With a list of past champions that reads more like a who’s who of competitive golf, the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club celebrates 16 years of elite junior golf competition in the Valley of the Sun.

Ever heard of Hunter Mahan? He won it in ’99. Chandler’s own Richard Lee took top honors in 2007. How about 2012 champion, Beau Hossler? He went on to finish tied for 29th in the U.S. Open that same year, and even held the outright lead midway through the second round.

On the girl’s side, Paula Creamer is the only player in tournament history to win twice, besting the field with back-to-back victories in ’03 and ’04. Alison Lee, 2010 champion, earned AJGA First-Team Rolex Junior All-America honors six times as well as played key roles on several PING Junior Solheim Cup and Junior Ryder Cup teams. And, let’s not forget local Lindsey Weaver, who validated her amazing 59 two months later with a course-record 64 on her way to victory at Longbow in 2012. 

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club is a 54-hole, 36-hole cut, stroke play competition contested on Longbow’s par-71 golf course. The tournament features 82 boys and 39 girls, from more than a dozen different states, and a handful of countries. The Boys Division plays the course at 7,007 yards, while the Girls Division plays at 6,114 yards. Over the years, the event has hosted one of the strongest fields on the AJGA circuit.

“It’s been a joy to watch the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic bloom into what it is today,” said Jay Larscheid, General Manager of Longbow Golf Club. “The AJGA, along with a long list of sponsors, have come together to create something very special which honors the type of talent and grace that set Heather Farr apart as a person and player.” 

Last year in the Boys Division, Danny Ochoa of San Diego, punctuated his three-stroke victory with a final-round 66, and on the girl’s side, Krystal Quihuis of Tucson, prevailed in an exciting sudden-death playoff against Esther Lee of Norwalk, CA. Quihuis was the clubhouse leader by two strokes until Lee eagled No. 18, to force a playoff. After Lee slid a couple short putts by the hole, Quihuis took top honors with a par on the third playoff hole. 

“It really meant a lot to win,” Quihuis said. “It’s a great tournament and a really good experience for the players. You just have to try your best because there are so many good players in it and they’re all trying their best.”

Quihuis returns this year to defend her title against the likes of Paradise Valley native, Hannah O’Sullivan. Currently ranked No. 14 in the Polo Rankings — the highest ranked player in the field — O’Sullivan finished tied for third in last year’s Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club.

This year’s Boys Division features a parity-filled field with several players returning for another bite at the proverbial apple after playing well last year. Top-ranked Jacob Solomon of Dublin, CA., will tee it up on the heels of a third-place finish last year. He is joined by Justin Kim of Fullerton, CA., who carded a fourth-place finish, and a couple more Californians — Derek Castillo of Yorba Linda and Franklin Huang of Poway, who tied for fifth place last year.

Locally, Mesa High student Peter Kyo Won Koo tops the list of golfers to keep an eye on — the Chandler resident is currently listed as No. 95 in the Polo Golf Rankings and has already signed National Letter of Intent to play golf for the University of Arizona. Ten other Arizonans round out the local contingent including: Michael Christifulli and Chip Getz from Paradise Valley; Michael Feagles, Austin Stadeli and Colton Yates from Scottsdale; Mike McGilton and Jino Sohn from Chandler; John Souza and Jack Snyder from Phoenix and Grady Bourguignon from Yuma, AZ.

Although it’s hard to say who will come out on top in this year’s Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow, one thing is for sure:  they will make the prestigious list of success stories written by AJGA alumni. More than 200 currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours with more than 350 tour victories under their belts. For those golf fans who would like to see the next Hunter Mahan before he becomes the Hunter Mahan, the AJGA is the place to look. And, there’s a good chance they’ll be playing in this year’s tournament at Longbow.