PING Moxie Junior set: After years of producing quality clubs for men and women, PING has jumped into the junior market with its new Moxie line. Apparently,

kids in golf, and they are perhaps the fastest-growing segment in America, are now willing to pay $235 per set. Or, more precisely, their parents.

The new Moxie junior set gives young golfers the benefits of proven PING technology in a package engineered to match their size, strength and ability, according to John A. Solheim, the company’s chairman.

“The Moxie set is designed to be easy-to-swing, get the ball airborne and help ensure a young boy or girl has a positive first experience with golf,’’ Solheim said in a prepared statement. “When they have success and enjoy the game, they’ll stick with it. We all know that’s extremely important for the growth of our sport.’’

Getting it airborne always is a big challenge for kids, and it’s important that such a feat occurs, as worm-burners tend to get boring, especially for a youngster. In that regard, most instructors recommend the 3-wood, although PING is introducing a revolutionary Moxie titanium driver with a 15-degree loft.

“The titanium driver really sets these clubs apart,’’ Solheim explained. “At 325 cc’s (cubic centimeters), with a graphite shaft and the 15-degree loft, it’s ideally suited to match the strength and swing speed of young golfers. The large head and high loft give it unmatched forgiveness to help juniors hit the ball high, long and straight.’’

The key words there are “unmatched forgiveness,’’ which always has been a PING trademark. The rest of the set, which is designed for kids between the ages of 8 to 12 and a height of 4 foot 3 inches to 4-11, includes a stainless steel fairway wood (24 degrees), four irons (5, 7, 9 and sand wedge), a Craz-E putter (30-inch length) and a lightweight carrying bag. The driver, fairway wood and irons include lightweight graphite shafts and junior-size grips.

Shipping for the preboxed sets begins March 15, and the clubs also are available in left-handed sets. For information, or to order, call (602) 687-5000 or visit www.pinggolf.com.

NOTEWORTHY

Star in the making: Arizona State’s phenomenal junior, Alejandro Canizares, continues to impress. His sixth collegiate title, which came by a relatively easy five shots earlier this week at the Puerto Rico Classic, puts him in some lofty company. Phil Mickelson is ASU’s all-time leader with 16 titles, followed by Billy Mayfair’s eight and then Canizares, who joins Charlie Gibson, Paul Casey and Todd Demsey with six each. Now if the rest of this year’s Sun Devils could step it up a notch, ASU might once again be a threat at the NCAA tournament.

AJGA on horizon: The Heather Farr Classic returns to Longbow Golf Club in Mesa on March 25-27, or Easter weekend. The 36-hole event, which honors the late ASU and LPGA star from Phoenix, features 120 boys and girls between the ages of 12-18. Among the East Valley contingent are Scottsdale’s Amanda Blumenherst, Esther Choe, Taylore Karle, Josh Porter, Eric Cover and Tim McKenney; Kristin Schelling, Scott Pinckney and Brandon Holub of Mesa; Michael Haenel Jr., of Paradise Valley; and Brooke Schneider from Cave Creek.

Yoga and golf: The Katherine Roberts Fitness Performance Golf School is set for Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale on March 28-30. The three-day personalized training sessions feature yoga from Roberts, golf instruction from Paul Trittler, individualized bio-mechanical evaluation, workshops on the mental game, discussions on nutrition for peak performance, green fees and cart, and lunch each day. For information, call (888) 313-9642 or visit www.KRTotaFitness.com.