LOUISVILLE, KY. — September 24, 2026

The Golf Academy is proud to announce the launch of the Golf Academy Development Tour in partnership with the KPGA Junior Tour, a new junior golf series designed to put player development at the center of competitive junior golf.

In partnership with the KPGA Junior Tour, along with industry partners Callaway Golf and Oakley, the Development Tour will provide junior golfers with a competitive environment while placing an unprecedented emphasis on measurable improvement. Rather than focusing solely on who shoots the lowest score, the tour will recognize and reward players who demonstrate meaningful progress in the specific areas of their games that have the greatest impact on performance.

Players will track every round using UpGame Stats, allowing them to establish performance benchmarks and monitor their development throughout the season. Four key statistical categories will serve as the foundation of the program:

• Strokes Gained: Driving
• Strokes Gained: Approach
• Strokes Gained: Short Game
• Strokes Gained: Putting

After each event, players will have the opportunity to evaluate their statistics, identify areas for improvement, and receive guidance on what aspects of their games should be prioritized before the next competition.

The tour will feature only eight events, a deliberate structure designed to give players ample time between tournaments to practice, train, and implement changes. Instead of playing tournament after tournament with little opportunity to make meaningful adjustments, athletes will have dedicated development windows between events to work on the specific skills identified through their statistical data.

“Our goal is to change the way junior golfers think about competition and development,” said Cory Kaufman, owner of The Golf Academy. “We want players to understand that improvement isn’t always reflected by a lower score from one tournament to the next. By tracking strokes gained and identifying where players are actually getting better, we can reward the process of development and help young golfers become better players.”

The Development Tour is built around the belief that every player should have measurable goals and a clear path for improvement. A player who makes significant gains in approach play, putting, driving or short game will have the opportunity to be recognized for that progress, regardless of where they finish on the leaderboard.

The partnership with the KPGA Junior Tour provides the Development Tour with an established competitive platform, while Callaway Golf and Oakley bring leading golf and performance brands into a program focused on developing the next generation of junior golfers.

The Golf Academy Development Tour will provide players with a combination of competition, statistical analysis, coaching, goal setting, and intentional practice, creating a more complete development experience than a traditional junior tournament schedule.

Eight Events. Four Key Skills. One Focus: Development.

The inaugural Development Tour will consist of eight events throughout the season. Players will use each competition as both a tournament and an opportunity to gather valuable performance data. The information collected throughout the season will allow players, parents, and coaches to see exactly where improvement is taking place and where additional work is needed.

The Golf Academy believes the future of junior golf is not simply about playing more tournaments—it is about playing with purpose, measuring performance, and practicing with intention.

Additional information regarding the 2027 The Golf Academy Development Tour, including event dates, locations, registration information, divisions, and awards, will be announced soon.

Click here to learn More About the Golf Academy Development Tour

About The Golf Academy

The Golf Academy is dedicated to helping golfers and coaches improve through education, technology, data-driven instruction, and purposeful practice. Through its player-development programs, The Golf Academy focuses on helping golfers understand their performance and develop the skills necessary to reach their competitive potential.

About the KPGA Junior Tour

The KPGA Junior Tour is operated by the Kentucky Golf Foundation, in partnership with Golf House Kentucky. The KPGA Junior Tour offers the premier junior tour in Kentucky to golfers of all skill levels, from beginners to the top players in the state and region. The Tour hosts over 40 junior golf tournaments per year across the state of Kentucky for youth divisions ages 10 and under up to 18, including championship events such as the Kentucky Junior Amateur Championships and the Kentucky Junior PGA Championships. The KPGA Junior Tour also hosts the Middle School State Championship and supports high school golf in Kentucky through partnerships with the Kentucky Golf Coaches Association (KGCA) and the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA).

Media Contact:
The Golf Academy
Cory Kaufman
Cory@thegolfacademypr.com
843.290.0502
Thegolfacademypr.com