News

JAMESVILLE, N.Y. -- The NYSGA has announced significant changes to the 2023 NYS Boys’ & Girls’ Junior Championships, which will be held at the Lake Placid Club’s Links and Mountain Courses this July 26-28. 

The Boys' & Girls '18U (for golfers 18 years old and younger) divisions have been changed to be played over 54 holes of stroke play, with a cut after 36 holes to the low-40 players and ties. This change was required to ensure the championships are counting events in the USGA/R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings system. The hope is that the event will meet the USGA's power ranking requirement so that the winners of the 2024 NYS Boys & Girls' 18U Junior Amateur Championships will earn an exemption to compete in the 2024 U.S. Junior & Girls’ Junior Amateur Championships.

Another important change is the move from sectional qualifying to an Entry Priority based system to select the field for the Boys' 18U division only, which has been expanded from 78 to 112 players. The Entry Priority system gives more exemptions to top finishers in regional golf association junior competitions throughout New York. The remainder of the field will be filled first by Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking and last by receipt of entry. Listed below is the current Entry Priority listing:

ENTRY PRIORITY (BOYS' 18U)

#1 - Entries meeting the criteria below will be entered into the Championship on a first-come, first-serve basis up until the entry close date or the field is full. Any players registering from this entry priority list after the field is full will be placed on a wait list ordered by their time of entry submission.

• Previous NYS Boys' Junior champions (either age division)
• Any actively ranked player in the USGA/R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR)
• Top 1,000 in Junior Golf Scoreboard*
• Top 40 & ties from 2022 NYS Boys' 18U Junior Amateur Championship
• Top 10 & ties from 2022 NYS Boys' 14U Junior Amateur Championship
• Top 10 & ties from the 2023 NYSPHSAA Boys' Golf Championship
• Top 3 & ties from the following championships (most recent as of the entry deadline *):
• BDGA (Buffalo) Junior Stroke Play Championship
• CNY Junior PGA Championship Qualifier
• LIGA (Long Island) Junior Championship
• MET (Metropolitan) Junior Championship
• MET Junior PGA Championship Qualifier
• NENY Junior PGA Championship Qualifier
• RDGA (Rochester) Junior Championship
• SDGA (Syracuse) Junior Classic
• WNY PGA Junior Championship Qualifier
• WGA (Westchester) Junior Championship
• Qualified for the most recent*
• NYS Men's Amateur Championship
• NYS Open
• USGA Championships

#2 - Any additional available spots and alternates (only for boys ages 15-18) will be filled by:

• #1 - Junior Golf Scoreboard ranking*, then
• #2 - Receipt of entry (first come first served) for boys 15-18 (boys 14U can play up only if they meet one of the above requirements).

There is now a USGA Handicap Index requirement for the Boys’ & Girls’ 18U junior divisions of 12.0 and 22.0, respectively. The NYSGA provides free USGA/GHIN Handicaps to any junior 18 years old or younger.

For the first time, Boys in the 14U division can compete in the 18U division - only if they qualify via #1 of the Entry Priority system.

A new Girls’ 14U division has been added to the 2023 championship, which will be played over 36 holes of individual stroke play to mirror the Boys’ 14U division. Girls who are 14 or younger may play in the 18U division if they qualify by USGA Handicap Index.

Caddies will be permitted in the 2023 championship, but they must be 18 years old or younger as of July 28, 2023.

To learn more about this championship, including how to register, visit the championship website by clicking here.