Girls II Women

2020 WILL BE THE “Year of the Woman” in Colorado golf. So says the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC), which will serve as the host organization for the 2020 U.S. Girls’ Championship July 11-18 at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course in Colorado Springs.

“Our goal is to capitalize and leverage the championship,” says Eddie Ainsworth, Executive Director of Colorado PGA, which partnered with the Colorado Golf Association to create the JGAC in 2016. “We want to focus on introducing and bringing more women, young and old, to the game through events leading up to the championship.”

Preliminary plans call for:

• Showcasing the U.S. Girls’ Championship and Colorado’s “Women in Golf” initiative at February’s Denver Golf Expo Feb. 7-9.
• Expanding the successful spring and fall Golf in Schools programs and bringing them to Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs during the summer.
• Staging a June 27 “Golf in the Park” family festival in downtown Colorado Springs that highlights Women in Golf, PGA Jr. League, JGAC, Youth on Course and Drive, Chip & Putt.
• Holding a double-shotgun July 7 Championship Preview Day for 240 golfers at the Eisenhower Blue Course.
• Hosting the third annual Women’s Leadership Summit at the Air Force Academy on July 10, the day before the tournament begins.

While all these events aspire to attract women golfers, the Leadership Summit also aims to empower the next generation of female leaders by providing the content, tools, mentoring and networking opportunities to support career advancement. PGA of America President Suzy Whaley has confirmed her attendance, as have a number of successful golf-loving female executives from a variety of fields.

Invitations have also gone out to Janet Carol Wolfenbarger, the first female four-star general in the U.S. Air Force, and other pioneers. All 156 of the world’s top female players in the 2020 U.S. Girls’ Open field will receive complimentary tickets to the Leadership Summit. To buy or sponsor a table, contact Judy Malone at the Colorado PGA ([email protected]).

Throughout the year, Ainsworth says, the JGAC also intends to involve and highlight the accomplishments of prominent women in the Colorado golf community. Those include such individuals as Garden of the Gods Club owners Judy Mackey and Brenda Smith, former USGA President Judy Bell, Colorado Golf Coalition Lobbyist Jennifer Cassell, CGA President Janene Guzowsky and “women from different backgrounds who love the game.” juniorgolfcolorado.org/2020usgj

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This article appeared in the 2019 Winter Issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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