If you say you want to play college golf — or beyond — then you need to accept something early:
One good round doesn’t matter.
Anyone can get hot for 18 holes.
Anyone can have a day.
Anyone can catch momentum.
But can you do it again tomorrow?
And again the next day?
That’s where separation happens.
Day One Is Talent
Day one is easy.
You’re fresh.
You’re excited.
You’ve been thinking about this tournament all week.
Most serious juniors can shoot one solid round.
That doesn’t impress me.
Because college golf isn’t one round.
Elite amateur golf isn’t one round.
Professional golf is never one round.
Day Two Exposes You
Now you’re a little tired.
Now there’s pressure.
Now you have something to protect — or something to chase.
Can you respond after a double?
Can you stay disciplined when your swing doesn’t feel perfect?
Can you post a number when it’s uncomfortable?
This is when coaches really evaluate.
Last summer we had over 100 college coaches recruiting at our events. They weren’t following scoreboards as much as they were watching behavior.
How do you react?
How do you compete?
How do you handle adversity?
Multi-day golf exposes weaknesses — and it builds strength.
Day Three Builds Real Players
By the final round, talent isn’t the story.
Toughness is.
Decision-making is.
Emotional control is.
Can you stay committed to your process when the leaderboard tightens?
Can you trust your preparation when everything feels amplified?
Multi-day championships force you to manage:
• Physical fatigue
• Mental pressure
• Emotional swings
• Strategic discipline
That is real preparation.
That is what the next level looks like.
This Is Why We Do It This Way
Our major championships — the FCG Callaway World Junior Golf Championship, FCG International Junior Golf Championship, and FCG National Championship — are intentionally structured around 54 holes.
Not because it’s easier.
Because it’s harder.
Because it prepares you.
Because it reveals who is serious about where they’re going.
We believe in stacking rounds.
We believe in earning it.
We believe growth happens when it’s uncomfortable.
The Standard Is Higher Now
Junior golf has changed.
The Pathway is real.
Champions at our events are earning exemptions into elite amateur championships. They are earning opportunities into professional events. WAGR rankings reward sustained scoring — not highlight moments.
The game is global. The expectations are higher. The opportunities are bigger.
But only for players who are ready.
If your dream is to move forward — college golf, elite amateur golf, professional golf — then you must build the ability to compete for 54 holes.
Not once.
Repeatedly.
That’s the standard.
And the players who embrace that standard are the ones who separate themselves.
Don’t chase one low round.
Build the ability to stack them.
– Chris Smeal
Founder, Future Champions Golf Tour