Junior PGA Championship
A junior major for boys and girls: 72 holes of stroke play, entered through PGA Section qualifying
July 27–30, 2027
NCR Country Club, Kettering, OH
The 2026 edition was played July 28–31, 2026.
Dates from PGA of America: Junior PGA Championships, checked September 25, 2026. Confirm entry details with the organizer; Tessaira does not run this event.
Format, field and entry below come from Tessaira's profile of the event, not from the 2027 edition's own pages. The organizer's current entry rules decide.
Format
Boys and girls compete at the same time in separate 156-player fields, 312 in all, over 72 holes of stroke play; the PGA of America's announcement for 2027 describes the same field and format. At the 50th championship in 2026 there was a cut after 36 holes to the low 60 and ties and a second after 54 holes to the low 30 and ties. The girls compete for the Patty Berg Trophy.
Cut: Yes
Field
312 (156 boys / 156 girls) · PGA Section qualifying plus exemptions
PGA Section champions plus exemptions
Application tip
There is no open application. Players qualify by finishing high enough at their PGA Section Championship, so the first step is entering the section qualifier through the local PGA Section. Confirm the section's qualifying pathway and deadlines early in the year, because that is the only route in for most juniors.
The story
The Junior PGA Championship is one of the recognized major championships of junior golf, conducted by the PGA of America. Its alumni list reads like a tour money list. On the boys' side it includes Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, and Will Zalatoris. On the girls' side it includes Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie West, Cristie Kerr, Ariya Jutanugarn, Yuka Saso, and Anna Davis. Lexi Thompson won the girls' title in 2007 at age 12, the youngest champion in the event's history. What makes the Junior PGA a major is the combination of a 72-hole test, a section-qualified field, and two cuts. Players reach the championship by winning or placing at their PGA Section Championships, so the field is a genuine national cross-section of the best juniors, not a self-selected application pool. Surviving 72 holes and two cuts against that field is a serious accomplishment, and it is exactly the kind of endurance test college coaches want to see. The 2026 championship, the 50th edition, was played July 28 to 31 at Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, the headquarters campus of the PGA of America. The 51st goes to NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, July 27 to 30, 2027. All competitors must be 18 or younger on the final day. Between the major status and a section-qualified national field, this is one of the highest-profile weeks a junior can play.
The venue
The Junior PGA Championships move between host clubs. The 51st, July 27-30, 2027, goes to NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, a past PGA Championship site: Raymond Floyd won the 1969 PGA Championship on its South Course. The PGA of America says both of the club's courses, the North and the South, will be used. The 50th, in 2026, was played on the Fields Ranch East and West courses at PGA Frisco, the PGA of America's headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
Course setup: The host changes year to year. For 2027 the PGA of America describes NCR Country Club's South Course as a par-71, 7,055-yard layout on wooded, rolling terrain, and its North Course as a par-70, 6,828-yard prairie-style links course; the boys and girls will play both.
Coach verdict
Coaches at every level respect the Junior PGA as a major. The section-qualified field and the 72-hole, two-cut format mean a strong finish is a hard credential to fake. Results here move the needle in recruiting conversations nationwide.
Best for: For strong 15-18 year olds who can earn a section spot, plus elite 13-14 year olds. Eligibility runs to age 18. Reaching the field requires a top result at a PGA Section Championship, so it suits players already winning at the section and state level.
College scouting: National, every level
Competitive insight
Because entry runs through PGA Section Championships, the Junior PGA field is one of the most complete national samples in junior golf. That makes results here especially trustworthy to coaches. A player who finishes inside the top 30 across 72 holes and two cuts has proven both quality and stamina, the two things a coach most wants to confirm before offering a scholarship.
What makes it different
Notable alumni
Is it worth the travel?
high valueQualifying for a junior major is worth any travel cost. The field quality and the major status make this one of the best weeks a recruit can have, wherever it is played. The 2027 host, NCR Country Club, is in Kettering, Ohio.
Is my golfer good enough, or am I kidding myself?
The number nobody will tell you straight, against Tessaira's own scoring ranges for college golf, including when it is too early to say. Free, with no account needed.
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