Wake County Youth Team Competes for National Junior Golf Title
A Wake County 13U golf team qualified for the 2025 PGA Jr. League Championship at PGA Frisco and will compete November 16 to 20. The team posted the best qualifying score among eight regional teams and beat the Sugarloaf All Stars in the regional final, a milestone that brings local pride and raises questions about access to elite youth sports.
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A Wake County 13U all star golf team will represent the region at the 2025 PGA Jr. League Championship at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West from November 16 to 20, after posting a 38 under par score in qualifying, the best among eight regional teams. The squad reached the national field by beating the Sugarloaf All Stars in the regional final, advancing a roster built largely from players who practice at private clubs in the Triangle.
The team includes Simon Hall, Simon Myers, Luke Valkovics, Ryan Boudwin, Nick Rodriguez, Grady Hayes, Charles Chopping, and Jennings Erwin. Coaches Bo Bolick and Andrew Kiger lead the group, which trains at The Club at 12 Oaks in Holly Springs and MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary. The performance underscores both the talent emerging from Wake County and the role local facilities play in preparing young athletes for national competition.
For local families, the team’s run has immediate significance. Young athletes competing on a national stage can inspire increased youth participation, boost community pride, and attract attention to local programs that develop skills and sportsmanship. For the players themselves, extended seasons and higher level competition also bring opportunities and stresses, as travel, training time, and costs rise with advancement.
Public health and equity considerations are central to the story. Organized sports like golf provide physical activity that supports cardiovascular health, coordination, and mental wellbeing. Yet access to coaching and practice facilities often depends on resources. The roster’s concentration of players from private clubs highlights a broader gap in equitable access to elite youth sports opportunities in Wake County. Expanding affordable programming, offering scholarships, and strengthening partnerships between private clubs and public parks and recreation departments can help more children benefit from sports participation.
Local policymakers and community organizations may see this moment as a prompt to evaluate investment in youth sports infrastructure. Increasing low cost options at municipal courses, creating outreach programs to introduce golf in public schools, and funding travel assistance for talented players without private resources are policy pathways that could broaden access while preserving development pipelines for competitive teams.
The Wake County team’s appearance at the national championship will be watched by family members and neighbors across the Triangle. Regardless of the final outcome at PGA Frisco, the run has sparked enthusiasm and reflection about how to ensure that health promoting activities and pathways to competition are available to a wider and more diverse group of Wake County youth.
