Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy hosting international junior event this week

The Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy at Barefoot Resort is hosting an international junior tournament this week that academy officials hope endures and grows in the coming years.

The Greg Norman Academy Junior Invitational, sanctioned by Global Junior Golf, is being held Wednesday through Friday on the Barefoot Resort Norman Course and features 54 players from 20 countries.

The academy contacted the golf federations in a number of countries and invited them to select their top one or two boys and girls that are participants in Global Junior Golf. Player handicaps range from 4.6 to +4.5.

Participating players are from the U.S., Belgium, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Netherlands, Chile Spain, Canada, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, England, Switzerland, Poland, Italy and Norway.

The 54-hole stroke play event has boys, girls and team divisions. Both Global Junior Golf and academy representatives are running the event.

Briana Jones, GNCGA marketing director, said the academy wants to make the tournament an annual happening and increase the number of players and countries represented beginning next year.

Tee times are from 9 a.m. to noon each day and the event is open to spectators free of charge, with carts available for a fee.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy hosting international junior event this week."