Top teen golfers to compete at Santa Rosa's Mayacama course

Teens will be descending on Santa Rosa for the Fourth of July, but they’ll probably be pretty well behaved. The Wyndham Cup, an East-vs.-West match-play event organized by the American Junior Golf Association and pitting 40 of the country’s top golfers ages 12-19, will be held at Mayacama Golf Club from July 4-7.

It’s a big deal for young golfers. Wyndham Cup alumni include Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, In-Bee Park and Paula Creamer, among many other future professionals.

After practice rounds Sunday and Monday, the tournament kicks off with opening ceremonies on Tuesday afternoon. The Ryder Cup-style action takes place Wednesday through Friday and includes five formats: four-ball, mixed four-ball, foursomes, mixed foursomes and singles.

The field will feature at least 26 players who have committed to Division I college programs, including at least nine to Pac-12 schools. The teams are divided along a geographic line running from the eastern border of Texas north through the eastern border of North Dakota; the West team has won four consecutive cups.

Mayacama, designed by Jack Nicklaus, offers the teens a challenging, hilly, 6,800-yard course.