AJGA stars for sale - CT Pan International pathway

[Tugu]

The following is for boys jnr golf. I dont know enough to comment on the girls side of things.

 

I'm officially encouraging of anyone who can spend the money to game any system or can use their influence to further jump any perceived merit cue to do so.

 

The CT Pan International pathway system not only giving 4 full exemptions (3 winners and OOM leader), it also gives out 12 stars to top 5 finishers in 2 day events. 10 for 5-10, then 8 for 10-15. 

 

Now most may think that reasonable given how things work in America. But where the events are held, there may be 5-10 kids that have EVER finished under par. Maybe one kid did at an AJGA last year (-1 at a CT Pan event).

 

Case in point, a kid that literally has never come within 10 strokes of my boy in the limited time we were there now has 30 stars. To gauge who he is, he shot +45 recently in difficult conditions where the winner was +4. The pack was at +17. To my knowledge he has NEVER finished under par for an event. I wont say who his parent is, but he got exemption to both CT Pan events in Texas as well as 30 stars and didn't go under par once.

 

I am OK with sponsor exemptions. But the handing out of stars willy nilly makes a mockery of the entire system. Its at a point where the top kids speak for themselves and the rest is a whatever...

 

3 events, pay your money, shoot a ton over par and come back with 30 stars and you still have 5 AJGA events to play. CT Pan International Pathway.

Edited May 14 by Tugu

[Tugu]

@leezer99 The only reason I don't put up the scores is the kids will or can be identified. But you can shoot high 80's and 90's and get real points.

 

It's like if the AJGA did a pathways series for say Wisconsin or Dakota kids only. Whilst the rest are grinding away to trying get a few stars, they giving away full exemptions and stars.

 

To be clear, I got no issues with sponsors exemptions for that event. The people who put up the money can do whatever they like. 

[Golfquant]

stars only get you in an event - if you don't perform well in the tournament it doesn't really make a difference?

 

I don't think decent players have problems getting stars

[Tugu]

11 minutes ago, Golfquant said:

stars only get you in an event - if you don't perform well in the tournament it doesn't really make a difference?

 

I don't think decent players have problems getting stars

Just trying to keep at least the appearance of a meritocracy. Those starting out can be adversely disadvantaged.

[kiawah]

Wow, the AJGA doesn't proportionately reward good players who aren't already committed to a top end D1 team and aren't exempt? This is my shocked face: 😐 

[jayslaysongolf]

The way kids get stars is making AJGA tournaments a joke.   They basically  taking over all the other smaller tours like HJGT summer business.

 

Don’t  worry about playing the race to get stars.  You need to just play what you want to. Any parent dying to get your 12 year old into an event just play in late July or August when 2 or 3 stars will get you into every event.

AJGA doesn’t care about actually competition or fairness.  When one the biggest notorious cheaters get invitations to invitationals when they were poorly ranked it tells you everything.

 

The reason this girl got in was  because of diversity and her mom is an instructor. 

Edited May 14 by jayslaysongolf

[DAnnunzio]

It doesn't make sense to me.  The number of stars needed even for the less popular AJGA Opens seems to be going up.

 

My boy is having a hard time just getting in Qualifiers - he's just getting started with AJGA and shoots low 70s.  I've noticed that many kids that don't consistently break 80 applying to Open qualifiers. They take the spots of kids that have a legitimate chance to actually qualify.  Why? To say they played "AJGA"? 

 

There must be a better way.  I'm new to all of this but am quickly realizing from some of the comments that AJGA doesn't care and isn't going to change. I can't pay to game the system and am not in position to jet across the country (or oceans!) chasing stars. I guess he'll play elsewhere and if he's good enough it will all work out.

Edited May 14 by DAnnunzio

[Golfquant]

1 hour ago, jayslaysongolf said:

The way kids get stars is making AJGA tournaments a joke.   They basically  taking over all the other smaller tours like HJGT summer business.

 

Don’t  worry about playing the race to get stars.  You need to just play what you want to. Any parent dying to get your 12 year old into an event just play in late July or August when 2 or 3 stars will get you into every event.

AJGA doesn’t care about actually competition or fairness.  When one the biggest notorious cheaters get invitations to invitationals when they were poorly ranked it tells you everything.

 

The reason this girl got in was  because of diversity and her mom is an instructor. 

very insightful comments - can you share some details???

[jayslaysongolf]

2 hours ago, Golfquant said:

very insightful comments - can you share some details???

Well the girl is now a 2026 (held back) was ranked 600 plus in ajga last year and starte to get into invitationals  this last year. She generally will place near the bottom of the field every time.

 

It done wonders though for both JGS and AJGA rankings and now is close to the top 100.

 

It makes everyone sick because they been cheating for years.  Made me think AJGA is a waste of time.

 

 

Edited May 14 by jayslaysongolf

[jayslaysongolf]

2 hours ago, DAnnunzio said:

It doesn't make sense to me.  The number of stars needed even for the less popular AJGA Opens seems to be going up.

 

My boy is having a hard time just getting in Qualifiers - he's just getting started with AJGA and shoots low 70s.  I've noticed that many kids that don't consistently break 80 applying to Open qualifiers. They take the spots of kids that have a legitimate chance to actually qualify.  Why? To say they played "AJGA"? 

 

There must be a better way.  I'm new to all of this but am quickly realizing from some of the comments that AJGA doesn't care and isn't going to change. I can't pay to game the system and am not in position to jet across the country (or oceans!) chasing stars. I guess he'll play elsewhere and if he's good enough it will all work out.

 

Don’t worry they be able to play just will not be until sophomore and Junior year. 
 

The bigger issue is it will be too late to help

much for junior rankings.

 

See if you qualify for the ace grant if you do it a ticket to play ajga events.

[DAnnunzio]

That's why AJGA doesn't make sense.  I'm too rich to qualify for Ace and too poor to chase stars all over the place. 

 

He'll just build stars in local and regional tournaments and if he performs he might accumulate enough to squeak into an Open.  If not, he'll just keep playing non-AJGAs and figure it out from there. 

Edited May 15 by DAnnunzio

[AC168]

Where are the events?  I know the first one was in “rural” Taiwan, but where have the others been?

[Tugu]

10 hours ago, DAnnunzio said:

It doesn't make sense to me.  The number of stars needed even for the less popular AJGA Opens seems to be going up.

 

My boy is having a hard time just getting in Qualifiers - he's just getting started with AJGA and shoots low 70s.  I've noticed that many kids that don't consistently break 80 applying to Open qualifiers. They take the spots of kids that have a legitimate chance to actually qualify.  Why? To say they played "AJGA"? 

 

There must be a better way.  I'm new to all of this but am quickly realizing from some of the comments that AJGA doesn't care and isn't going to change. I can't pay to game the system and am not in position to jet across the country (or oceans!) chasing stars. I guess he'll play elsewhere and if he's good enough it will all work out.

This is why i felt compelled to highlight the matter. Official complaints have been written (not by me). To this day no response has been given. 

 

Note, my issue is not with the limited one off sponsors exemptions given. Also I think for most other parts the AJGA does a good job fulfilling its mandate. I'd want to know how much of these "benefits" are the result of Ct Pan's insistence. Him and his people cannot be unaware of how the system works.

[jayslaysongolf]

3 hours ago, Tugu said:

This is why i felt compelled to highlight the matter. Official complaints have been written (not by me). To this day no response has been given. 

 

Note, my issue is not with the limited one off sponsors exemptions given. Also I think for most other parts the AJGA does a good job fulfilling its mandate. I'd want to know how much of these "benefits" are the result of Ct Pan's insistence. Him and his people cannot be unaware of how the system works.

Official complaints do not help they only hurt your kid because the tournament officials will label you a trouble maker.

 

There is nothing you can do to change the system and it will only change when less kids enter tournaments.

 

With AJGA the best thing to do is play a few events and understand they are just like HJGT and just want money.

 

 

[Golfquant]

14 hours ago, DAnnunzio said:

It doesn't make sense to me.  The number of stars needed even for the less popular AJGA Opens seems to be going up.

 

My boy is having a hard time just getting in Qualifiers - he's just getting started with AJGA and shoots low 70s.  I've noticed that many kids that don't consistently break 80 applying to Open qualifiers. They take the spots of kids that have a legitimate chance to actually qualify.  Why? To say they played "AJGA"? 

 

There must be a better way.  I'm new to all of this but am quickly realizing from some of the comments that AJGA doesn't care and isn't going to change. I can't pay to game the system and am not in position to jet across the country (or oceans!) chasing stars. I guess he'll play elsewhere and if he's good enough it will all work out.

If you are trying to gain entry into early-season AJGA's you need more stars (higher demand)

 

The number required for tournaments later in the summer (July and Aug) are much lower

 

Until you are established within the AJGA system you won't have the luxury of picking and choosing events based on location/date, let alone "quality of tournament" (however one wants to define that); I wouldn't call that "gaming the system" or "chasing stars"

Edited May 15 by Golfquant

[jayslaysongolf]

1 hour ago, Golfquant said:

If you are trying to gain entry into early-season AJGA's you need more stars (higher demand)

 

The number required for tournaments later in the summer (July and Aug) are much lower

 

Until you are established within the AJGA system you won't have the luxury of picking and choosing events based on location/date, let alone "quality of tournament" (however one wants to define that); I wouldn't call that "gaming the system" or "chasing stars"

The issue for most parents are Time off and Money. 
 

 

Not many people can take off a week of work and travel to some god forsaken dump of town in the middle of nowhere.   

 

The issue is you have to drop everything and run for tournaments qualifiers and anything else that gives you status for AJGA.

 

The solution to this madness is this wait until there sophomore or junior and just play qualifiers within a reasonable distance from home.

 

It ism’t the best thing for junior rankings but if more parents did this things would be better for everyone.  It will all work out and you be a hell of lot happier too.
 

 

Edited May 15 by jayslaysongolf

[Golfquant]

51 minutes ago, jayslaysongolf said:

The issue for most parents are Time off and Money. 
 

 

Not many people can take off a week of work and travel to some god forsaken dump of town in the middle of nowhere.   

 

The issue is you have to drop everything and run for tournaments qualifiers and anything else that gives you status for AJGA.

 

The solution to this madness is this wait until there sophomore or junior and just play qualifiers within a reasonable distance from home.

 

It ism’t the best thing for junior rankings but if more parents did this things would be better for everyone.  It will all work out and you be a hell of lot happier too.
 

 

if you are complaining that some kids have an advantage in life due to their family's influence, wealth and resources (esp time), welcome to the real world - junior golf is probably one of the most meritocratic activity your child can participate in