Tee It High, The Southwest Montana Junior Golf Tour Is Back

The Southwest Montana Junior Golf Tour is getting geared up for another exciting year on the links.

The Tour was formed to fill the void of area junior golf tournaments. It provides a competitive environment that will help prepare its young golfers who wish to improve and compete. The Southwest Montana Junior Golf Tour (SWMJGT) has been in existence since 2008 and has raised awareness of junior golf in southwest Montana. Players on the tour learn the rules of golf, and proper golf etiquette. The tour also champions the importance of character education, where kids learn respect, courtesy, responsibility, and other core values.

This tour has also made a huge impact on the level of play in High School golf and beyond, I asked SWMJGT Tournament Director (and Montana Tech Golf Coach) Sean Ryan, what impact he has seen in the level of golf for those players that participate.

“You're starting to see it on rosters, kids that are going to play at the high school level and then on to college, the number of kids that play on junior tours like this tour, it makes a difference in the level that they're able to play at in those high school events. It puts them on the radar for college programs as well.”

“Now, they go to high school events as maybe an eighth grader or as a freshman and it's not as daunting, they’ve done it before, they played under pressure. They've also played with their peers or kids that are just a little bit older than them, and it provides a big advantage for them just getting ready for that high school season.”

Before the SWMJGT most of our high school golfers never experienced those high-pressure moments before they made the high school golf team. With the Tour, they are able to experience that at a younger age, learn to deal with it, and then in turn handle that pressure more easily as they become accustomed to it.

“Everybody can play great when they're just out having fun, we want the tour to be fun, but it's the opportunity for them to play well with a little bit of pressure the opportunity to compete for prizes, tour standings, and possibly win events. It's so much more valuable to get competition against your peers, playing against mom and dad, or your aunt and uncle, is different than playing against kids that you'll be competing against in the high school.” – Sean Ryan.

Kids participating in the Tour will get the chance to play eight different courses around southwest Montana. Starting with the June 12^th Lee Labreche (Big Kahuna) kick-off classic, and wrapping up with the Old Works Championship on August 7^th.

“I think it prepares them to successfully know the rules, know the intricacies of playing tournament golf, and sets them up for success. I just hope that it continues to be a good feeder program for the high school programs and then in turn a good feeder for programs like mine.” Montana Tech Head Golf Coach, Sean Ryan.

Learn more and sign up at SWMJGT.com

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