The AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods returns to The Woodlands, Texas, on February 17-20, 2023. The Club at Carlton Woods – Fazio Championship Course has hosted the event since 2009.
The event is continually recognized as one of the strongest all-boys junior golf events in the world. The competition will feature a 54-hole stroke play event with 72 of the top-ranked juniors in the world.
About the Field
- 15 of the top 20 players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
- 46 AJGA champions
- 46 players committed to play college golf
- 36 Rolex Junior All-Americans
- Three and four-time tournament participants:
- Aaron Pounds (four years)
- Jack Usner (four years)
- Ethan Gao (three years)
About the Course
- The Club at Carlton Woods boasts the distinction of being one of only two private clubs in the US with a Nicklaus/Fazio design combination. Jack Nicklaus designed the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course which opened in 2001 and Tom Fazio the Tom Fazio Championship Course in 2005.
AJGA Champion Highlights
Of the 46 players who’ve won an AJGA event, a few highlights:
- Bryan Kim of Brookeville, Maryland, is No. 6 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. He finished T5 at this event in 2022. He was a member of the victorious United Stated Junior Presidents Cup team in September and is coming off a top-10 finish at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in November. The 2023 grad has signed a National Letter of Intent with Duke University.
- Johnnie Clark of Mesa, Arizona, is No. 5 in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. He is coming off a runner-up finish at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in November. He was a second-team Rolex Junior All-American in 2022 and has signed a National Letter of Intent with Oklahoma State University. The 2023 grad was also a member of the victorious United States Junior Presidents Cup team.
- Nicholas Gross of Downington, Pennsylvania, is the highest-ranked player in the field. He finished second at the 2022 event. He is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of Alabama. He was also a member of the victorious United States Junior Presidents Cup team in September.
Tournament History
The AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods has occurred annually since 1987, with the last 15 tournaments being played at Carlton Woods.
Noteworthy past champions include:
- Jim Furyk (1987)
- David Duval (1989)
- Tiger Woods (1992)
- Kyle Stanley (2005)
- Rickie Fowler (2006)
- Jordan Spieth (2011)
- Doug Ghim (2014)
- Jackson Van Paris (2020, 2021) *Van Paris is the only repeat champion in the event
15 of the Top 20 Players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings
4. Nicholas Gross
5. Johnnie Clark
6. Bryan Kim
7. Ethan Gao
8. Carson Kim
9. Byungho Lee
10. Preston Stout
11. Jay Leng Jr.
12. Henry Guan
13. PJ Maybank
15. Matt Moloney
16. Jack Roberts
18. Camden Smith
19. Aaron Pounds
20. Gerardo Gomez
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