
With 81 junior golfers from 19 countries, the WJGS American Junior is truly an international event deseerving of being home at the World Golf Hall of Fame (Photo courtesy of WJGS)
When an event takes place in Shell Hall, the heart of the World Golf Hall of Fame (WGHOF), it is quite special. In that very same entrance way to greatness, the Night of Legends dinner honors the WGHOF Inductees Sunday night before the Induction Ceremony on Monday during THE PLAYERS week. An ambiance emerges, same as bagpipers emerging from the fog, amidst the 141 bronze plaques with head- shots of the game’s influential people and the large display cabinets of the current year inductees.
The mother, Dr. Susanna Rosswag, was more the coach as she read a quote off the wall in the hall from Bobby Jones; “Golf is usually played with the outward appearance of great dignity. It is, nevertheless, a game of great passion…” She encouraged the world citizens from 19 different countries to pursue their passion whether it is as golfers forever or as much needed natural leaders off the course in government, private enterprise or wherever their heart, soul and minds lead them.

Seattle’s Marianne Li and her mother Eru are all smiles after a wonderful experience at the Hall of Fame.
One of the best stories of the week was low American girl Marianne Li of Seattle. One of two First Tee Invitees (the other being Keleb Lester of Chapel Hill, North Carolina), Li travelled southeast with her mother Eru and is no stranger to competitive junior golf. She played in the Nature Valley First Tee Open, a Champions Tour event, at Pebble Beach in September with Canadian pro Jim Rutledge. While seemingly quiet and shy on Opening Night, she let her clubs do the talking opening with a 73, leading after Round 1 and finished T3. While the First Tee is committed to reaching 10 million young people by 2017, I wonder how many of us older people will be touched in the next five years by one of the First Tee participants and leaders like Marianne.

The Florida sun shines on the 19 flags represented in the WJGS event at the Slammer & Squire course in St. Augustine, FL.
The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 WJGS American Junior occurred in front of the display cabinets of this year’s WGHOF Inductees Peter Alliss, Dan Jenkins, Sandy Lyle, Phil Mickelson and Hollis Stacy. In May, the memorabilia of 2013 Inductees Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie, Willie Park Jr., Ken Schofield and Ken Venturi will be revealed. One wonders if Marina Stuetz or one of the 81 international players sitting in Shell Hall will not only play in the 2016 or 2020 Olympics but someday will be displayed in bronze as well.