Fifteen-year-old Jesse Speirs of Bangor was offered an exemption into the 35th Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, and he’s taking it.

“Definitely. I could not pass that [up],” said Speirs.

The Junior Worlds take place July 16-19 at Torrey Pines Golf Course’s South Course. Torrey Pines is the site of the PGA Tour’s Buick Invitational in February.

Speirs earned the exemption based on his play on the Plantations Junior Golf Tour last winter. Speirs was second in points in his age group (14-15) and earned a berth in the PJGT season-ending tour championship this weekend.

The Plantations tour, according to PJGT Event Coordinator Sharon Benzenburg, is granted a number of exemptions into the Junior Worlds and the tour is sending three in Speirs’ age group.

According to a press release from Benzenburg, “He was not only chosen to represent our tour because of his golf abilities, but for the person that he is.”

The Junior Worlds, in which Tiger Woods earned three wins, encompass eight tournaments, four age groups each for boys and girls ages 6-17. The 224 players in Speirs’ division (15-17) will play 72 holes of stroke play with a cut to the low 50 and ties after 54 holes.

“It’s going to be fun,” said Speirs.

Other past participants include PGA Tour stars Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Notah Begay, Nick Price, and Craig Stadler and LPGA Tour stars Amy Alcott and Brandie Burton.

Speirs has had to adjust his summer tournament schedule to accommodate the invitation, but he believes it’s worth it.

“I was signed up to play in the Public Links qualifier at Bangor and a Junior Worlds qualifier,” said Speirs. The Public Links championship is the same week as the Junior Worlds, though, so he bowed out of that.

“You’re only a junior for a few years, so you might as well play junior tournaments,” said Speirs.

The Plantations tour is centered around the Carolinas, and he has been back in Maine only a couple of weeks.

He admitted to struggling a bit when he returned.

“I’ve been working on it and I have a little more confidence,” Speirs said.

The weather is markedly cooler and windier than what he was playing in down south, but he figures it will help.

“I like it like this, because it’ll be so much better when the weather gets better,” he said.

He and his mother, Debi, leave today for Disney World, another PGA Tour site, where the Plantations championship will be held.

Speirs finished second in the Plantations championship last year and he’s hoping to do better this weekend.

“I’d like to win it,” he said.

He said he’s been more consistent this year in his scoring.

“I was never in the 60s, except once at Myrtle Beach (S.C.). I shot a 69,” said Speirs. “Mostly I was in the low 70s.”

His strong play has also earned him an exemption into one American Junior Golf Association tournament, which he hopes to parlay into more tournaments in the future.

Speirs puts a lot of time into his golf, but he’s getting out of it what he’s putting into it.

“Hard work pays off,” he said.

LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program

Girls ages 7-17 are the focus of a learning program co-sponsored by the Ladies Professional Golf Association and United States Golf Association beginning Friday at Felt Brook Golf Center in Holden.

Girls will be grouped according to skill level and different aspects of the game will be featured at each clinic. Golf course etiquette will be taught at each clinic.

After Friday’s kickoff, which will be from 5-7 p.m., the next session will be June 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Hermon Meadow Golf Club.

Other clinics are scheduled for June 24 at Bucksport Golf Club, July 15 at Carmel Valley Golf Links, July 25 at Hermon Meadow, and Aug. 12 at Carmel Valley. All of these sessions are scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m.

Events will take place rain or shine with accommodations made for inclement weather.

Girls can sign up for one session or the entire program. There is a fee of $25 per session or $100 for the complete package.

For more information and cost, contact Cathy Willey at Abnaki Girl Scout Council, 989-7474 or 1-800-464-3858. Girls do not have to be members of Girls Scouts in order to participate.

Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.