Tucson golfer AJ Ramos is spending his summer competing across the country against some of the best junior golfers in the nation, and this week, he tees off in Gainesville, Florida, for the first stop of Steph Curry's Underrated Golf Tour.
Ramos, 16, is competing in the tournament for the second consecutive year after qualifying based on his performance last season, when he finished around 20th in the overall point standings.
The tour features 48 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18, with the top 33-point earners from the previous season automatically qualifying for the following year.
"I think this year I feel like my game is a lot better," Ramos said. "I'm gonna come here with the same goal trying to win."
The tournament is being held at Mark Bostick Golf Club at the University of Florida, a course Ramos described as a standout facility. Beyond the competition, the tour offers players educational experiences, including panel discussions with professionals from a range of fields.
"Every event they'll have panelists come and talk to us," Ramos said. "We've had people who work for United Airlines. We had an Olympian today. We've had people who are in the corporate world, people who do manual labor jobs, but they come and give us a bunch of insight on what they do."
Ramos said the experience has been about more than golf.
"I couldn't be more grateful to be a part of it and get to be a part of the family, travel the country and experience things that I'm never going to forget," Ramos said.
The Florida stop comes just weeks after Ramos competed in U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at Ballen Isles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
An opportunity that came together in less than 24 hours.
Ramos was the first alternate for the event and received word that a spot had opened up the day before the practice round while he was home with his brother and sister.
The Underrated Golf Tour and its partner United Airlines covered his airfare, allowing him to make the trip on short notice.
"My dad called me. He was like a spot opened up and we were like, whoa," Ramos said. "It was a very frantic afternoon and luckily Underrated and United were able to be a big help in covering the airfare."
Competing alongside professionals and top amateurs at the sectional qualifier gave Ramos a close look at what separates him from the next level.
"I got to see what they do better than me," Ramos said. "See their process and see how I can better myself."
The summer schedule is packed.
After the Florida stop wraps up Thursday, the Underrated Golf Tour heads to Scottsdale on July 13-15, followed by Seaview Golf Club in New Jersey, and then Hillcrest Country Club in California during the first week of August.
Players earn points at every stop based on their finish, with the top 12 boys and girls at the end of the season advancing to the Curry Cup, the season-ending championship held at Bethpage Black in New York, a course that has hosted the Ryder Cup and multiple major tournaments.
"I wanna make it to the Curry Cup," Ramos said. "And try and win the whole thing."
Ramos said competing in high-level events this summer has sharpened his confidence heading into the rest of the season.
"Some of those big events give me the confidence to know that I can compete," Ramos said. "I know that I've seen what these guys can do, and I know I'm not that far off."
