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NATCHEZ — Less than two weeks remain for junior golfers to register for the 2025 Norman Puckett Junior Golf Championship, which will be held on June 13-15 at The Natchez Golf Club at Duncan Park.

Duncan Park Golf Course Superintendent Greg Brooking said registration for this prestigious event began on Tuesday, April 5, and will conclude on Thursday, June 5, at midnight. He added that sign-up sheets are available online at www.natchezgolfclub.com.

As for how much the registration fee is Brooking said, “For the younger kids that play 18 holes total, that’s nine holes a day, it’s $80. For 12- and 13-year-olds who play 36 holes total, it’s $125. For those 14 and over who will play 54 holes total, it’s $150.”

The tournament is a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event open to all players 18 years of age or younger. Girls 14-18 and Boys 13-18 are scheduled for 54 holes of competition. That’s 18 holes each day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Boys in Division C (12-13) will play 36 holes and all others will play 18 holes of competition.

Those in Division C will play 18 holes each day on Saturday and Sunday. As for the younger players, boys ages 8 and 9 as well as 10 and 11 will play nine holes each day on Saturday and Sunday while girls ages 8 and 9 as well as 10 through 12 will play nine holes each day on Saturday and Sunday.

“There’s a lot signed up. Micah Bertelsen, who’s 10 years old, has signed up. Pete Powell’s grandsons, Brett, who is 10, and Riley, who is 14, has signed up,” Brooking said.

One junior golfer Brooking said who had not signed up as of Thursday, May 22 is Jarrett Pettis of Ocean Springs, who won the overall boys’ championship last year with rounds of 68, 72, and 76 for a three-day score of 3-over-par 216. Brooking said he does not know why Pettis has not registered yet, but he expects Pettis to do so soon.

One thing is for certain — there will be a new overall girls’ champion this year. Sophia Macias of Denham Springs, Louisiana, who won this event not only last year but also in 2022, will not be able to play this year.

“She got a golf scholarship from Tulane University, so she’s off to college now,” Brooking said. “Vivan Volion of Springfield, Louisiana, (the 2023 overall girls’ champion) will be playing this year. Jeremiah Bell of Fulton (the 2023 overall boys’ champion) will not be playing this year. He’s already graduated from high school and now in college. Last year was his last year.”

Participants are not required to be a Mississippi Junior Golf Association (MJGA) member to play in the tournament. In fact, they don’t even need to be residents of the state of Mississippi to play.