IAGA Quick Hits | 7.03.26
Junior Golf Thrives through Jim Ager Golf Course
From the Nebraska Golf Association
Jim Ager Golf Course, located centrally in Lincoln off Normal Boulevard and South Street, has been a pillar for junior golf in the community for several years. A public golf course run by the city, Jim Ager has welcomed golfers of all skill levels and runs youth programs designed to help get youth involved in the game while learning necessary skills.
Head golf professional Zac Morley runs these Youth Programs along with the help from his staff of collegiate golfers, as well as with students studying Professional Golf Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Starting young in golf is really important,” Morley said in an interview with NebGolf. “If you can start when you’re young, the correct way, it saves you a lot of time, makes you a lot better, and hopefully you like it from the beginning and you can stick with it.”
Morley grew up playing at Jim Ager, and understands the importance of both junior golf, as well as having a palace for younger players to grow and develop their game. Jim Ager provides that place for kids in the Lincoln area to learn and grow.
Inaugural Amateur Champions Dinner Commemorates 125 Years of Championship History
From NJ Golf
In a room filled with past champions spanning nearly seven decades, the history of the New Jersey Amateur Championship was impossible to miss.
On June 30, New Jersey Golf hosted its Inaugural Amateur Champions Dinner at Baltusrol Golf Club, bringing together past winners to celebrate 125 years of one of the state’s most storied championships.
From champions crowned in the 1950s to the tournament’s most recent winners, the evening served as both a celebration of the championship’s rich history and a tribute to the players who helped shape it.
With the 125th New Jersey Amateur Championship set for July 6-8 at Baltusrol, the gathering carried added significance as past champions returned to one of the state’s most iconic venues. A club synonymous with championship golf, Baltusrol provided the perfect backdrop for an evening centered on tradition, legacy and the enduring prestige of the Amateur Championship.
A cross-section of champions from multiple generations filled the room.
Lloyd Monroe, the oldest champion in attendance, represented the earliest years of the tournament, having captured his first title in 1958 at Montclair Golf Club. He was joined by fellow competitors including six-time winner Robert (Bob) Housen, and Billy Ziobro, the second player to win the New Jersey Amateur and Open Championships in the same year.
“I’m seeing people that I knew a long time ago, and it’s really fun,” Monroe said.
“It just feels good to be remembered,” he added.
The evening also served as a bridge between the championship’s history and its future.
MGA Junior Council Holds Meeting with Inaugural Class
From the Metropolitan Golf Association
On June 14, members of the inaugural Class of 2027 MGA Junior Council gathered at Golf Central to meet each other and learn more about the program.
The day started with presentations about the MGA and from various department staff. Participants learned more about the MGA Foundation and its offerings such as caddie scholarships and the GOLFWORKS student intern program, plus MGA championships, communications initiatives, and Member Services tasks – from course ratings to engaging new members. Council members then had a chance to discuss their own journey to golf and share ideas on how to improve the game for juniors.
Throughout the year, members will contribute ideas and collaborate on junior programming, membership and marketing initiatives, community engagement opportunities, and other projects designed to grow and strengthen the junior golf experience.
Council members are looking forward to sharing their ideas and taking inspiration from their own experience in golf to apply to the junior council. Nyah Roccamonte-Clark of Iselin, N.J., has been playing junior golf for a long time and loves it. “I want other kids to have the same experience and grow and learn through golf just as I did,” she says.
About the MGA Junior Council
This past spring, the MGA Junior Council was created to provide junior golfers with a voice within the MGA in helping shape the future of junior golf across the region. After receiving over 100 applications and conducting two rounds of interviews, the board selected 10 juniors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to represent the council. The Class of 2027 will play an important role in helping define the future direction of the program.
The council aims to inspire leadership, encourage sportsmanship, and foster a more inclusive and connected golf community both on and off the course.
Stan Utley Shares Wisdom with Next Generation at Stan Utley Junior Tour Event
From the Missouri Golf Association
More than 80 junior golfers participating in the Stan Utley Junior Tour event at Tanglewood Golf Course received a unique opportunity on June 17 as Missouri Golf welcomed PGA Tour champion, Stan Utley, for a special instructional clinic prior to tournament play.
The clinic marked the first instructional session held since the Missouri Junior Tour was renamed the Stan Utley Junior Tour, honoring one of Missouri’s most accomplished golfers, instructors and ambassadors for the game.
A former PGA Tour winner and one of the most respected short-game coaches in golf, Utley has worked with players at every level of the game and has earned recognition as one of the nation’s top instructors. During the clinic, he shared lessons with junior golfers on short-game fundamentals, putting, mental approach and the importance of continually working to improve both on and off the golf course.
Utley spent much of the session emphasizing the value of putting and short-game play, areas that have become synonymous with his coaching philosophy throughout his career. He also encouraged participants to embrace the learning process and maintain a growth mindset as they continue their development in the game.
FM Junior Championship presented by John D. Mineck Foundation returns to Chicopee Country Club as FM renews partnership with AJGA
From the American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) is set to return to Chicopee Country Club in 2026 for the FM Junior Championship presented by John D. Mineck Foundation, marking the eighth consecutive year the club has hosted the AJGA. The return coincides with a renewed two-year partnership between FM and the AJGA, extending through the 2027 season and expanding FM’s involvement across tournaments, player financial assistance, leadership development and STEM education initiatives.
Chicopee Country Club has been a longtime host of AJGA competition and is widely regarded as one of the premier championship tests in New England. Known for its rolling terrain, tree‑lined fairways and fast, sloping greens, the course has earned accolades from Golf Digest, USA Today and the New England Journal of Golf, and has consistently been ranked among the best public courses in Massachusetts and the New England region.
The event is led locally by Head Golf Professional Mike O’Neill, a past recipient of the AJGA Head Professional of the Year Award, whose longstanding partnership and leadership have played a vital role in the continued success of the championship.