Importance of ranking on JGS

My son is a rising 8th grader. How important is his ranking at this point? Trying to decide on a tournament schedule and wondering how much we should be considering the affects of certain tournaments on his current ranking.

Thanks.

What a loaded question!!! No offense @jigsaw1011 but I’m staying out of the s#!t show this thread will become.

I am really looking for some guidance! Didn't realize it would be a loaded question.

Depends on your son's goals. Wants to be a starter at a top D1 golf school his freshman year? You probably need to play lots of high profile junior events (and win some).

agree with @wildcatden . Depends on your son's goals. JGS is one tool college coaches use. Being a rising 8th grader i think focusing on grades and practicing is more beneficial than running to every AJGA or HJGT event.
Example: We had a really great 14-15 high school kid here in VA a few years back. Wont mention names (2020). He was ranked in the top 250 as a sophomore. He only played golf. Grades are(were) terrible sub 2.0.
No college offers.

With a sub 2.0 GPA he shouldn’t even be going to college

To answer your question, I don't think his ranking is that important as an 8th grader based on what I've heard from coaches and parents of college players.

Focusing on development and improving skills should probably be prioritized over trying to maximize ranking by tournament selection at that age.

However, having a high ranking can only help, so if you want to optimize I would suggest looking at tournaments that have in the past produced very low scoring differentials relative to the individuals' typical scoring average. There was one HJGT tournament last year in particular (near you in fact) where almost every 11-13yo ended up with a much lower scoring differential than their average. I'm not sure what the reason was (maybe it wasn't rated properly, they played from shorter yardages, etc) but that one tournament significantly boosted the rankings of many of the players in the field.

A good ranking will help get a college coach’s attention, if that is the goal. And if that is the goal, you will soon start thinking about Rolex ranking and Golfweek ranking. So schedule the summer events to support whatever goals your son may have.

To clarify and expand on my earlier comment, I don't think your son's ranking matters at that age unless he is ranked near the very top of his graduating class (e.g. top 20). The reason why it doesn't matter as a rising 8th grader is because the number of players ranked on JGS for that age is very small relative to the number ranked as he gets older and closer to the age of recruitment.

Here are the total number of ranked juniors on JGS per grade level (graduation year):

2026: 164

2025: 352

2024: 598

2023: 954

2022: 1387

2021: 1854

A top 100 ranked 2025 junior (out of 352) may not even be in the top 400 once he gets to be a rising senior, when you consider that the class of 2021 has almost 6x the number of ranked players (1854). So from a coach's perspective in recruiting, the ranking at that young age doesn't tell them much. They may reference it if they meet your son at a camp or by word of mouth, but they are not going to be looking beyond the very top of the list for the younger (pre-high school) graduating class rankings.

Yup. Kinda of the point. You can be super high ranked and all the coach drooling over you, but without the grades. The offers aren't coming. You still have to cross the admissions door.

Rankings are rankings. You can't control them, but you can help. As an 8th grader I would recommend somewhere between 8 and 14 ranked tournaments a year. They don't have to be high profile, but he needs to play in them.

If you want more detailed answers you can PM me questions. I have studied the ranking system a lot over the years and have a daughter that plays collegiality. I see, to think I understand them and the process.

I was talking to a kid who is now a sophomore at USD. He started golf at age 13 and played baseball before. He started breaking 80 within 1 year of starting golf. He didn't really play any ajga tournaments. He went to a few college golf camps to showcase his skills. At one camp, he shot 40 on the front and then 29 on the back. This got him on the radar of several D1 coaches in attendance. He eventually got a spot on the USD team, but wasn't offered any scholarship money. I thought it was a cool story.

Rankings mean nothing in the long run and even less this year. If you want to rise in the rankings all you need to do is score low when you play.

I know this is an oversimplified statement but I see far too many people who care. The less you worry about rankings the better your kid will get. If your kid goes out there breaks par every tournament there going to climb the rankings period. The better you score on average the easier it is to play bigger tournaments.

If you want to get to number 1 go out enter a US open qualify and make the cut. I guarantee you will rise in rankings or have no problem getting into any amateur tournament and colleges are going to notice you.

the bottom line is just focus on getting better. Rankings are not as important as people think and no remembers who was number 1 in 10 years unless go on to win pro events.

I kind of agree with tiger1873 - at that age the emphasis should be on getting better. I think avoiding or playing in certain tournaments just to boost or maintain rankings is counterproductive.

You may want to be more strategic in planning if you feel your son's ranking is very much out of line with his actual ability. I don't think trying to boost him from #90 to #75 is going to make any difference for a rising 8th grader - but #90 to #20 probably would.

Playing lots of tournaments under all conditions in different geographic locations with varying fields will help you get a true sense as to what his actual ability is, and in the process make him a better all around golfer. You probably won't have that luxury in 2-3 years when his ranking will actually be much more relevant in the recruiting process.

D1 programs are permitted 4.5 scholarships, D2 3.5 and D3 none. I have no idea how that money is allocated, but I guarantee that it is cherished and very carefully apportioned. The two kids I know who tried to walk on got to talk to the coach, who told them he knew a hundred kids at least as good and they never got a look.

You are lying. D2 is 3.6!!! LMAO.... just kidding. D2 also can only offer up to 50% and that is it. The great thing about D2 is a lot of athletes still play for free because they seem to be able to offer more academic money.

What is just as important, in fact more important, as Ranking is Grades if you are looking for money.

Preach Heavy Preach to them!!!!

More coaches are willing to talk to you if they have other revenue streams available.

Varies school to school and conference to conference. Might be 4.5 but only funded up to 75%.

Personally, we had a tough discussion with a D3 school recently. They want my son to come, but the cost is to high. I asked them to raise his academic scholarship to the next level and / or give him in state rates.

If it is public, I don't think they can give him in state rates. Pricing is dictated through the state.

Well, I did lie, it is 3.6 at D2 (hanging head in shame), but more to the point is that trying to chase a golf scholarship seems pretty fruitless. My son was recruited by Harvard based on his grades, SAT's, and got a full ride to a prestigious private school based on scholastic's alone.

What golf scores / tournament results qualify as a really great 14-15 high school kid?

Under par in an event with other top ranked junior golfers, getting through a USGA qualifier will also get some attention.

I would also add that the tournament needs to have players from around the country and maybe international kids. You can play local events with a few high ranked kids and even score well but it will not really get that much attention. The better tournaments have tough setups so scores will be a lot higher in those events.

I think with the USGA event a qualifier for an individual event (not 4 ball) will get attention but you also have to follow through and do well at the event itself.

Thanks for your answers @leezer99 and @tiger1873 873. I wanted to know from @TripleBogeysrbetter what the "really great 14-15 high school kid in VA" was doing to justify being referred to as "really great". Hopefully he'll see this and answer.

To much information and he would know.

Public schools absolutely can offer in state tuition to out of state athletes

I think this is highly dependent on the state the school is in. A lot states have laws mandating Tuition based on residences.

It’s not hard though to get residence in a state and many ways to meet those requirements especially if you have advanced notice.

There are other discounts they can help with. Something its just apparent that the admissions doesn't want to bother. The coach doesnt want to stand on the admission desk and push the issue.

So if you wanted my child so bad and been telling him all of this. Go all the way!

It’s important. Most kids game the jgsb system, so understand how that works, but coaches generally do use it. It’s really that simple, pick events that get ranking weight, skip the others, they aren’t worth anything in my experience.