'10 Jr. Ryder Cup set for Gleneagles; friendship match at Celtic Manor

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The 2010 Junior Ryder Cup, which will be contested Sept. 27-28, at Gleneagles Resort's PGA Centenary Course in Perthshire, Scotland, will continue to present the expanded Ryder Cup format change of 2008 to foursomes, mixed four-ball and singles competition. The matches mark the seventh formal connection between The PGA of America and Ryder Cup Ltd., which biennially stage the Ryder Cup. The friendship match will take place on Sept. 29, at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, U.K. tied into the 38th Ryder Cup. The United States Junior Ryder Cup Team will consist of six boys and six girls who are American citizens and are members of the high school graduating class of 2011, or younger. The invitation criterion consists of the following: Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., has received the first female spot on the U.S. team by way of her victory at the 2009 Junior PGA Championship. The U.S. Champion of the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, July 19-24, 2010, at Egypt Valley Golf Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., will be awarded an automatic berth on the U.S. Team. The third exemption is awarded to the winner of the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship on July 19-24, 2010, at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. In addition, the top two boys' and girls' finishers from The PGA of America's flagship junior event, the 35th Junior PGA Championship, Aug. 2-5, 2010, at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind., will be eligible. The leading boy and girl in the Junior Ryder Cup final point standings that are determined following the Junior PGA Championship (the final major of the summer) will earn automatic Junior Ryder Cup berths. The final boys and girls selected to complete the 12-member team will be chosen by U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Captain M.G. Orender and announced at the 35th Junior PGA Championship. The U.S. Junior Ryder Cup points system consists of the following tiers: a premier tier event victory will be worth 675 points. Points are also awarded at top-tier event Championships, along with PGA Section Championships and USGA Section Championships. Only the Top-15 finishers in premier Championships, the Top-10 finishers in the top-event Championships, and the overall winner from The PGA and USGA Section Championships are eligible to earn points. In addition, The PGA of America is awarding points to those juniors who make the cut in a 2009/2010 PGA Tour, LPGA major or USGA national events.

A table outlining the 2009-10 U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team points system follows:

Rank 2009-10 Premier Championships 2009-10 Top Event Championships 2010 PGA and USGA Section Championships 1ST 675 375 150 2ND 360 180 -- 3RD 320 160 -- 4TH 280 140 -- 5TH 240 120 -- 6TH 200 100 -- 7TH 160 80 -- 8TH 120 60 -- 9TH 80 40 -- 10TH 40 20 -- 11TH-15TH 20 -- --

A table outlining the 2009-10 Boys and Girls Premier events follows:

Tournament Dates Course Place U.S. Junior Amateur Championship July 20-25, 2009 Trump National Bedminster, N.J. U.S. Girls Junior Championship July 20-25, 2009 Trump National Bedminster, N.J. 34th Junior PGA Championship July 28-31, 2009 TPC River's Bend Cincinnati, Ohio Polo Golf Junior Classic Nov. 21 -27, 2009 PGA National Resort Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Thunderbird International Junior May 28-31, 2010 Grayhawk Golf Club Scottsdale, Ariz. Rolex Girls Junior Championship June 14-17, 2010 TBA TBA FootJoy Boys Invitational June 15-18, 2010 Sedgefield C.C. Greensboro, N.C. Rolex Tournament of Champions June 28-July 1, 2010 Blessings Golf Club Fayetteville, Ark. U.S. Junior Amateur Championship July 19-24, 2010 Egypt Valley Golf Club Grand Rapids, Mich. U.S. Girls' Junior Championship July 19-24, 2010 C.C. of North Carolina Pinehurst, N.C. 35th Junior PGA Championship Aug. 2-5, 2010 Sycamore Hills Golf Club Fort Wayne, Ind.

A table outlining the 2009-10 Boys and Girls Top Events follows:

Tournament Dates Course Place Junior Players Championship Sept. 4-6, 2009 TPC Sawgrass Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The Ping Invitational Oct. 10-12, 2009 Karsten Creek Golf Club Stillwater, Okla. U.S. Junior Masters Dec. 20-23, 2009 Ponte Vedra Inn & Club Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Orange Bowl International Junior Dec. 27-30, 2009 Biltmore Golf Course Coral Gables, Fla. Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Dec. 28-30, 2009 Raven Golf Club Phoenix, Ariz. The Verizon Junior Heritage Feb. 6-7, 2010 Ocean Course Harbour Town G.L. TBA Harbour Town G.L. Hilton Head, S/C/ Annika Invitational Feb. 12-15, 2010 Reunion Resort Orlando, Fla. HP Boys Junior Championship Feb. 12-15, 2010 The Club at Carlton Woods Houston, Texas Kathy Whitworth Girls Invitational March 15-16, 2010 Mira Vista Golf Club Ft. Worth, Texas Scott Robertson Memorial May 14-16, 2010 Roanoke Country Club Roanoke, Va. PGA Junior Series at Windyke June 1-3, 2010 Windyke Country Club Germantown (Memphis), Tenn. PGA Junior Series at Kearney Hill June 8-10, 2010 Kearney Hill Golf Links Lexington, Ky. PGA Junior Series at Arbor Links June 14-15, 2010 Arbor Links Nebraska City, Neb. Western Junior Championship June 21-25, 2010 Blue Mound Golf & CC Milwaukee, Wis. PGA Junior Series at Fox Run June 22-24, 2010 Fox Run Golf Club Eureka, Mo. PGA Junior Series at USAFA June 29-July 1, 2010 Air Force Academy USAFA, Colo. Springs, Colo. PGA Junior Series at Oak Tree July 6-8, 2010 Oak Tree Country Club Edmond, Okla. PGA Junior Series at Stow Acres July 12-14, 2010 Stow Acres Country Club Stow, Mass. Junior World Championships July 12-16, 2010 Torrey Pines-North & South San Diego PGA Junior Series at Penn State July 19-21, 2010 Penn State University State College, Pa. PGA Junior Series at Yahara Hills July 24-26, 2010 Yahara Hills - West Madison, Wis.

The U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team will depart the United States, on the evening of Sept. 22, and arrive into Scotland's Edinburgh International Airport on Thursday. They will then receive transportation to Perthshire, and play in practice rounds at The PGA Centenary Course, Sept. 24--26. Opening Ceremonies will kick off the event on Sept. 26, followed by foursomes in the morning of Sept. 27, and then Boy-Girl Best Ball on Monday afternoon. Singles matches will complete play on Sept. 28, followed by closing ceremonies on Tuesday afternoon. Participants in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup will receive the opportunity to play a nine-hole friendship match prior (Wednesday) to the start of the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, U.K.. The matches will feature a mixed four-ball pairing of a USA boy/girl player competing against a boy/girl from Europe for the six matches, which will continue to build international friendships. The boys' and girls' on the team will then travel back home on Sept. 30, or may elect to stay with their parent or guardian chaperones and attend the opening ceremonies of the 38th Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, U.K., Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Complimentary Ryder Cup tickets will be offered to the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team and their parent or guardian chaperones.

For further information about the Junior Ryder Cup, visit PGAJuniorseries.com, PGA.com/Juniors, JuniorRyderCup.com or call PGA of America Headquarters at (561) 624-8400.