Ella June Hannant 7 years old – Pikeville, North Carolina • Won U.S. Kids Jekyll Island Cup • Won Pinehurst, Raleigh and Wilmington Tour Championships • Pinehurst Regional Finalist in Drive, Chip and Putt at age 6, in 8-and-under division • Placed 2nd in Carolina State Championship 2016 • Personal 9-hole best of 31 The “Golden Girl,” as she’s affectionately known, enjoys cross training and competitive hobbies such as karate, kids’ triathlons and the javelin throw. She loves being mentored by PGA Tour veteran Clarence Rose. You’re on your way, Ella June! June 2017 | 27 Subscribe today at juniorgolfmag.net The RBC Heritage Becomes a Student ExperienceBYJUNIORGOLFSTAFF The students had the honor of representing IJGA as stan- dard bearers throughout the tournament. This year they had the additional privilege of participating in the opening ceremony parade, with IJGA senior Arjun Puri leading the wayas the standard bearerforparade chairman Courtland Babcock II. Standard bearers are essentially walking scoreboards, showing the gallery who is playing in their assigned player group and displaying the players’ current scores relative to par. As each player finishes a hole, a walking scor- er instructs the standard bearer to update the board, if necessary. The bearer then rustles through the oversized pockets of his or her apron to find the proper numerals and slides them into position beside the player's name. This seemingly simple task can be challenging at times if conditions are windy or wet, with the standard behaving like a sail on a sailboat when a gust blows through.Though the standard weighs less than 10 pounds, the job of car- rying it requires physical endurance. Being surrounded by 25,000 to 35,000 golf fans can be a bit unnerving as well. The tournament volunteers’ day begins before sunrise as they arrive early to receive their player assignments and organize their gear. Once tournament play begins, they must wait patiently until their group is ready to take the course. A round itself can mean four to five hours of walk- ing in the warm early spring sun, which can ultimately add up to a very long 10-hour day. “The standard is lighter than it looks, but it definitely gets heavier as the day goes on,” said IJGA senior Sera Tadokoro. A little bit of discomfort, however, can yield a lifetime of memories and great opportunities for learning. Getting to walk with some of the PGA's best as well as those on the rise is an exciting experience for junior golfers. It also serves as a living classroom on the workings of high-level competition. “I learned a lot from this tournament,” said IJGA senior Kayla Kozak. “It was surprising to see how often the players actually make mistakes. I also noticed their lack of outward emotions on the golf course. Very few players visibly react except to acknowledge applause. Moving for- ward,IamgoingtoapplysomeofthethingsIlearnedhere to my own game.” At the end of a day’s round, the players customarily thank the standard bearers, pose for photographs and auto- graph a special golf ball or two for them. IJGA students say that almost every player is friendly and courteous on the course, though their mood can intensify when the sit- uation calls for it. Students drink it all in and hope to some day be the one signing autographs for aspiring young golfers lucky enough to be enjoying this same experience. This year, the International Junior GolfAcademy was once again an Expo Sponsor and volunteer organizer for the RBC Heritage. Over its 49-year history, the tournament has grown into one of the premier stops on the PGA Tour. The unique landscape and narrow fairways of its Harbour Town Golf Links venue represent a challenge like few oth- ers on the Tour. For more information about International Junior Golf Academy programs for aspiring young golfers, visit www.ijga.com. Junior Rising Star Have you ever wanted to go inside the ropes during a PGA Tour event and walk alongside the players as they compete for a championship? At this year’s RBC Heritage Tournament, 22 International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) students did just that.