Five first-timers, no defending champ: meet the 17u Jr. League field
Deck: Twelve All-Star teams head to Twin Warriors in New Mexico this week, and the title is wide open. Here’s who made it and how.
The team that won last year won’t be at Twin Warriors this week. Cog Hill, the defending 17u national champion, lost the Illinois regional final 6.5–5.5 to Schaumburg, per the PGA of America. That leaves the 2026 17u PGA Jr. League Championship, October 21–25 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, with a new champion guaranteed.
How the week works
Teams arrive Wednesday for a welcome party, then play practice rounds and a skills challenge Thursday. Friday and Saturday are 18-hole stroke-play scramble rounds. The top four advance to match-play semifinals and the final on Sunday, October 25, while the other eight play the Twin Warriors Fiesta de Tamaya, a nine-hole two-person scramble, per the PGA’s field announcement. It’s the fourth year the 17u Championship has been held at Twin Warriors.
The storylines
A new champion. With Cog Hill out, every team in the field is chasing its first 17u title.
Five first-timers. California (Westside, Los Angeles), Illinois (Schaumburg), Gateway (Christensen Golf Academy, Quincy, Ill.), Kansas (Hallbrook, Leawood) and New Jersey (Haworth) are all making their first trip.
Unfinished business. Florida’s Marriott All-Stars from Orlando were runners-up at the first 17u Championship in 2023 and are back for a third appearance. Utah’s TPoint Legends finished second in 2024. Pennsylvania’s Hot Shot All-Stars from Pittsburgh placed fifth last year.
Regionals that came down to the wire. Kansas won its regional final on a most-holes-won tiebreaker after a tied match with Northwest Arkansas. Gateway and Texas both won their finals 6.5–5.5, and Florida’s regional was decided on Saturday’s stroke-play scores after rain washed out Sunday in Biloxi. Florida still won it by 17 shots at 34-under.
Connecticut is in. A team from Middlefield represents the Connecticut PGA Section, coached by Alex Cavaliere, PGA.
The full field
| Team | Club / city | Coach | How they got here |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Westside, Los Angeles | Chris Jones, PGA | No. 1 seed at its regional; first appearance |
| Connecticut | Middlefield | Alex Cavaliere, PGA | Connecticut PGA Section qualifier |
| Florida | Marriott / Grande Vista, Orlando | Cori McAuliffe, LPGA | Won its regional by 17; 2023 runner-up |
| Gateway | Christensen Golf Academy, Quincy, Ill. | Mark Christensen, PGA | Beat Western Kentucky OG 6.5–5.5; first appearance |
| Georgia | Newnan | Chris Knobloch, PGA | Qualified on the fourth regional weekend |
| Illinois | Schaumburg Golf Club | Jonathan Parsons, PGA | Beat defending champ Cog Hill 6.5–5.5; first appearance |
| Kansas | Hallbrook Hackers, Leawood | Liam Cahill, PGA | Won its final on a tiebreaker; first appearance |
| New Jersey | Haworth | Mark Thornewell, PGA | Region 3 champion; first appearance |
| Ohio | Team YoYo, Columbus | Chris Yoder, PGA | Qualified on the fourth regional weekend |
| Pennsylvania | Hot Shot, Pittsburgh | Troy Williams, PGA | Beat Diamond Run 7.5–4.5; fifth in 2025 |
| Texas | River Place 1, Austin | John Sosa, PGA Associate | Upset the top-seeded Colorado Bombs 6.5–5.5 |
| Utah | TPoint Legends, Lehi | Tele Wightman, PGA | Beat MSCC Atomic 7–5; 2024 runner-up |
The Hub’s take
Team golf is one of the best things a junior can put on their record. A scramble rewards trust in a partner, and a 6.5–5.5 match teaches you to play every hole like it counts. College golf is a team sport too, and the players who arrive already knowing how to compete for teammates settle in faster.
What this means for you
If you’re 14 to 17 and haven’t played PGA Jr. League, ask a PGA or LPGA coach near you about joining a team next season. If you’re already on one, treat these events like any other tournament: write down the results and what you learned.
Every event you play is part of your Journey. Add your results to your Hub profile so they’re there when it counts.
Photo: Team Florida, courtesy of PGA Jr. League