TEAM GEORGIA – GEORGIA STATE TEAM PROGRAM
Georgia is launching a state junior golf team (Team Georgia) that will expand the pipeline for elite local golfers into the recently created U.S. National Development Program (USNDP), a new initiative launched by the United States Golf Association (USGA). Georgia is one of seven states that will participate in the initial phase of the state team pilot program in 2024.
The USNDP is designed to ensure that American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations and athlete financial support.
Read the full press release HERE.
Program FAQs
- Who is on Team Georgia?
- What criteria will be used to select Team Georgia?
- Do you need to be a Georgia resident to be part of Team Georgia?
- How old do you need to be to be part of Team Georgia?
- Are there any other requirements to be on Team Georgia?
- When will Team Georgia start?
- What are the benefits of being on Team Georgia?
- If an athlete is part of Team Georgia, are they automatically a part of the USNDP?
- If an athlete is part of Team Georgia, are they automatically part of the National Junior Team?
- Interested in more information of have questions?
The Team Georgia Selection Committee, made up of representatives from the Georgia State Golf Association and the Georgia Section, PGA of America, will name 12 boys and 12 girls to Team Georgia in 2024. Athletes earn their way on to the team through outstanding competitive performance during the 2024 season.
Players will earn points for included events throughout 2024, and these points will determine the standings to be used for team selection. The Selection Committee will name 10 boys and 10 girls to Team Georgia directly from the point standings. Remaining spots on the team will be determined using the point standings as the primary criterion but will be named exclusively by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee reserves the right to exclude a player from the selection process, regardless of his or her position in the points standings, for conduct it determines is unbecoming a representative of Team Georgia.
Yes. Only U.S. Citizens who are Georgia residents are eligible for Team Georgia.
Players must be 13 years old by January 1, 2025, have not reached their 19th birthday by July 19, 2025, and must not be enrolled in college for the 2024-2025 school year.
Players must play in a minimum of one Georgia PGA or GSGA event to be eligible.
Players must be a member of the GSGA and have an established Handicap Index® and enter all eligible scores to be eligible for Team Georgia. Boys must have a Handicap Index® of 2.4 or better. Girls must have a Handicap Index® of 5.4 or better. Read more about Handicap Index® here.
Team Georgia will be named in late 2024. Team members will participate in Team Georgia programming in 2025. Players must earn their way onto the team each year.
The benefits of being on Team Georgia are currently being developed and will be published in late 2024.
Yes! Once named to Team Georgia, athletes are part of the USNDP for the following calendar year. The USNDP will provide benefits and recognition to Team Georgia participants. These benefits may include recognition on the USGA/USNDP website and social media, expedited USNDP grant program access, exemptions to local AJGA events, invites to future USNDP camps, and access to the official USNDP statistical platform.
No. The National Junior Team will be for a select and relatively small number of athletes compared to the number of athletes on State Teams. Selection criteria and process for selection to the National Junior Team is currently being developed by the USGA.
Please contact Jeremy Freyman at jfreyman@gsga.org.