Zhang and Shropshire Capture AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship at The Highlands

Mingyu Zhang and Spencer Shropshire Capture AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship at The Highlands

BOYNE Golf hosted international girls’ and boys’ junior event for the 23^rd time

Harbor Springs, MI—The Highlands, part of BOYNE Golf in northern Michigan, hosted the AJGA Coca-Cola Junior Championship for the 23rd time last week, July 1-4. The international junior event, contested on the acclaimed Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Heather course, attracted 132 top junior boys and girls from 19 states and seven countries, including 32 Michigan natives.

Two international players captured both the girl’s and boys’ divisions. Mingyu Zhang of Beijing, China, won the girl’s division with a birdie on the second playoff hole. She shot a 2-under par 70 in the final round and a 54-hole total of even-par 216. This was Zhang’s third AJGA win, and she has committed to playing golf at The University of Michigan.

“I’m thrilled to have secured this tournament victory,” said Zhang. “This year, I set higher expectations for myself, and achieving this feels fantastic. I was well-prepared for the tournament and now feel more confident as I look forward to my college career.”

Spencer Shropshire of Ontario, Canada, won the boy’s division for his first AJGA victory. Shropshire opened the tournament with a first-round 67 (-5). He finished the event with 16 birdies and a 54-hole total of 8-under-par 208.

“Securing my first AJGA win has been a long-awaited milestone for me,” said an excited Shropshire. “It’s a huge confidence boost and I feel like I found my place with the top juniors in the AJGA.”

The Heather course at The Highlands started the golfing boom in northern Michigan in 1963 when resort founder Everett Kircher hired the number one golf course designer of the time, Robert Trent Jones Sr., to design the region’s first nationally acclaimed golf course which opened for play in 1966. The course has hosted four Michigan Amateur Championships, AJGA Championships, and The Celebrity Tour. The Heather was also recognized as the Michigan Course of the Year in 2018 and the National Course of the Year in 2019.

“Hosting the AJGA every year and seeing all of the families, not only from the U.S. but from around the world, come to northern Michigan is very exciting,” said Josh Richter, Senior Vice President of Golf Operations for Boyne Resorts. “It is amazing the talented players we see yearly and watch them play a great championship course like the Heather. Congratulations to both Mingyu and Spencer for their outstanding play and wins.”

For more information, visit BOYNEGolf.com.