JTNC – Challenge Cup Guidelines

Must be a JTNC member and have participated in at least 1 JTNC or NCGA tournament during the 2024 calendar year.

Boys – 8 Players

2023-2024 JTNC Boys Player of the Year, if eligible

Top 3 point totals on 2024-2025 JTNC Boys POTY Leaderboard – from JTNC Fall Series I to final JTNC

Fall Series event (October 20th, 2024)

Highest point total on Men’s NCGA POTY Leaderboard – up until October 20th, 2024. If already exempt via the above criteria, then this spot goes to the next highest ranked junior on the Men’s POTY Leaderboard

3 Captain Picks – will take into consideration performances at elevated JTNC tournaments, USGA Qualifying & Championship events, major NCGA Amateur Championships, as well as the player’s NCGA, AJGA or WAGR Ranking

Girls – 4 Players

2023-2024 JTNC Girls Player of the Year, if eligible

Highest point total on 2024-2025 JTNC Girls POTY Leaderboard – from JTNC Fall Series I to final

JTNC Fall Series event (October 20th, 2024)

Highest point total on Women’s NCGA POTY Leaderboard – up until October 20th, 2024. If already exempt via the above criteria, then this spot goes to the next highest ranked junior on the Women’s POTY Leaderboard

1 Captain’s Pick – will take into consideration performances at elevated JTNC tournaments, USGA Qualifying & Championship events, major NCGA Amateur Championships, as well as the player’s NCGA, AJGA or WAGR Ranking

The 2023-24 JTNC Players of the Year

Girls’ Player of the Year—Asterisk Talley

There’s been dominant players on the JTNC before

Then, along came Asterisk Talley to take it all to another level.

Talley, who’s still just a 15-year-old high school sophomore, won her third straight JTNC Girls’ Player of the Year title, tallying up an incredible 6,070 points during the season. The runner-up was Lily Peng with 3,508 points.

During what was a historic season, Talley won her 31^st JTNC event to become the all-time leader in JTNC victories. The previous record was 29 wins by Sabrina Iqbal. In 14 JTNC starts, she won 12 times, another record. There too was her record winning score at the Summer Series I at Reserve at Spanos Park, where she came in at 15-under after rounds of 64-65.

For Talley, it’s her third Player of the Year title in a row. Iqbal does still hold the record there, having won four in a row from 2014-17.

“Winning another Player of the Year title means a lot to me. It’s special,” Talley said. “I’m just working hard and always trying my best. At the same time, I always try to have fun. It’s just golf.”

Talley would also introduce herself not only to America but the world. She’d win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship playing with friend Sarah Lim and was co-low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open. She also took second at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

“The JTNC has helped me a lot. In the beginning, when I wasn’t good, there were a lot of players who were better than me, and I got used to playing against better players,” Talley said. “I learned from that, and it helped make my own game better.”

Boys’ Player of the Year—Ayden Fynaut

Fresno resident Ayden Fynaut was all too aware of some of the names that had won JTNC Boys’ Player of the Year honors.

The list includes two-time U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and former world-ranked No.1 amateur Justin Suh, who now competes on the PGA Tour.

Now, the list includes Fynaut himself. Still just a junior at Endeavor High, Fynaut captured 2023-24 Boys’ Player of the Year honors thanks to a solid season that resulted in 2,208 points. Runner-up Trenton Stuart finished with 1,958 points.

“It feels so good to be player of the year. It’s cool having my name with those guys,” Fynaut said. “It’s good to know that my game matches up, and that I can also maybe some day make it onto the tour.”

Fynaut’s season was one most PGA Tour players would hope for. In 10 JTNC starts, he’d win twice and finish in the top 5 nine times. Other accomplishments were wins at the Junior Golf Association of Northern California Len Ross Invitational and San Joaquin Junior and a second-place finish at the NCGA Junior Championship.

“Overall, it was a good season for me,” Fynaut said. “I felt like my game stayed together just about every tournament that I played in. It was very consistent.”

The 2022-2023 Players of the Year

Girls’ Player of the Year—Asterisk Talley

Chowchilla resident Asterisk Talley admittedly puts in a lot of time working on her game.

As for the results? There’s now even more proof all of the practice is paying off.

Talley joined Sabrina Iqbal (2014-17) and Casie Cathrea (2010-11) as the only Girls’ players in JTNC history to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors, capturing her second straight title with 4,124 points. Cathy Zhang, who also had a great season, finished second with 3,761 points.

Having started playing at age 3, Talley, who was featured in the Summer issue of NCGA Golf Magazine, is still just 14. The dynamo began her freshman year in high school in August.

“It feels awesome to be Player of the Year again,” said Talley, whose first name means ‘little star.’ “I’m just going out and trying to play my best golf.”

Over the course of the 2022-23 season, Talley rang up seven wins to go with seven runner-up finishes. Along the way, she climbed into a tie for second on the all-time JTNC Girls’ win list (19). Iqbal still holds the record with 29 victories.

At the Spring Series IV Championship at Rancho Solano, Talley fired a 7-under 65, the third lowest Girls’ 18-hole score all-time.

She’ll be eligible to play on the JTNC until she’s 18.

“The competition keeps getting harder, but at the same time I’ve been improving,” Talley said. “I’m excited for the future.”

Boys’ Player of the Year—Jaden Dumdumaya

Growing up, Jaden Dumdumaya admired current PGA Tour member Justin Suh.

Before hitting the big time, Suh was a two-time JTNC Boys’ Player of the Year who went on to be the No.1 world-ranked amateur at USC.

Today, the 17-year-old Dumdumaya is almost literally following in his hero’s footsteps—and it’s not an accident.

Slated to begin playing for USC in the fall of 2024, Dumdumaya joined Suh as the only Boys’ players to twice win Player of the Year titles by capturing his second crown with a total of 2,590 points. Second place went to Ben Friedman with 1,812 points.

Suh won POY titles in 2013 and 2015. Dumdumaya’s are also split, coming in 2021 and 2023.

“Growing up, I didn’t really know what my path was. Then, I realized that golf was the road I wanted to take,” Dumdumaya said. “Since then I’ve been trying to model what Justin has done.”

During the season, Dumdumaya earned five wins and five runner-ups. The five victories moved him to No.1 on the all-time Boys’ win list with 15, four ahead of Suh (11).

As a bonus, Dumdumaya, playing for De La Salle High, also picked up a win at the CIF NorCal Boys’ High School Championship.

In between it all, he’d spend some time in his family’s native Philippines, where he is a member of the national team. Among Dumdumaya’s future goals is to represent the Philippines at the 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games.

“’The JTNC has treated me so well. Words can’t describe the season I had,” he said. “Being able to play and meet so many people. I’m just happy to have JTNC as a part of my journey.”