Sept. 22-28, 2025 Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, NY

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. (April 17, 2018) – As the countdown begins to the 11th Junior Ryder Cup at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, Sept. 24-25, the PGA of America has announced the official qualifying events and eligibility rules for the selection of the 2018 United States Junior Ryder Cup Team.

The U.S. Team will feature six boys and six girls who are U.S. citizens and members of the high school graduating class of 2019, or younger. In addition to the Junior Ryder Cup, there will be a coinciding Friendship Match at Le Golf National, site of the 2018 Ryder Cup, on Sept. 26. As well, the U.S. and European Junior Ryder Cup Teams will be a part of the Opening Ceremonies on Sept. 27. The American team is vying for its sixth straight victory in the biennial competition.

Among the Junior Ryder Cup alumni are major champions, PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players including: Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Hunter Mahan, Tony Finau, Lexi Thompson, Alison Lee and Brittany Altomare of the United States; and Rory McIllroy, Sergio Garcia, Nicolas Colsaerts, Suzanne Peterson, Emily Pedersen and Carlota Ciganda of Europe.

The six girls who qualify for the 2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team will be announced on July 23, following the U.S. Girls Junior Championship. The six boys who will join them on the team will be announced following the conclusion of the Boys Junior PGA Championship on Aug. 3. There will be 10 players who qualify as exemptions and two Captain’s picks.

To be eligible for the 2018 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team, all players must compete in their respective Junior PGA Championship and achieve one of the following qualifications:

2018 Exemptions

  • 43rd Girls Junior PGA Championship winner and runner-up (total of 2), contested July 9-12, at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Kentucky. *
  • 43rd Boys Junior PGA Championship winner and runner-up (total of 2), contested July 31-Aug. 3, 2018 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. *

*If the Girls Junior PGA Champion and/or Boys Junior PGA Champion is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the corresponding U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected. In the event of a tie for 2nd place between two eligible players in either the Girls Junior PGA Championship and/or Boys Junior PGA Championship, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following play to determine the spot. If the champion or runner-up is not eligible, the next highest ranked player on the corresponding U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

  • 2018 U.S. Girls Junior Champion, to be contested July 16-21, 2018, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.**
  • 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion, to be contested July 16-21, at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.**

**If the U.S. Girls Junior Champion and/or the U.S. Junior Amateur Champion is not eligible, the next corresponding highest-ranked player on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points list will be selected.

  • Top two boys and top two girls from the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Points List (see charts below), which began awarding points at the 2017 Polo Golf Junior Classic. Events earning points will include: multiple AJGA Invitationals, USGA Junior Championships, Junior PGA Championships and select independent events, such as the Orange Bowl International Junior, Kathy Whitworth Girls Invitational and Scott Robertson Memorial. In addition, points are awarded to those juniors who make the cut in a 2017/2018 PGA Tour, LPGA Tour or USGA national event. 

    All U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Points List ties will be broken by each player’s respective 2018 Junior PGA Championship finish.

Captain’s Pick:

  • The final two spots will be one boy and one girl Captain's pick. For these selections, the PGA will consider multiple national ranking systems, such as Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings, Junior Golf Scoreboard, Rolex AJGA Rankings and World Amateur Golf Rankings to pinpoint the remaining top boy/girl selections.

 

2018 U.S. JUNIOR RYDER CUP TEAM POINTS SYSTEM
Rank2017-2018 Premier Championships2017-18 Top Event ChampionshipsCuts Made in PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, USGA National Events (2017/2018)
1st675375375 per cut made in each event
2nd360180---
3rd320160---
4th280140---
5th240120---
6th200100---
7th16080---
8th12060---
9th8040---
10th4020---
11th - 15th20------

2017-18 GIRLS PREMIER EVENTS
Polo Golf Junior ClassicJune 26-30, 2017The Ridge at Back BrookRingoes, N.J.
42nd Girls Junior PGA ChampionshipJuly 18-21, 2017Country Club of St. AlbansSt. Albans, Mo.
U.S. Girls’ Junior ChampionshipJuly 24-29, 2017Boone Valley Golf ClubAugusta, Mo.
Rolex Tournament of ChampionsNov 18-23, 2017PGA National Resort and SpaPalm Beach Gardens, Fla.
ANNIKA InvitationalJan 12-15, 2018World Golf VillageSt. Augustine, Fla.
ANA Junior InspirationMarch 22-25, 2018Mission Hills Country ClubRancho Mirage, Calif.
Thunderbird International JuniorMay 25-28, 2018Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor CourseScottsdale, Ariz.
Rolex Girls Junior ChampionshipJune 11 - 15, 2018Promontory Club – Dye Canyon CoursePark City, Utah
Polo Golf Junior ClassicJune 25 - 29, 2018Echo Lake Country ClubWestfield, N.J.
43rd Girls Junior PGA ChampionshipJuly 9 - 12, 2018Kearney Hill Golf LinksLexington, Ky.
U.S. Girls’ Junior ChampionshipJuly 16 - 21, 2018Poppy Hills Golf CoursePebble Beach, Calif.

2017-18 GIRLS TOP EVENTS
AJGA Girls ChampionshipSept. 1-4, 2017The Furman Golf ClubGreenville, S.C.
The Ping InvitationalOct. 5 - 8, 2017Karsten Creek Golf ClubStillwater, Okla.
Orange Bowl International JuniorDec. 27 - 30, 2017Biltmore Golf CourseCoral Gables, Fla.
Joanne Winter Arizona Silver BelleDec. 28 - 30, 2017Talking Stick Golf Course – Piipaash CourseScottsdale, Ariz.
The Sea Pines Junior HeritageFeb. 3 - 4, 2018Sea Pines ResortHilton Head, S.C.
Buick Shanshan Feng Girls InvitationalFeb. 9 - 11, 2018TPC ValenciaValencia, Calif.
Kathy Whitworth Girls InvitationalMarch 11 - 13, 2018Mira Vista Golf CourseFt. Worth, Texas
Scott Robertson MemorialMay 18 - 20, 2018Roanoke Country ClubRoanoke, Va.

2017-18 BOYS PREMIER EVENTS
Polo Golf Junior ClassicJune 26-30, 2017The Ridge at Back BrookRingoes, N.J.
U.S. Junior Amateur ChampionshipJuly 17-22, 2017Flint Hills National Golf ClubAndover, Kansas
42nd Boys Junior PGA ChampionshipJuly 31-Aug. 3, 2017Country Club of St. AlbansSt. Albans, Mo.
Rolex Tournament of ChampionsNov. 18-23, 2017PGA National Resort and SpaPalm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Junior InvitationalApril 19-21, 2018Sage Valley Golf ClubGraniteville, S.C.
Thunderbird International JuniorMay 25-28, 2018Grayhawk Golf Club – Raptor CourseScottsdale, Ariz.
Haas Family Wyndham InvitationalJune 11-15, 2018Sedgefield Country Club – Donald Ross CourseGreensboro, N.C.
Polo Golf Junior ClassicJune 25-29, 2018Echo Lake Country ClubWestfield, N.J.
U.S. Junior Amateur ChampionshipJuly 16-21, 2018Baltusrol Golf ClubSpringfield, N.J.
43rd Boys Junior PGA ChampionshipJuly 31-Aug 3, 2018Valhalla Golf ClubLouisville, Ky.

2017-18 BOYS TOP EVENTS
Junior Players ChampionshipAug. 31-Sept. 3, 2017TPC Sawgrass - Stadium CoursePonte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Bobby Chapman Junior InvitationalSept. 23–24, 2017Country Club of SpartanburgSpartanburg, S.C.
The Ping InvitationalOct. 5-8, 2017Karsten Creek Golf ClubStillwater, Okla.
Jones Cup Junior InvitationalDec. 19-22, 2017Sea Island Golf ClubSea Island, Ga.
Orange Bowl International JuniorDec. 27-30, 2017Biltmore Golf CourseCoral Gables, Fla.
The Sea Pines Junior HeritageFeb. 3-4, 2018Sea Pines ResortHilton Head, S.C.
Simplify Boys Junior ChampionshipFeb. 16-19, 2018The Club at Carlton Woods – Fazio CourseThe Woodlands, Texas
Scott Robertson MemorialMay 18-20, 2018Roanoke Country ClubRoanoke, Va.
Western Junior ChampionshipJune 18-21, 2018Evanston Golf ClubSkokie, Ill.

The idea for the Junior Ryder Cup came about in 1995, when a team of Europeans played an informal exhibition match against the Central New York PGA Section and area juniors. Two years later, the Junior Ryder Cup was formally introduced as an event in its own right, while played at Alcaidesa Links Golf Course, in Cadiz, Spain, and won by America, 9-7.

The United States captured the 2016 Junior Ryder Cup at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota, 15 1/2 to 8 1/2. One of the top players on the U.S. team was 2016 Girls Junior PGA Champion Lucy Li, who was also the youngest player in U.S. Women’s Open history. Her teammate Norman Xiong received the 2017 Division I Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award while playing for the University of Oregon.

 YearWinnerScoreLocation 
Inaugural1997United States7 - 5Sotogrande, Spain 
2nd1999Europe10½ - 1½Boston 
3rd2002Europe9½ - 2½Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland 
4th2004Europe8½ - 3½Westfield Center, Ohio 
5th2006Halved6 - 6Newport, Wales 
6th2008United States22-2Bowling Green, Ky. 
7th2010United States13½ - 10½Gleneagles, Scotland 
8th2012United States14½- 9½Olympia Fields, Ill. 
9th2014United States16-8Blairgowrie, Scotland 
10th2016United States15½ - 8½Minneapolis 

​For more information on the Junior Ryder Cup, visit JuniorPGAChampionship.comJuniorRyderCup.com or call PGA of America Headquarters at (561) 624-8400.

More News

The Ryder Cup Newsletter
Enter your email address to receive updates on changes in rankings and important announcements.
We appreciate your interest in and excitement for The Ryder Cup. We will be sharing important updates as they become available.
There has been an error in your submission. Please try again.
We appreciate your interest in and excitement for The Ryder Cup. We will be sharing important updates as they become available.
There has been an error in your submission. Please try again.