WICHITA, Kan. – The Southern Texas PGA announced their annual awards and freshman Valerie Routzong was named the 2019 Junior Golfer of the Year (Girl).
 
This achievement is awarded to recent high school graduates or younger who reflect strong academic and social character. While success as an amateur is considered, one must also be diligent to the values of golf and show excellent sportsmanship. Past winners of this award include Kristen Gillman (member of 2018 NCAA runner-up Alabama team, current LPGA tour member, and 2014 recipient), Cole Hammer (sophomore at UT, member of the US Walker Cup Team, qualifier for the 2015 US Open at the age of 15, and 2015 recipient), and Will Holcomb (semi-finalist at the 2019 US Amateur Championship and 2014 recipient).
 
Routzong, a Richmond, Texas native, has an extensive resume of giving back to the Houston golf community. For five years she volunteered and held different leadership roles for The First Tee of Greater Houston. These ranged from teaching beginners how to golf to becoming the director of advertisement. Routzong said that working these events were her favorite, as loved teaching the children and becoming a mentor for many of them. She was also a volunteer at the Nez Muhleman Fundraiser where she thanked donors and gave a presentation titled "My Road to College Golf."
 
"One of the reasons why I enjoy playing golf is because of the life values you learn and being able to apply them to the sport and other aspects of your life," Routzong said. "I believe that it is important to pass on traits like patience, respect, sportsmanship, and perseverance onto others because they are valuable attributes that one can use throughout their entire life."
 
Her time at Wichita State has just begun, but Head Coach Tom McCurdy praised her junior performances, saying "both her individual and team events were consistent" and that she was deserving of the award because of her high character. Some of her junior highlights from last summer include a 2019 South Texas PGA Ben Hogan Cup Team Qualifier and Champion and a seventh-place finish at the 2019 LGT Texas Junior Amateur.
 
The award will be presented to Routzong on Nov. 10, 2020 at The Woodlands Country Club in The Woodlands, Texas.