AJGA tournament brings nation’s best golfers to Chicopee

Amy Tang (left) and Bosheng Zhang (right) celebrate winning their respective divisions at the AJGA golf tournament.
Photo credit: Chicopee Country Club

CHICOPEE — The American Junior Golf Association returned to the Chicopee Country Club for the FM Junior Championship, marking the eighth consecutive year the club has hosted AJGA.

The John D. Mineck Foundation, established in 2007 to honor the late John Mineck, an entrepreneur, former caddie and founder of the Boston Golf Club in Hingham, shares a deep commitment to nurturing the game of golf and young players’ passion for it by supporting organizations focused on education, youth development and community-based initiatives, according to organizers of the tournament.

The AJGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. Players ages 12 to 18 from across the country competed throughout the week of June 29 to July 3 at Chicopee Country Club.

The AJGA tournament has a history of featuring rising stars in golf, with notable past participants that include Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Annika Sörenstam and Nelly Korda. All of them have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate and professional levels.

This year’s tournament field featured 12 past AJGA champions, seven players inside the top 150 of the Rolex AJGA rankings, 41 international players and seven countries represented.

The AJGA Tournament welcomed many of the nation’s top junior golfers. The 54-hole tournament featured 96 participants and a cut after 36 holes of play. The qualifier took place on Monday, June 29, followed by the tournament rounds from July 1-3.

Amy Tang of New Zealand, who shot six under par, won the Girls Division, her first career AJGA win. She also earned an exemption from FM Global into the official qualifier for the LPGA’s FM Championship in August in Norton.

There was a three-way playoff in the Boys Division that went four extra holes before Bosheng Zhang of British Columbia, Canada, won it with a birdie and finished the tournament at eight under par. It was Zhang’s first career AJGA win.

Chicopee Country Club Golf Director Mike O’ Neill talked about hosting the event, saying everything was excellent. “For a week as hot as we can remember, it went very well.”

O’Neill also talked about the publicity, popularity and attention this tournament brings to benefit the local economic development of the city, the country club and the golf course itself.

“It benefits the city because we always get them, it seems like they’re always here around the Fourth of July … when everybody from our area, they’re going to the Cape or Maine or Hampton Beach, or they’re heading for the beaches,” O’Neill stated. “Most of them are here for more than a week because the tournament’s about a week long, but a lot of them come a week early and practice. So, you got these golfers, these juniors, and they bring their families with them and coaches with them. You’re talking about probably 200 to 300 people that are in our city for a good one to two weeks.”

According to the AJGA website, since its inception in 2018, the FM Junior Championship has provided more than 1,200 playing opportunities for junior golfers across tournaments and qualifying rounds. In addition to competitive development, the event has generated more than $1.9 million in total economic impact for the Chicopee community through travel, lodging and local spending.

O’Neill also explained that sponsorships help to defer the expenses of this event, and when there is a surplus, the AJGA will donate half of the funds back to the local community. He said that some local organizations in Chicopee have benefited from these funds, including the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry, and Sunshine Village.

The golf course itself has received many accolades over the years, according to O’Neill, who stated, “The kids and the families, they just say praises of the condition.”

O’Neill credited a team of important key pieces that helped the tournament run smoothly and efficiently, including Golf Course Superintendent Michael Bach, his staff, as well as 50-60 Chicopee volunteers, local sponsors, food concessionaires on site and the AJGA, which provided some staff as well.

“It’s a very rewarding week for myself [and] for everybody that has something to do with the event,” O’Neill said.

AJGA Northeast Regional Director Adam Brueggman talked to Reminder Publishing about another “successful” tournament at the Chicopee Country Club.

“We have been incredibly fortunate to partner with organizations such as FM and the John D. Mineck Foundation. Their support, combined with the unwavering commitment of Chicopee Country Club, our Tournament Committee, and the many dedicated volunteers from the Chicopee community, has helped establish this event as a cornerstone championship within the AJGA’s Northeast region, Brueggman stated. “Thanks to these collective efforts, the tournament has contributed more than $20,000 to local charities since 2021, and we are proud to add to that total in 2026.”

He added that AJGA looks forward to returning to Chicopee Country Club and continuing this “outstanding” tradition in 2027.