GAME CHANGERS
Jack Roberts is a true game changer
T
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY DERRICK DAVIS
The term “game changer” would be an understatement in describing Jack Roberts. The Frederica Academy freshman is on the track to golf superstardom in an area that is immensely informed on the subject.
44
G O L D E N I S LES
Coming off an eighth grade campaign that saw him earn GISA All-State honors on a Knights’ varsity golf team that finished second in Class 3A, Jack tore up the summer circuit, notching his second win at the Future Masters following a first-place finish at the Southern Junior Championship at Lake Oconee. Now, Golfweek’s top-ranked golfer in the Class of 2025 has received an exclusive invitation to play in the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley on March 17 to19. “It’s pretty cool,” Jack says with a smile. “There are a lot of really good players in the Class of 2025, so to be at No. 1 is a great feeling.”
Widely recognized as the No. 1 junior event in golf since it was founded in 2011, the Junior Invitational features a limited field of the best amateur golfers from around the world. Notable tournament alumni are a who’s who of PGA Tour pros and major winners, including Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Justin Thomas, Cameron Champ, Andy Ogletree, and Akshay Bhatia. “It’s a really hard tournament to get in to, so it’s pretty cool,” Jack says. “You just have to play really good in prior tournaments to get into it.” Multiple factors go into qualifying for the 54-hole stroke-play event. There are a number of automatic qualifiers,
