U.S. Kids Championship Set to Start

Young golfers from 36 different countries will travel to Pinehurst, N.C. this week for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. The tournament, to be held July 31-August 2, is bringing together more than 1,250 of the most talented young golfers from around the globe. The culmination of the event is the U.S. Kids Golf World Cup, a Ryder Cup-style match that pits players from the United States against an International team on famed Pinehurst No. 2.

"We have an amazing crop of competitors this year, and U.S. Kids Golf is thrilled to provide them the opportunity to play on the prestigious courses that surround the Village of Pinehurst," said Dan Van Horn, founder of U.S. Kids Golf. "Golf helps to instill valuable attributes like patience and the importance of hard work at a young age, and as a result many of these kids have the skills and determination to take them to the top. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these kids playing professionally in a decade or so, and U.S. Kids Golf is proud to have played a part in their athletic and personal development."

At the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, competitions are divided according to age and gender. Following the competition, the top finishers in the 12-year-old age group will be divided into teams of players from the United States and internationally. The top 10 boys and the top six girls will make up the teams and will play for the World Cup.

While Pinehurst Resort is the official host of the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, play is also happening at other nearby golf clubs including Talamore, Little River, Midland, Mid Pines, Whispering Pines and Longleaf.

New to the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in 2008 is the "Parade of Nations." To kick off the tournament, participants will march in an Olympic-style parade through the Village of Pinehurst behind their respective country or state flag. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, and also include local marching bands, community floats and professional sports mascots. Over 5,000 people are expected to attend, including players, parents, fans and residents.

Among the more interesting players to compete include:

• Harris Armstrong - Recipient of the Peggy Kirk Bell Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship and Love of the Game; Harris and his family reside in Tampa, Fla.
• Alexis "Monet" Flores - Winner of the inaugural U.S. Kids Golf European Championship in the girls 9-year-old age group; Alexis "Monet" proudly represents Avondale, Ariz.
• Demetri Kotsovolos - An 8-year-old tournament competitor from Clearwater, Fla., has been battling cancer since age 5.
• Joshua Martin - A Pinehurst resident, Joshua was the winner of the 2005 and 2006 U.S. Kids Golf World Championships, as well as the 2005 and 2006 Callaway Golf Junior World Golf Championships.

For more information, call 888-3USKIDS or visit http://www.uskidsgolf.com/.