Sunday notebook: Back to Bryan

BRYAN, Texas -- After debuting in the state of Texas last year, the Junior PGA Championship returns to Miramont Country Club in Bryan, Texas for a second consecutive year. Miramont, which opened in 2005, and was designed by world-class golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., will test the 156 juniors (78 boys, 78 girls) scheduled for play.

Located 90 miles from Houston, Miramont enjoys a sterling reputation. It is currently ranked 7th on Golf Digest’s “Best-In-State-Rankings” for the Lone Star State. Miramont, which was also listed as a “Top 100 Residential Course” by Golfweek back in 2010, is a par-71 layout that plays 6,210 yards for the girls and 7,010 yards for the boys.

JUNIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Complete coverage

The format for the 40th Junior PGA Championship is 72-hole stroke play and includes a 54-hole cut to the low 30 and ties in both divisions. As always, the coveted hardware at stake in the Junior PGA Championship is the Patty Berg Trophy in the Girls’ Division and the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for the Boys’ Division.

DNA OF THE 2015 FIELD: The field at the 40th Junior PGA Championship includes participants from all 41 PGA Sections, players from 40 states, 27 Texans enjoying a week at “home,” and four international players representing three countries: China, India (two players) and Mexico.

TO THE WINNERS GO THE SPOILS: The Girls’ and Boys’ division champions of the 2015 Junior PGA Championship will earn an exemption to compete in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic and the 2016 Valero Texas Open, respectively. This agreement between the PGA of America, which conducts the Junior PGA Championship, the Valero Texas Open and the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic is in its second year.

Earlier in 2015, Junior PGA Champions Kristen Gillman and Sam Burns, both of whom won here at Miramont last year, enjoyed this perk and made their appropriate debuts on the LPGA and PGA tours.

LATE WITHDRAWALS: Three girls withdrew late from the 40th Junior PGA Championship due to injury: Angel Yin (Arcadia, California), Lilia Khato Vu (Fountain Valley, California) and Mika Liu (Beverly Hills, California). The three juniors from The Golden State were replaced in the field by Katherine Smith (Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.), Hanna Alberto (Kingwood, Texas) and Maddie Luitwieler (Katy, Texas).

Yin was fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2015 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Tulsa, Okla.

TOMS TO TALK TONIGHT: Major Champion David Toms will serve as the keynote speaker for tonight’s 40th Junior PGA Championship Welcome Dinner. An 18-time winner since becoming a professional, Toms will share words of wisdom with girls, boys and parents alike. Toms’ son, Carter (Shreveport, Louisiana), is making his Junior PGA Championship debut this week.

Toms, who also played on three U.S. Ryder Cup Teams, is the only player to win both the PGA Championship and the Junior PGA Championship. He turned the trick by hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy in 2001 at the Atlanta Athletic Club and the Jack Nicklaus Trophy in 1984 at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

WEATHER FORECAST: The month of July in the Bryan/College Station area was one of the driest on record and that is not likely to change much for the Junior PGA Championship. The summer heat will stick around through the remainder of the week with some fair weather clouds at times, according to Brad Nelson, the On-Site Meteorologist for the Junior PGA Championship. There is only a slight chance for a stray shower or thunderstorm Monday through Thursday, but for the most part, dry weather is expected. High temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s and, perhaps, even push triple digits. Overnight lows will be in the 70s. Southerly winds are expected to increase with each round of the Championship. By Wednesday and Thursday, conditions could be breezy.

For information, updates and scoring, visit us at 40th Junior PGA Championship.