AJGA Performance Based Entry

Performance Based Entry is the AJGA's system for deciding who gets into their tournaments. Instead of evaluating applications or resumes (which they did before 2003), the AJGA awards "PBE stars" based on where junior golfers finish in AJGA events and in a curated list of non-AJGA tournaments around the country. The more stars a player has, the better their chances of getting accepted into the AJGA event they want to play. How stars are earned There are two main paths: 1. Playing in AJGA events. Finishing near the top of any AJGA Open, Preview, or Junior All-Star Series tournament earns stars, with more stars awarded for higher finishes and for tougher events. A top finish in an AJGA Open event can earn "fully exempt" status, which is the highest tier of PBE. 2. Playing in AJGA-recognized non-AJGA events. This is where most juniors start. The AJGA maintains a PBE Map listing hundreds of non-AJGA tournaments across the country that award PBE stars for top finishes. Section PGA junior tours, state golf association championships, and qualifying US Kids Golf events all count. For example, U.S. Kids Golf players ages 12–18 who reach Priority Status Levels 12–14 or Lifetime Status earn four PBE stars for the following AJGA season. 3. Playing AJGA Qualifiers. Held the day before most AJGA Open, Preview, and Junior All-Star events, qualifiers are 18-hole events that award PBE stars to top finishers — even if they don't advance to the main tournament. Roughly the top 10% of boys and top 10% of girls in a qualifier advance to the corresponding AJGA event. What stars actually do When your junior applies to an AJGA tournament, applicants are ranked by PBE stars (and other criteria like age-group priority and past playing history). Higher-star applicants get in first; lower-star applicants become alternates or miss the cut. Different AJGA event tiers require different star counts — Junior All-Star events are easier to get into than Open events, which are easier than Invitationals. A few things families get wrong about PBE - Stars are time-limited. They apply to a specific AJGA season, not forever. A strong 2026 season builds your 2027 eligibility. - Not every tournament counts. Only events on the AJGA PBE Map award stars. Your kid can win an unlisted local tour event and earn zero PBE. Check the map before choosing tournaments strategically. - You need proof of age on file with the AJGA before applying. A birth certificate, passport, or driver's license works. Without it, applications aren't processed. - International families have a path too. In 2026, the AJGA expanded the International Pathway Series, allowing juniors abroad to earn PBE through AJGA-sanctioned events in their region. Where to go next The official AJGA PBE Schedule lets you filter PBE-eligible events by state. If you want help building a season schedule around PBE-earning opportunities, ask in the chat below — I can pull from our database of 1,900+ junior tournaments and flag which ones award PBE.