Matt Lloyd Was a Player on the First PGA Jr. League Championship Team — Now He's Back as a Coach

The National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship Season is full of memorable moments—epic holes-in-one, clutch putts and the thrill of junior golfers competing on the national stage. 

For Matt Lloyd, the memories run especially deep. In fact, they go all the way back to the inaugural PGA Jr. League Championship Season in 2012. 

“I still vividly remember a putt I made at the Regional qualifier in Los Angeles,” Lloyd says, recalling the 70-80 foot putt. “It was from the front edge of the green, breaking left-to-right, all the way back. It’s the longest putt I’ve made—and may ever make!”

Lloyd and his team, Team California, went on to win the 2012 PGA Jr. League Championship. Since then, PGA Jr. League, which saw nearly 78,000 player registrations in 2024, has grown to include two Championships: the 13u Championship, which celebrated its 12th edition at PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch West in October, and the 17u Championship, added in 2023. 

Now more than a decade after his first Championship appearance, Lloyd is headed back, this time as an Assistant Coach for — you guessed it — Team California. 

The 17u Championship, held this weekend at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, features 12 teams and 72 players ages 14-17, all vying for their chance to hoist the trophy on Sunday afternoon.

“Although the format has changed slightly over the years, I think it helps that I was once in our players’ shoes,” says Lloyd, who will assist PGA of America Golf Professional Terry Sullivan, Team California’s Coach. Sullivan serves as the Director of Golf at Santa Teresa Golf Club in San Jose, California, with Lloyd as an Assistant Professional. 

But their relationship goes back much further. 

“Terry was my first-ever swing coach, and I attribute a lot of my junior golf success to Terry and the junior club at Santa Teresa,” Lloyd recalls. “I played my first tournaments through Santa Teresa, and I was hooked from day one!” 

Lloyd, who went on to play golf at the collegiate level, spent a few years working in finance after graduation, but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing: golf. As Lloyd considered his options in the golf industry, the person he wanted to talk to most was his former coach, Terry Sullivan. 

“I could have ventured elsewhere, to another course, but I wanted to work with Terry at Santa Teresa because of the junior club he’s built over the years,” says Lloyd, who recently enrolled in the PGA of America Associate program. “I wanted to go back to the same junior club that started it all for me. I’m excited to be able to do it all again as a coach.”

Sullivan was excited to see Lloyd’s journey come full circle. 

“Having Matt alongside as an Assistant Coach for this season has been one the highlights of my career as a PGA Professional,” Sullivan says. “To see him come full circle—from a beginning junior golfer to an amazing player, a scholarship collegiate golfer, and now a PGA Associate—is very fulfilling to someone whose primary purpose is to bring young golfers to the game.”

Sullivan says Lloyd quickly found his footing within Santa Teresa’s well-established PGA Jr. League programming and has served as the primary coach for the 17u All-Stars. 

“Matt has created an amazing bond with the 17u All-Stars throughout the Championship Season,” Sullivan says. “He’s a big reason we are in New Mexico this week.” 

As the Championship tees off, Lloyd and Sullivan share the excitement of leading Team California on the national stage, each hoping their players experience moments as memorable as Lloyd’s 2012 title. 

But for Lloyd, it’s not just about winning. His main advice to his players? Savor the journey.

“I’d love to see us win, of course,” he says. “But my biggest goal is to help the team stay present, enjoy the experience, and create memories together. Playing for your home state with friends—it doesn’t get any better than this.”

And Lloyd would know—because he’s been there before.