By Cameron Jourdan — www.golfweek.com
Megan Lee had nothing to lose, so she filled out the application and pressed send.
The Class of 2027 golfer from Texas was not a part of the U.S. National Development Program, but that’s why she filled out an application. She wanted an opportunity to play in bigger events and prove she belonged. She thought the U.S. Golf Association’s blossoming program for junior golfers around the country was a great start.
The USGA loved her resume and thanks to a partnership with the American Junior Golf Association, the USGA awarded Lee with an exemption into a local Jordan Spieth AJGA event. With nothing to lose, Lee finished second. Now she’s fully exempt on the AJGA in 2026.
Lee’s story is just one of dozens that have occurred in the last couple years. Thanks to the USGA and AJGA’s partnership, dozens of players without access to the prestigious AJGA tournaments have now been afforded opportunities to play. And they’ve had plenty of success.
In 2025, 262 kids utilized an AJGA exemption given to the USGA, totaling 302 appearances. From that group, there were 66 top-10 finishes, 26 top-five finishes and seven victories. Many more players earned spots into more AJGA events on their own merit, and 10 earned “fully-exempt” AJGA status for the rest of the season. Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
“It was so important because being able to just play in this prestigious tournament with some of the best junior golfers in the country is such an honor,” Lee said. “I have observed a lot from other people’s games and tried to apply them on my own. This exemption allowed me to continue feeling motivated and positive about my game.”
The AJGA runs a majority of the top junior tournaments in the country. As the USNDP program continues to expand across the U.S., with more states adding programs and the USGA continuing to find and evaluate talent, the AJGA decided to gift the USGA a handful of exemptions into its events. So far, it has been an incredible success.
The USGA has been able to identify local players who don’t play a national schedule,g iving them opportunities to compete in strong fields at prestigious events. The USGA finds the players through state teams and grant programs, giving them a platform to showcase their talent.
“It has been refreshing to partner with a group that has created a win-win relationship,” said Stephen Hamblin, the executive director of the AJGA. “Partnering with the USGA gives us tremendous credibility. We felt like we could help be a good contributor to growth.”
Tommy Evans is another golfer who has had tremendous success thanks to an AJGA exemption. The USNDP first identified Evans in 2024through a referral from the West Virginia Golf Association. After evaluating his performance and potential, the USNDP awarded Tommy an exemption into an AJGA event, where he finished fourth. Later that year, he received a USGA grant.
Since then, he has committed to play at West Virginia, won five tournaments, including the AJGA Vaughn Taylor Championship and the West Virginia Junior Amateur and is fully exempt on the AJGA.
“The biggest thing I took away from that week was to be grateful for the opportunity I was given,” Evans said of his initial exemption. “Golfers tend to only focus on scores and finishes when they should be happy just to have the chance to compete. I take this into every tournament I have played since; this allows me to play freely and enjoy the company of the great and well-mannered kids the AJGA tour produces.”
Heather Daly-Donofrio, a former LPGA professional, is the Managing Director for Player Relations and Development at the USGA, and her duties include the development and implementation of the USNDP and National Teams, including talent identification, athlete resources, athlete development, athlete and parent education and the USNDP’s grant program.
She sees first-hand how the partnership between the USGA and the AJGA has helped give numerous kids chances to showcase their talents. And she thinks that could just continue to improve junior golf in the U.S.
“It’s been an amazing partnership, and I think if we started this a long time ago, American golf would be even stronger than it currently is,” Daly-Donofrio said. “Any time industry leaders can come together to benefit junior golfers in America, there’s benefits to that, even though not all players are going to become professionals.”
Daly-Donofrio reflected to her time as a junior golfer when she primarily played in high school tournaments, not really knowing about what other programs were out there for junior golfers.
Now, most of the top juniors in the country play a national schedule, especially in the summer. But for those kids who are looking for a breakthrough, the AJGA exemptions through the USGA are one way of proving players belong, like Lee and Evans. The stats back that up, and the partnership is going to grow only stronger in 2026 and beyond.
“We know that the AJGA mission is really helping the next generation reach their college goals,” Daly-Donofrio said. “And part of our mission at the U.S. National Development Program is to develop our players, provide them the pathway so that they can reach the highest levels of the game.
“Anytime organizations like the USGA and the AJGA can work together to benefit junior golfers and help individuals achieve their goals in the game is a bonus. We’re so far ahead of where we were 20 years ago. And in that, you know, there’s so many different resources and different avenues for players to go to to hone their games.”
