Nevada among 20 states joining the state junior team program in 2027
Oct. 13, 2026 – Nevada is joining the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) to create critical development, competitive, and talent identification opportunities for golfers ages 13-18. Through the program, Nevada will establish Team Nevada, creating a pathway for the state’s top junior golfers to develop their games and compete at higher levels.
“We’re excited about what this means for junior golf in Nevada,” said Kenny Ebalo, Executive Board President, Nevada Golf, the official allied golf association of the USGA in Nevada. “By bringing together organizations from across the state, we can create a stronger pathway for our most talented young golfers to develop their game, compete at a higher level, and have the opportunity to represent Nevada. We’re proud to be part of this national initiative and look forward to building a program that gives young golfers across Nevada something to aspire to.”
Nevada is one of 20 states to join the USNDP’s state junior team program in 2027. The initiative launched in 2024 with seven pilot states and continues to grow steadily, adding nine states in 2025 and 14 in 2026. In an announcement today, the USNDP confirmed it has established the program in all 50 states.
“The growth of the state team program in year three is an important step in building the national player pathway,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, USGA managing director, U.S. National Development Program. “This program is about more than competition. It allows young players to develop together, build relationships with teammates and proudly represent their home states, all while gaining greater access to resources that can support their growth. These experiences will strengthen junior golf locally and deepen the overall pool of talent nationwide.”
Nevada will establish a committee of representatives from key golf organizations, including Nevada Golf, Northern Nevada Junior Golf Association, Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association, Southwest PGA Section, and Northern Nevada PGA members from the Northern California PGA Section.
The committee will oversee Team Nevada selection criteria and operations based on USNDP guidelines. Team selection criteria may consist of a points structure, ranking, or combination of other competitive factors. They will be published prior to the entry deadline for the first counting event of the 2027 championship season.
State team roster sizes are calculated by elite junior participation in the state. Nevada expects to have 16 players as part of the initial team, 8 girls and 8 boys, who will be named in late 2027. To be eligible to compete on Team Nevada, a player must be a U.S. Citizen, a resident of Nevada, and have a Handicap Index®. Further eligibility and qualification details will be available later this year.
Additional details and future updates can be found on the Nevada Golf website at NevadaGolf.org/Team-Nevada
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 junior team program will focus on creating a developmentally appropriate, aspirational pathway for athletes within each state to compete at higher levels of the game.
