Five of Scottsdale’s finest young golfers -- Amanda Blumenherst, Esther Choe, Philip Francis, Drew Kittleson and Tim McKenney -- will compete this weekend in the Thunderbird International Junior at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale.
It will be a mighty test, as the American Junior Golf Association event will feature 84 boys and girls ages 12-18 from 16 states and 12 foreign countries. Of the 84 entered,
50 are Rolex Junior All-Americans.
Mike Kennedy, the tournament chairman for the sponsoring Phoenix Thunderbirds, said the tournament’s rich history coupled with an outstanding field should once again produce exciting results.
“Our champions have gone on to win the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Championships, been selected to Walker Cup teams, and are already competing successfully on the PGA and LPGA tours,’’ said Kennedy, pointing to such alumni as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Grace Park and Cristie Kerr.
Although only in its sixth year, the Thunderbird International has produced such winners as Ryan Moore (2001), Casey Wittenberg (’02), Virada Nirapathpongporn (2000) and Brittany Lang (’02). The Thunderbird International’s marquee also includes Mickelson, who serves as the event’s honorary chairman.
Peter Ripa, the chief operating officer of the AJGA, said this year’s field, which also includes such noted juniors as In-Bee Park, Morgan Pressel and Rory Hie, is among its most stellar.
“This championship is now the most coveted invite in junior golf,’’ Ripa said. “Bringing the world’s best (together) was our collective vision (with the Thunderbirds), as this field includes numerous names that will dominate the major tours in the next decade.’’
By far, this is the best representation of Arizona’s elite, as Blumenherst, Choe and Francis are all Rolex first-team All-Americans, with McKenney being honorable mention.
Which, of course, means that for the first-time ever, an Arizonan could win the Thunderbird International.
The list starts with Blumenherst, who is in her final season on the AJGA. A recent graduate of Phoenix Xavier Prep, she has signed to play next fall at Duke, which recently won the NCAA Championship. Unbelievably, Blumenherst has won 10 AJGA events, but never the Thunderbird International or Heather Farr Classic, which is held each spring at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa.
Choe, a 15-year-old, junior-to-be at Cactus Shadows High School, has but one AJGA victory to go with 13 top-10 finishes. Last year, she was third at the Thunderbird.
Among the boys, Francis still is the front-runner, with four AJGA top-10s last year to go along with a career low round of 63.
“I would definitely like to win one of these, and I’m playing well, having just won the Scott Robertson Memorial in Roanoke, Virginia,’’ said Francis, 16, who recently left Notre Dame Academy to be home-schooled through California-based Laurel Springs High School, an Internet program.
“The Thunderbird International is a huge event, with kids from all over the world entered here. The criterion is so hard to get in, just to be here is a real honor.’’
Kettleson and McKenney also are excellent players with a lot of success in high school events, although Kettleson was the recent winner of the Heather Farr Classic, his first AJGA victory.
Tee times for the 54-hole tournament begin at 7 a.m. each day, with all 54 holes being played on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk.
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