International Junior Golf Tour Partners with ‘Bunkers in Baghdad,’ Bridgestone Golf

Organizations to Donate Golf Balls From ‘Majors’ to U.S. Troops Abroad

(HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.) – International Junior Golf Tour – one of the leading competitive circuits for elite golfers grades 5-12 – today announces a partnership with “Bunkers in Baghdad” and Bridgestone Golf to collect golf balls for U.S. Armed Forces serving overseas.

Bunkers in Baghdad is a non-profit that gathers and delivers golf balls, clubs and equipment to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Bunkers in Baghdad is looking forward to working with America’s up-and-coming golfers on the International Junior Golf Tour,” says Joseph Hanna, President and Founder of Bunkers in Baghdad, Inc. “We’re proud to say young people have played a significant role in helping our organization collect and ship more than 2.4 million golf balls and 50,000 golf clubs to our soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and 11 other countries as well as wounded warriors in all 50 states."

The IJGT will donate balls collected during the three “majors” this fall at Hershey Links Golf Club in Hummelstown, Pa. (Oct.28-30), Port Royal Golf Club on Hilton Head Island, S.C. (Nov.11-13) and Temecula Creek in Temecula, Calif. (Dec. 9-11). Players can receive an exemption to the majors by competing in IJGT events and earning merit points.

Bridgestone Golf, the No.1 ball fitter in golf and official IJGT partner, will donate a dozen new golf balls for every 100 collected.

“It is an honor to partner with Bunkers in Baghdad and Bridgestone Golf to support our troops,” says Peter Orrell, President and CEO of Junior Sports Corporation, owner/operator of the IJGT. “This initiative is only a small token of our appreciation for what service members do to protect our country each day.”

“We appreciate the IJGT coming to us with such a great idea and happy to participate in a small way,” says Dan Murphy, Vice President of Marketing for Bridgestone Golf. “We hope the balls sent overseas to our troops provide a level of recreation and an opportunity for fun during their important missions.”

Headquartered on Hilton Head Island, S.C., the IJGT offers over 60 two-and three-day events throughout the U.S. each year. IJGT members represent 45 U.S. states and 43 countries.

IJGT alumni include Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Paula Creamer, as well as several other PGA and LPGA Tour players. The class of 2011 IJGT graduates play at several of the top NCAA Division I schools across the country including University of North Carolina, University of Arkansas, Indiana University, Southern Methodist University and others.

For more information about the IJGT or to donate golf balls: www.IJGT.com, info@IJGT.com, 800.792.9143.

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