The 2021 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley will look a little different compared to years past.
Starting next year, the premier junior golf tournament in Graniteville, South Carolina, will add a girls competition.
With the help of the LPGA’s Lexi Thompson and Lorie Kane, the SVJI Sports Foundation announced the plans for the junior girls competition at the opening ceremony on Monday for the 10th Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club, to be held Thursday-Saturday.
“I’m thrilled there will be a girls competition in the Junior Invitational,” said 11-time LPGA winner Thompson. “It’s a positive step in our sport, and it will be a great experience for these rising stars.”
Since its first event in 2011, the Junior Invitational has featured 54 of the top junior boys golfers. Starting next year, the boys and girls will compete at the same time.
“The addition of girls has been a priority for some time,” said Pete Davis, chairman of the SVJI Sports Foundation. “We’ve worked closely in golf to reach this point over the years with many of the organizing and governing bodies to make this come to fruition. We are looking forward to not only having the top boys in the world competing…but also the top girls.”
