The Southern Junior Cup Championship logo
Hoover, AL (July 29, 2019) - The eighth playing of the Southern Junior Cup takes place from July 30-31, 2019 at Willow Point Golf & Country Club in Alexander City, AL.
Alabama hosts the event for the first time and fields a team for the fourth time after joining the matches in 2016. Alabama has won all three appearances including last year’s event in Camdenton, MO at Old Kinderhook. Alabama will compete against teams from Mississippi and Missouri. Arkansas was unable to field a team for this year’s event. This invitation only event is comprised of a select group of six female juniors and six male junior players selected by each state golf association.
Format
The Southern Junior Cup is an invite-only, Ryder Cup format co-ed team competition with three states competing this year: Alabama, Mississippi, and Missouri. The format consists of 18 holes of match play with Four-Ball, Foursomes, and Three-Ball Match Play sessions. The result of any match tied after 18 holes are final. Each match is worth 1 point. Half point to each side for a tie. Each state competes against the other two states in an equal number of matches. Four-Ball and Foursomes sides consists of one male and one female, while Three-Ball Matches are male vs. male and female vs. female.
Event History
Past Winners: Oklahoma (2012, 2013, 2014 , 2015), Alabama (2016, 2017, 2018). Alabama replaced Oklahoma in 2016.
Future Host Sites: Arkansas (2020), Mississippi (2021), Missouri (2022), Alabama (2023)
2019 Team Alabama Southern Junior Cup Team
Female Team Members
Michaela Morard, 17, of Huntsville is a rising high school senior at Randolph School. Currently the #1 ranked junior female golfer in Alabama and 30thin the world. She won the 2019 Alabama Girls State Junior Championship tying the state record for most all-time victories. Won the 2016 and 2018 Alabama Women’s Stroke Play Champion and set the tournament scoring record with a blistering 21-under (63-66-66) clearing second place by 11 shots. Qualified for both the 2019 U.S. Girls Junior Championship and U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Morard has verbally committed to playing for the University of Alabama in 2020. This is her fourth year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 9-0).
Ally Williams, 18, of Athens will be a freshman at Mississippi State University this fall. She finished third at the 2019 Alabama Girls State Junior, fifth at the Alabama Women’s Stroke Play and at the Alabama Women’s State Amateur Championship. Williams is currently the #2 ranked female junior golfer in Alabama and a 2018 1st Team All-State Selection. This is her fourth year on the Southern Junior Cup team (Record: 6-3)
Lauren Gilchrist, 17, of Spanish Fort is a rising senior at UMS-Wright High School. Gilchrist was the 6A AHSAA Girls State Champion, tied fifth at the 2019 Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, and fourth at 2018 All-State Sugar Bowl Tommy Moore Memorial. She also has one win and multiple top 5 SJGT finishes. This is her second Southern Junior Cup team selection (Record: 1-1-1).
Morgan Jones, 16, of Auburn is a rising junior at Auburn High School. Tied fifth at the 2019 Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, tied fifth at the 2019 AJGA Stewart Cink Championship, and was runner-up at the 2019 7A AHSAA State Champion. Jones is a 2021 verbal commit for Auburn University. This is her first Southern Junior Cup team selection.
Elisabeth Preus, 18, of Auburn will be a freshman at Troy University in the fall. She was the individual champion of the 2019 AHSAA 7A classification while helping Auburn High School to back-to-back State Championships. Preus was a at the 2019 Alabama Women’s State Amateur Championship, 11that the Alabama Girls State Junior Championship and has one SJGT titles. This is her second Southern Junior Cup team selection (Record: 1-0-2).
Erika Allen, 16, of Berry is a rising junior at Northside High School. She was runner-up at the 2019 Alabama Girls State Junior Championship, 2018 AHSAA 4A-5A individual state championship while leading Northside High School to a State Championship, and multiple SJGT titles. This is her first Southern Junior Cup team selection.
Male Team Members
Austin Coggin, 18, of Vestavia Hills will be a freshman at Auburn University this fall. He is the 2019 AHSAA 7A individual State Champion, third at 2019 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship, and T3 at 2019 Future Masters. This is his third Southern Junior Cup team selection (Record: 3-3)
Jones Free, 16, of Marion Junction is a rising junior at Morgan Academy. Champion at the 2019 AISA State High School Championship and the 2019 Future Masters. Made the cut at the 2019 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship and has one SJGT victory. Free is a 2021 verbal commit to the University of Alabama. This is his first Southern Junior Cup team selection.
Ford Goldasich, 18, of Homewood will be a freshman at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Second at the 2019 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship after firing a final round 67 to nearly chase down his older brother. Second at 2019 4A AHSAA State High School Championship, and T10 at the 2018 Alabama Boys State Junior Championship. This is his first Southern Junior Cup team selection.
Harrison Davis, 17, of Fort Payne is a rising senior at Fort Payne High School. Champion at AHSAA 6A State Championship, T3 at the 2019 Future Masters and 2019 Bubba Conlee and made the cut at 2019 Alabama Men’s State Amateur Championship. Davis is 2020 verbal commit to Mississippi State University. This is his first Southern Junior Cup team selection.
Hunter Battles, 17, of Tuscumbia will be a freshman at Louisiana Tech University in the fall. Qualified for the 2018 Southern Amateur Championship, fourth at 2019 6A AHSAA State High School Championship while leading Muscle Shoals High School to another State Championship, and second at the 2018 Alabama Boys State Junior Championship after an opening round 64, which tied the competitive round course record at GlenLakes Golf Club. This is his second Southern Junior Cup team selection (Record: 3-0).
Schedule of Events
Monday, July 29
- Practice Round
- 6:30pm Player Dinner and Pairings Draw Party
Tuesday, July 30
- 7:30am-8:20am Four-Ball Matches
- 1:00-2:00pm Foursomes Matches
- Casual dinner for players and guests
Wednesday, July 31
- 7:30am-8:30am Singles Matches off #1 & #10 tees
- Awards luncheon immediately following play
Daily scoring updates will be posted on the AGA website at www.alabamagolf.org. This event is co-conducted by the Alabama Golf Association, Mississippi Golf Association and Missouri Golf Association.
About the Alabama Golf Association (AGA)
The Alabama Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1915 whose mission is to serve and promote amateur golf in Alabama. AGA membership consists of over 130 member clubs represented by nearly 18,500 individuals. The activities and services of the Alabama Golf Association are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Alabama golfers who wish to serve the game and the association through service.
AGA is the USGA's liaison for golf in Alabama conducting national championship qualifying, administering the USGA Handicap system including the GHIN Handicap service, course & slope rating and education. The AGA annually conducts 12 championships and team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. The AGA also conducts Alabama high school golf championships and assists with many collegiate events including the SEC Men's Golf Championship. In addition to competitions, the AGA administers the AGA Women's Scholarship Fund that is dedicated to assisting young female golfers in higher education and supports the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation.
Since 1980, the AGA has managed the affairs of the Southern Golf Association which includes conducting the Southern Amateur Championship and Southern Junior Championship, in conjunction with the Board of Directors of the Southern Golf Association.
For more information about the Alabama Golf Association, visit www.alabamagolf.org.
