In a league of its own

Celebrating the 38th annual Trusted Choice Big “I” Junior Classic, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, and hundreds of golfers and fans, descended on Lubbock, Texas, in late July for what has become one of the most renowned junior events in golf.

“We’re one of the oldest and most established junior events in the country,” said Michael Tothe, the IIABA’s hired-hand who runs the tournament. “Anyone that plays at the PGA tour level or nationwide tour level, or LPGA, has certainly been a participant at the Big ‘I’ — no question about it,” Tothe added.

That includes the likes of two-time Big “I” Junior Classic Champion Tiger Woods, who held the crown in 1990 and 1992. Other notable past participants include Justin Leonard, Billy Andrade, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Grace Park and Cristie Kerr.

The Big “I” Junior Classic, which is presented by the Tiger Woods Foundation, began in 1969 as a community-service project by independent insurance agents. While the event has changed names four times — formerly called the American Pro-Youth Classic, Insurance Youth Classic and Insurance Youth Golf Classic — the focus remained the same.

Boy and girls ages 13 to 18 are eligible to participate as long as their 19th birthday does not occur prior to the end of the national tournament and they have not started college.

Approximately 8,000 junior boys and girls compete nationally to earn a place in the finals — a 72-hole, stroke-play tournament. More than 400 state and local qualifying events every year determine a final field of 108 boys and 56 girls for the national finals.

Boys compete for the Robert Trent Jones Trophy, and girls vie for the Alice Mayerstein Trophy. In 1969, Eddie Pearce, 17, from Tampa, Fla., won the National Association of Insurance Agents’ (now Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America) First Annual American Pro-Youth Classic at Otter Creek Country Club, in Columbus, Ind. In 1993, Kellee Booth, 17, from Coto de Caza, Calif., became the first-ever girls champion at the Classic at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock, Ark.

The classic’s heart and soul
While the tournament boasts the name of the Big “I,” the event is run almost entirely by volunteers. More than 2,000 agents nationwide help to administer state qualifying tournaments that lead up to the national finals. Agents donate valuable time, effort and, in many cases, personal resources to conduct successful local events.

“This event started as a community-service project put together by independent insurance agents, and it is now the third-oldest junior golf tournament in the country,” said Bob Bramlett, national chairman. “We are proud that it has become such a prestigious event, with a rich history of introducing future champions to the world of golf.”

Bramlett, who runs The Bramlett Agency Inc. in Ardmore, Okla., has been involved with the Big “I” Classic, either at the state or national level, since 1997. He said the insurance business has given a lot to his family, and so to give back by volunteering is not asking too much.

“As an independent agent, part of what we do is give back,” Bramlett said. “There are close to 2,500 to 3,000 insurance agents involved in this program and all volunteer time.”

“The volunteers are the heart and soul of the event,” Tothe added. If you didn’t have them helping … registration, transportation, host housing, live scoring, media assistance … without them you couldn’t operate a championship the way we want to operate it. They are the sweat and blood of the event.”

Randy Lanoix, owner of Bourg-Lanoix, in Lutcher, La., said the Classic tournaments are a great way to provide exposure for the Big “I.” Lanoix, who has helped run the Lousiana state Big “I” Classic since 1996, said it is the best junior tournament and “it helps to promote the Big ‘I’ brand to young people who are the purchasers of the future.”

Topics Agencies