Meet the Teams Playing in the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship: Part 3

The 2022 National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship is almost here and the 12 teams are preparing to tee it up at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Each of the teams earned their spot in the Championship via regional qualifiers. The Championship is set for Oct. 6-9 and televised live on select ESPN networks.

We'll be taking a closer look at the 12 teams so you can get to know them a bit better before they tee it up at Grayhawk. Here are the final 4 teams.

Team Oklahoma hails from Broken Arrow. Team Oklahoma won the Region 8 Championship  at The Club at Indian Springs in mid-September to secure their trip to Grayhawk.

Team Oklahoma’s Ainslie Stanford is currently ranked in the top-20 on Junior Golf Scoreboard for the class of 2028 and has won more than 60 junior tournaments. Stanford works with PGA Coach Shannon Friday, has competed in Drive, Chip and Putt Regionals the last four years, and his family calls him "Trip" because he’s the third-born child in the family.

Team Pennsylvania hails from Westwood Golf Club in Pittsburgh. The Hot Shot Golf Academy @ Westwood Team narrowly won the Championship Match, with 13-year-old playing partners Dexter James and Jacob Rainieri securing their team’s victory on the final hole. Rainieri sank the final winning putt to send the team to the Championship at Grayhawk.

Team Pennsylvania’s Michael Quallich has a unique and powerful golf swing, and it was on full display at the 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. 

 “John Daly, look out,” said Frank Nobilo.

Quallich was also named the 2021 and 2022 Tri-State PGA Section Player of the Year in the 11 to 14 year-old age bracket.

Team Texas, represented by the Brookhaven Country Club, had a dominant performance at the Regional competition, capping off the weekend by winning the Championship Match, 9-3, at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland, Texas.

Brayden Verret, a member of Team Texas, holds the 10-and-under "unofficial" World Record for golf-ball juggling caught on video at 715. Verret works on his game with Team Texas Coach Joey Anders, PGA.

Landon Hilario, another member of Team Texas, made an epic eagle putt on the 18th at Grayhawk at the 2021 National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship. The moment was caught on camera and broadcast on ESPN2.

Team Utah, the 2021 PGA Jr. League National Champions, hails from Thanksgiving Point Golf Course in Lehi, Utah.

 It was a tight finish for Team Utah at Canyon Springs Golf Course in Twin Falls, Idaho. The match, between the Bend [Oregon] Bomber’s and Thanksgiving Point, ended 6-6, with Thanksgiving Point claiming the first tie-breaker with 12 holes won to the Bend Bomber’s eight holes won.

Team Utah’s Jace Benson will be competing in his second consecutive Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals next April at Augusta National Golf Club, prior to the start of the 2023 Masters Tournament.

Fellow Team Utah participant Jraice Finau is the son of PGA Tour star and U.S. Ryder Cup Team stalwart Tony Finau.

Get to know the other competitors in Meet the Teams Part 1 & Part 2!