The Big "I" Junior Classic, formerly the Independent Insurance Agent Junior Classic is one of the oldest junior golf events in the United States. It is the nation’s largest stroke play golf tournament with over 7,000 junior golfers participating annually across the country. The national tournament was considered one of the four legs of the unofficial junior golf Grand Slam. Players compete at the local/regional and state levels in separate boys and girls divisions vying for one of the 162 spots in the national tournament. There are 108 boys and 54 girls from across the country involved in the national tournament.
Past notable national champions and/or Big "I" participants include Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, Justin Leonard, Billy Andrade, Bobby Clampett, Beth Bauer, Candi Kung, David Duval, Charles Howell III, Phil Mickelson and Notah Begay III. Some of the past Colorado qualifiers to the national tournament include Jon Lopez, Lee Harris, Paul Berry, Brandon Tomasovich, Steve Ziegler, Ken Coakley, Ryan Anderson, Shea Sena, Brooke Collins, Melissa Martin, Kelly Jacques, Becca Huffer, Ashley Tait, Lindsey Hulwick, Kristin Walla and Dawn Shockley, who won the national long drive competition in 2004. For more information on the national Big "I" tournament and the history of the tournament, go to www.bigijuniorclassic.com.
Colorado holds up to six regional qualifying tournaments. Approximately the top 60 boys and top 20 girls out of all regionals combined are invited to participate in the Colorado state tournament, which is held in Greeley, Colorado. This is a 36-hole, two-day tournament with the first round at Boomerang Links and the second round at Highland Hills. The top three or four boys and top two girls from the state tournament can advance to the national tournament. The number advancing to the national tournament depends on the overall number participating in the regional tournaments. Travel expenses from DIA and entry fees to the national tournament are paid for by the Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado. Chaperones travel with the golfers. The national tournament in 2007 tournament was held at the Crane Creek Country Club in Boise. The 2008 national tournament will be held at the Country Club of North Carolina at Pinehurst August 2 - August 7, 2008. Future national sites include Dornick Hills in Ardmore, Oklahoma and the Olde York Country Club in New Jersey.
The Big I Junior Classic is open to any golfer who will not turn age 19 on or before the last day of the national tournament and who has not started college on or before the first day of the national tournament. All players in the boys and girls divisions play from the same tees for their division.
The Colorado Big I state tournament is recognized by the Colorado Junior Golf Association and is on their points schedule.
The Colorado tournaments are sponsored by the Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Colorado and its member Independent Insurance Agents.
The national tournament is sponsored by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America in conjunction with it's presenting sponsor, the Tiger Woods Foundation and Trusted Choice and its agents, and Allied Insurance. The annual long drive contest is sponsored by Trusted Choice.
