Coach’s Summary of Junior Rankings

The Junior Golf Scoreboard is probably the most widely used national ranking system for junior golfers. It definitely is a key ingredient in the process of player development, especially for those with a hopeful eye on college scholarships. The JGS is a crossroads for competitive juniors and college coaches around the country, and the system tends to be a good predictor of players from each state who will advance to collegiate golf. There are also more JGS-recognized junior tournaments around the country than any other ranking system, which opens the door for more junior golfers to achieve exposure. Many of the tournaments which have JGS rankings are affordable compared to other events and other ranking systems, again making it a fairly inclusive national ranking for young golfers.

The Golfweek Performance Index might be regarded as a somewhat more elite junior ranking system. It recognizes fewer tournaments, partly because of its preference for 54-hole events. It also tends to be associated with national events, and more expensive junior tours, which results in less broad access to its rankings. A ranking in the GPI tends to convey an elite level of junior performance.

The Performance Based Entry is a national ranking, but it pertains only to achieving status with the American Junior Golf Association. Playing in AJGA events is practically considered a must-do as preparation for college golf, and it can be tough to earn access to their tournaments. In 2003, the AJGA came up with the PBE rankings as a way for players to earn their way into events. Generally, if an event is AJGA-recognized it will also be recognized by the JGS and GPI. Tournaments recognized by the AJGA tend to be national in their scope and often fairly expensive. Beyond the outside tournaments that can earn AJGA status, the Association also holds its own qualifying tournaments, another way to earn credit that can be “cashed in” for a chance to compete in actual AJGA tourneys.