As many of you know, our motto here at the NTPGA Junior Tour is #WHOSNEXT ®. The NTPGA Junior Tour is well represented by its alumni on the PGA, Web.com and LPGA Tours. Currently, there are 22 former Junior Tour members competing professionally including Jordan Spieth, Cody Gribble, Ryan Palmer, Angela Stanford, Brittany Lang and many more.

But, our #WHOSNEXT® motto doesn’t just apply to future professional golfers. It applies to our former members currently showcasing their talents at the collegiate level all across the country.

In this bi-monthly blog series, we will be featuring former Junior Tour members who are currently playing golf. Every other week we’ll check out what they had to say about their time playing on the NTPGA Junior Tour, and gain some insight into what it’s like to play college golf.

We know it is the goal of many of our current members to move on to play golf in college. Are you the next college golfer? #WHOSNEXT®

Harrison Mahon - NTPGA Junior Tour Member 2004-2015

Sophomore at The University of California at Los Angeles 

Political Science Major

Graduating in May of 2020

Q: What are your post graduation plans?

A: Business

Q: How old were you when you became an NTPGA Junior Tour Member?

A: 6 years old

Q: How did being a part of the NTPGA Junior Tour help or impact your golf game?

A: The amount of tournaments and the various different levels of competition were perfect for me. There were always tournaments to play in regardless of the time of year or player’s age. I used to love playing in the Masters and All American level events, the courses were impressive and always a treat; from Stonebriar and Royal Oaks to Gleneagles and Lantana.

Q: What was the biggest thing you learned while you were a part of the NTPGA Junior Tour?

A: While you can get caught up in how you play in each event, the people you meet and how you act when you play with them, as well as your reputation amongst them is more important. I am still very good friends with a lot of the kids I grew up playing with/against.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to current NTPGA Junior tour members?

A: Although junior golf can be stressful with the loom of college constantly on your mind, enjoy it while you can because college is just as tough. Challenge yourself with tough courses and tougher events, and meet as many kids as you can.

Q: How did the NTPGA Junior Tour help prepare you for playing golf in college?

A: The level of golf courses and level of competition was very similar to that of college.

Q: Please describe what your personal golf recruiting process looked like.

A: I didn’t have a whole lot of visits or phone calls. I played well enough early in high school so I had a resume to show coaches and get responses. I got really sick junior year and fell off the map, but was able to play well enough my senior year to get Coach Freeman and Coach Larkin's attention at UCLA. To this day I still thank them for giving me the opportunity to play for them.

Q: How does playing in college differ from the NTPGA Junior Tour?

A: 36-hole days in college compared to 18-hole days during junior golf. You can get that experience in a US Amateur qualifier in the summer.