yards, Red Tee – Par 72
15-18 Boys – 6758 yards, White Tee – Par 72
15-18 Girls – 6147 yards, Blue Tee – Par 72
All players making the team will be provided with a BJGT polo shirt to be worn at some point during the tournament in San Diego.
In addition to places to the IMG Academy Junior World Championships, we will also be offering places to the 2021 FCG Callaway World Junior Golf Championship, which also takes place in July (the week after the IMG Academy tournament), in California. These will be in age categories 7-8, 9-10, scoring in the 90 or lower and 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18, and will be subject to scoring in the 80s or lower.
Caddie Policy
Categories 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18: CADDIES ARE NOT PERMITTED. Parents may still walk with each group, at a distance (minimum 50 yards), and act as ball spotters, but they may not give any advice, either verbal or via hand signals. The penalty for breach of this rule will be 2 strokes on each occasion.
Caddies are permitted for the 6/Under, 7-8 and 9-10 divisions. Caddies will be able to use their own caddie bibs purchased from the BJGT; our loan caddie bibs will not be available during the pandemic.
Caddie rules:
Caddies, please do not be critical on the course, this does not help! Please offer encouragement and stay positive; please respect your own player and those in your group. Should we hear any reports of unacceptable behaviour, those responsible will be removed from the course.
Only one caddie is permitted for each player in Divisions 6/Under, 7-8 and 9-10 and ideally they would be wearing a BJGT Caddie Bib. Caddies are there to assist, not coach, and they must stay off the greens at all times (caddies of players 6/Under and 7-8 may assist on the greens with the marking of balls). BJGT Academy rules are not permitted in the 6/under and 7-8 categories, all divisions will play R&A rules.
Should anyone witness inappropriate behaviour or slow play in your group, please text 07747 847857 (Steve) or 07817 238849 (Neil) from the course, with your group and location, and we will get someone out to review the situation.
We sincerely hope that this will not be necessary!
Event Information
Tour Policy:
We highly recommend that you read our Tour Policy.
Registration:
Please register and collect your scorecard at the event desk, around 45 minutes before your start time; the event desk will be located in a marquee near the Pro Shop. Registration will start at 7.30 am.
Warming Up:
This is to be undertaken on the driving range, putting green or practice facilities that the club have. Players are not allowed to warm up on the course before the event.
Start Time:
Please make sure that you are at the tee at least 10 minutes prior to your start time to meet your playing partners and get any final instructions (and to avoid any penalties!).
Pace of Play:
Slow play has become an increasing problem, so please be mindful of your group’s pace of play or penalty strokes will be enforced for all players in your group.
Be ready to play when it is your turn, do not take more than 2 practice swings, walk quickly between shots and holes, and keep up with the group in front.
Rounds should take approximately 4 hours. If you are over 2 hours to the 10th tee, please increase your pace of play for the back 9. Finishing more than 15 minutes behind the group in front may result in a 2-shot penalty for each player in your group. Make sure that you keep sight of the group in front. Should you lose a hole through a lost ball (remember, you only have 3 minutes to look for your ball!), please let the group behind through.
Scoring:
This should be done on your scorecard as normal, but neither you nor your marker should sign your card until a member of the BJGT team at the scoring desk has gone through it with you and your playing partners.
Spectators:
Spectators are allowed, but they must stay ahead of the group, and not be seen with the player and caddie. No prams or buggies are allowed on the course, so families with younger siblings (babies and toddlers) should not attend.
Distance Measuring Devices:
Range finders and GPS devices are allowed, as long as they measure distance only.
Rules:
All age groups are played using standard R&A strokeplay rules.
Please make sure that you familiarise yourselves with the R&A rules.
It is a player’s and caddie’s responsibility to learn the rules of golf, and penalties will be applied if rules are broken.
Here is a link to the R&A website, where you will find great videos explaining the 2019 rule changes. https://www.randa.org/
Presentation:
At this time, trophy presentations (if it is at all possible to run these) will be conducted with social distancing and ‘Rule of 6 or Two Households’ in place, but we would encourage you to make your way home if you are not likely to be in a Top 3 position. Results will be posted online, as usual.
Cancellation policy – tournament fee:
0-5 days prior to the event – no refund
6-21 days prior to the event – 50% refund, minus £5 administration fee
22+ days prior to the event – full refund, minus £5 administration fee
