Arnold Palmer junior golf tour with tournaments across the country to launch in January

David Blitzer always has an eye on sports properties as the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, and as the only person with equity in five major sports leagues . What got his attention recently was youth, specifically golf, with participation levels soaring.

“Good business doing excellent things for kids is a wonderful combination,” Blitzer said.

That combination — along with partnering with the most trusted name in golf — has led to the creation of the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour that launches in January with 400 tournaments planned across the country with an emphasis on accessibility.

The new junior tour is a partnership among Bolt Ventures (the family office of Blitzer), Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. The idea is to lean on Palmer's timeless name to help develop juniors for college scholarships and beyond.

“Our goal with the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour is simple — to create more opportunities for young people and their families to experience the positive benefits of golf, both on and off the course,” Blitzer said. “This is an incredible opportunity to build on the legacy of one of the sport’s greatest global icons and carry Mr. Palmer’s mission forward through the next generation.”

The golf ball got rolling before Blitzer's group connected with Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the foundation. Bolt Ventures earlier this year acquired the Florida-based Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and the Texas Junior Golf Tour, a circuit that partners with the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour.

Now those junior tours are under one umbrella — the colorful Palmer umbrella, the King's famous logo seen at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the Palmer Cup college matches.

“We are hyper-protective of the brand and cautious, for sure,” said Brodie Waters, president of Arnold Palmer Enterprises. "We're also focused on Mr. Palmer's legacy, making sure we can share that legacy with the next generation. He really cared about giving opportunity to youth.

“We had these conversations, and it became pretty clear quickly their passion and vision aligned with what we were wanting to do.”

The Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour figures to complement, not so much compete, with the more established American Junior Golf Association, which has been around for some 50 years and has captured golf's growth coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AJGA has about 150 tournaments around the country this year and has been using some of its many alumni, such as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel, to either support or lend their name to tournaments, often with corporate partners

Other junior golf needs are filled by PGA of America sections — both sections in Texas, both in California and south Florida are among the strongest. J.J. Spaun, the 2025 U.S. Open champion, once said he couldn't afford to travel to national AJGA events with both parents working ; the Southern California PGA section supplied plenty of competition.

The partnership with Palmer’s foundation also wants to lean into character development, similar to the “Program for Leadership and Character” at Wake Forest, where Palmer played in college.

“Beyond competition, my father believed that golf was about bringing people together, treating others with respect and creating opportunities,” said Amy Palmer Saunders, chair of the foundation. “We want the next generation to understand that success in golf is measured not only by how you play, but also by how you conduct yourself and the impact you have on others.”

Also key to the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour was accessibility and affordability. The “Palmer Foundation Player Access Award” is being designed to help family cope with financial obstacles that can limit participation.

“It's a mechanism of giving to the right people,” said Josh Persons, CEO of the new tour. “We want to provide kids that need assistance and give them a path.”

Having two tours in place helps with the quick launch. The Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour also has backing from an investor group with experience in youth sports and athletic development that includes Weatherford Capital, Heights LLC, Blair Mill Capital, The Team and Blumenfeld Development group.

“Arnold Palmer represented everything that’s right about sports, and this tour pairs his legacy with a team that has a clear vision for growth,” said Todd Marcy, a Weatherford Capital partner. “We’re excited to come alongside them to help shape the next generation of golfers and contribute to the continued growth of the game.”

See AP’s full golf coverage here