CJGA restructures age divisions to align with LTPD

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) announced it will be restructuring its age divisions effective January 1, 2016. After careful consideration and a thorough review of the changing junior golf landscape in Canada, the decision comes in an effort to align with the Long Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide developed by Golf Canada and PGA of Canada.

“As a stakeholder in the development of junior golf in Canada, we felt it was important to align ourselves closer with the LTPD Guide and Junior Competitive Pathway,” said John Lawrence, CJGA Managing Director of Tour Operations. “We believe this restructure will satisfy the current LTPD model and we will continue to integrate the information conveyed in the LTPD 2.0 into our programs.”

The restructuring of ages will take place nationally across both the CJGA Junior Tour and CJGA Linkster Tour. A player’s age will be determined as of August 1^st of the calendar year for all categories.

It is important to note that for the 2016 season only, the CJGA will permit players born in 1997 into the restructured age divisions. This will allow players born in 1997 to compete in the Junior (U19) division, regardless of when they turn 19 years old. For complete details including recommended yardages please visit the CJGA website here.

“The CJGA has been dedicated for the past 23 years to providing junior golfers in Canada with the necessary skills and knowledge to further their development and that is a primary focus we have moving forward” added Lawrence. “As a national association working with our national and provincial partners, rolling this out across our entire program and in every province is the only way to go.”

The national impact of the CJGA runs deep. All 20 members, representing five provinces, of the Golf Canada National and Development teams announced last week participated in CJGA events.

In 2008, the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide was developed through a partnership between Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada. Its purpose was to provide research, insight, and statistics into player development. After six years of observation, both organizations reintroduced the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide 2.0 earlier this year. For more information of the Long-Term Player Development Guide 2.0, please click here.

“We’ve worked closely with the CJGA for years and a lot of Canada’s top young players have honed their skills in their tournaments,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director of Rules, Competitions, and Amateur Status. “Aligning with developmental stages identified within LTPD, it will ultimately benefit our next generation of top Canadians as it enables them to compete in the applicable age group with players at the same development stage.”

The CJGA age division restructure will also improve communication at the provincial level. With provincial associations already operating under the current structure, this will standardize the leading junior golf association in the country with the provincial bodies. “The GAO has been working in conjunction with all junior tours that operate events in Ontario to bring about alignment in both age eligibility as well as age group categories for junior golf tournaments” says Mary Ann Hayward, Manager of Sport Performance for the Golf Association of Ontario. “Such alignment is essential to provide a clear competitive pathway for junior golfers. We applaud the CJGA for implementing these changes in their events across Canada.”