TUCSON — The Tucson City Junior Golf Championship is underway at Randolph Golf Complex, with 200 junior golfers competing across five boys and girls age divisions for players ages 8 to 18.
The field represents 40 Arizona cities, six states, and Mexico, with nearly 50 players from Tucson.
The tournament, started by the Tucson Conquistadores, is one of two Junior Golf Association of Arizona events held in Tucson this year.
The JGAA is a organization whose mission is to educate, motivate and inspire Arizona's youth through golf and the life skills the game teaches. Most of its competitive events are held in Phoenix, making the Tucson stop a welcome change for local players.
Scott McNevin, JGAA executive director, said the Tucson tournament draws strong community backing.
"It's great when we come to Tucson because a lot of the kids from Tucson have to go up to Phoenix for most of our events so when we come down here we get really good support from the local community...and the kids get to play in their backyard," McNevin said.
Among the local standouts is Catalina Foothills' AJ Ramos, the 8th-ranked boys player in Arizona, who is fresh off a third-place finish at state.
Ramos is opening his summer season on home turf before a schedule packed with major national tournaments from coast to coast. He will also represent Arizona at the Eddie Hogan Cup in Oregon.
"It's fun...there's always a little rivalry between Tucson and Phoenix, so I'm glad to come out here and represent for Tucson," Ramos said.
Ramos said he has his sights set on climbing the rankings throughout the summer.
"I'm always trying to push my ranking higher and take advantage of the opportunities that I get," Ramos said.
Also competing for Tucson is Ariela Trejo, the 23rd-ranked girls player in the JGAA.
The Tucson Conquistadores, a civic group that has raised $37.8 million for young athletes since 1962, title sponsor the tournament.
The group also sponsors the Cologuard Classic by Exact Sciences, an official PGA Tour Champions event, with proceeds benefiting the First Tee of Tucson, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, Pima County Special Olympics, the JGAA, and dozens of youth sports teams and events throughout Southern Arizona.
The tournament also presents the Michael J. Harris Core Values Award annually to the junior golfer who best demonstrates the values Harris modeled through his 33 years with the Tucson Conquistadores and the First Tee program, including honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, and perseverance.
The tournament is free to spectators. Players are on the course from 6 to 11 a.m. both days.
