Top Flite Jr. Tour starts Monday at GCWV

Tour has record numbers

By JAY W. BENNETT, jbennett@newsandsentinel.com


PARKERSBURG — When action gets under way at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Golf Club of West Virginia, it will mark the 25th anniversary of the Top Flite Junior Tour’s presence here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Although some things have changed throughout the last quarter century with the tour itself, the goal of trying to bring affordable golf to junior players in a tournament format hasn’t.

Once again, the TFJT is divided into a series of 14 events and is broken down into a quartet of playing divisions — 12-and-under, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18.

This summer two new golf courses were added — Berry Hills Country Club and the Marietta Country Club — with play at those courses set for July 7 and July 22, respectively.

“Right now we currently stand with the most participants we’ve had in the past five years,” said Brad Ullman, the tournament director for the Top Flite Junior Tour.

Ullman said there are currently more than 100 first-time players registered for the TFJT. A year ago, the summer season started with 222 junior golfers but that mark has grown to 250 this year.

“We have more 12-and-under junior golfers playing this year than we’ve ever had in a single season,” Ullman added. “Hopefully, they continue to play and continue to grow.”

Aside from the opening date on Monday at the GCWV, the Top Flite Junior Tour also will make a stop on Tuesday in Ravenswood at the Greenhills Country Club. The only other area stop, not counting at the MCC, is on July 21 at the Parkersburg Country Club.

Female champion Brooke Bellomy of Ona and Wheeling’s Thadd Obecny (12-and-under) are the only returning champions back in their same age group.

However, Nick Huggins of Marietta and Nitro’s Clark Priddy — last year’s 13-14 and 15-16 age group winners — each will move up an age group. While Huggins moves to the 15-16 division, Priddy will attempt to win the $1,000 top prize in the 17/18-year-old division.

Former Parkersburg South star Ben Palmer, who is now playing golf at Fairmont State University, won the $1,000 last year. The female Player of the Year wins $250 and the runner-up in the 17-18 division gets a $500 scholarship.

“Those golf courses that have been there year in and year out on the junior tour schedule, we are very lucky they have donated their courses to the growth of junior golf,” Ullman said