U.S. National Development Team – Syndication Server

American golf’s stars of tomorrow highlight USGA’s first-ever U.S. National Junior Team

Meet the first group of players to represent the newly formed U.S. National Development Program.

Meet the future stars of American golf.

On Tuesday the United States Golf Association announced the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team, comprised of 10 girls and eight boys. The USGA plans to grow the National Junior Team to 30 boys and 30 girls over the next three years and will announce two additional teams as part of the U.S. National Development Program, which was launched last year. The Amateur Team will be announced in 2025 with the Young Professional Team to follow in 2026.

The goal of the U.S. National Development Program is to “ensure that American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations and athlete financial support.”

“We are thrilled to introduce the first U.S. National Junior Team, a group of 18 exceptionally talented young athletes who represent the bright future of American golf,” said Chris Zambri, head coach of the U.S. National Development Program. “Nearly every other golf country in the world has long enjoyed the benefits of a developmental program and national teams, and the announcement of this team is a major milestone in the USGA’s commitment to the growth of our American athletes and ensuring we remain the global leader in the junior, amateur and professional game.”

U.S. National Junior Team Roster

Boys

Blades Brown, 16, Nashville, Tennessee
Phillip Dunham, 16, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Henry Guan, 15, Irving, Texas
Will Hartman, 17, Marvin, North Carolina
Tyler Mawhinney, 16, Fleming Island, Florida
Michael Riebe, 17, Encinitas, California
Miles Russell, 15, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Tyler Watts, 16, Huntsville, Alabama

Girls

Shyla Brown, 15, McKinney, Texas
Gianna Clemente, 16, Estero, Florida
Mia Hammond, 16, New Albany, Ohio
Ryleigh Knaub, 17, DeBary, Florida
Chloe Kovelesky, 17, Boca Raton, Florida
Nikki Oh, 16, Torrance, California
Emerie Schartz, 16, Wichita, Kansas
Scarlett Schremmer, 17, Birmingham, Alabama
Asterisk Talley, 15, Chowchilla, California
Angela Zhang, 14, Bellevue, Washington

The team is reevaluated annually by a selection committee of U.S. National Development Program staff members, and selections are made in accordance with eligibility criteria and based on a variety of competitive factors including scoring, results, statistics, rankings, sportsmanship and scouting.

All 18 players will participate at bi-annual camps and compete internationally under the U.S. flag throughout the 2024 season. The team’s first training camp will be held May 8-11 at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia, and the first international friendly match will take place this summer against Australia.

Back in January, the USGA announced the creation of a state team pilot program to expand the pipeline for elite junior golfers into the U.S. National Development Program. Seven states are currently active, and the USGA has a goal to have all 50 states participate by 2033.

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In latest move for growth, U.S. National Development Program launches Junior State Teams

Seven states will participate in the initial phase

The United States Golf Association announced Wednesday the creation of a state team pilot program that will expand the pipeline for elite junior golfers into the recently created U.S. National Development Program (USNDP). Seven states will participate in the initial phase, with the goal of all states having a team by 2033.

The first seven participants are California (Southern), Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio and Tennessee. The program will come to fruition through close collaboration between the USGA, its allied golf associations, the PGA of America and relevant state junior programs.

“This first-of-its-kind state team program will serve as a critical part of the talent identification pathway for the USNDP and provide more opportunities for a diverse population of athletes to receive resources and guidance to compete at the highest levels of the game,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, USGA managing director, of Player Relations and Development, in a release. “Additionally, the opportunity to represent their home state will incentivize each region’s best junior golfers to play more in-state competitions, ultimately strengthening the junior golf programming across the country.”

The seven selected states participating in this initial pilot program will each establish a committee consisting of representatives from major golf organizations within the state, including any AGAs and PGA of America sections. The state committees will oversee team selection criteria and the operation of the state program based on guidelines provided by the USGA. Team selection criteria will vary by state and may consist of a points structure, ranking or combination of other competitive factors. Selection criteria from all seven states will be published before the entry deadline of the first counting event of their 2024 championship season.

State team roster sizes will be calculated by elite junior participation in the state, ranging from a minimum of two boys and two girls to a maximum of 20 boys and 20 girls.

To be eligible to compete on a state team in 2024, a player must be a U.S. citizen. Each eligible player must be 13 years old by Jan. 1, 2025, have not reached their 19th birthday by July 19, 2025, and cannot be enrolled in college for the 2024-25 school year. An official Handicap Index is also required.

Announced in February of 2023, the USNDP is designed to ensure that American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development, and relations and athlete financial support. The state team program will focus on creating a developmentally appropriate, aspirational pathway for athletes within each state to compete at higher levels of the game, including an opportunity to represent the United States as a member of the USNDP’s National Team led by former Pepperdine associate head coach Chris Zambri.

“The state team program will allow us to leverage the expertise and local knowledge of the regional and state junior golf programs to ensure that all golfers with the appropriate skill have an equitable opportunity to pursue their dreams,” Zambri said in the release.

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The U.S. National Development Team has its head coach: Chris Zambri

The United States Golf Association has named its head coach for the U.S. National Development Team.

Chris Zambri, a longtime college coach who’s currently the associate head coach at Pepperdine, will be the new National Development Team leader, the USGA announced Tuesday afternoon. As a volunteer assistant in 2021, Zambri helped the Waves win the 2021 national championship. He also was the head coach at USC for 14 years, leading the team to three Pac-12 titles and a runner-up finish at the 2015 NCAA Championship. Golf Channel first reported the hire Tuesday morning.

He begins Nov. 1.

“It’s the greatest opportunity of my lifetime,” Zambri told Golfweek. “It’s something I’m really excited about and ready to spend time with these athletes and prepare them to represent the United States.”

Zambri will be tasked with leading the overall direction of the U.S. National Development Team’s program as well as providing support and guidance to the elite golfers selected to represent their country in international competitions and as part of the national teams.

“Chris has had an illustrious coaching career and boasts a proven track record of nurturing talented young golfers, helping them develop and take the next steps in their careers,” Heather Daly-Donofrio, the USGA managing director of Player Relations and Development, said in a release. “Between his experience as a player and coach, coupled with his passion and leadership, we could not think of anyone better suited to help foster the next generation of elite American golfers.”

In his role, Zambri will oversee and lead the day-to-day coaching operations, including playing a key role in developing a network of qualified coaches at the regional and state levels to support the USNDP’s mission of identifying and developing American golf talent. Zambri will also work closely with Senior Player Development Advisor Dr. Beth Brown to create an elite golf program designed to expose athletes to the physical, technical and mental loads required to compete successfully at the highest levels of the sport.

Announced in February, the U.S. National Development Program is designed to ensure American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations and athlete financial support.

Last week, the USGA announced the three junior girls who would represent the United States at the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada next month.