The United States Golf Association conducts 15 national championships annually and one of them is the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship which starts today at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Golf Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
 
Ella Greenberg, an incoming freshman from Rockford, Illinois, is one of 154 golfers from 12 different countries and 31 different states competing in this week's event. She earned one of the coveted spots after placing second at a qualifier held in Beach Park, Illinois, a village near the northern part of Chicago.
 
It was Greenberg's fourth and final shot at qualifying (you have to be under 19 years of age on the last day of the competition). She was 3-under at one point in her round and finished at 1-over. Then she waited.
 
"I knew it was going to be close," said Geenberg. "I didn't look at the leaderboard much during my round, but I spent probably an hour after my round watching the players come in. The last three holes were the hardest so everybody was dropping strokes.
 
"I honestly wasn't expecting to qualify and I think that's the best when you don't have expectations and it turns out really good. I don't think it will really kick in what this moment means until I'm at the event because this is my first USGA championship. These events are run really well and I'm excited to have the opportunity to even go."
 
Greenberg answered questions after firing a 1-under 70 at the second of three rounds at the PGA High School Golf National Invitational in Frisco, Texas, last week. She went on to place 27^th of 196 golfers at the event and five strokes better than her younger sister, Eva. Together, the two Greenberg sisters led Boylan Catholic High School to a state runner-up finish this season. Ella placed second individually at the state meet.
 
The Greenberg's drove from Texas and arrived in Colorado Friday. Ella played a practice round Saturday and Sunday ahead of today's round one. The field will be whittled down to 64 golfers after two rounds and then all finalists will compete in a bracketed match-play competition to crown a champion.
 
Her caddie for this event? Sister, Eva.
 
"I didn't have a caddy in qualifying because parents can't caddy for you in the junior event and none of my friends wanted to miss graduation parties and drive two hours," said Greenberg. "Who could blame them?
 
"You can't play this course unless you play in this event or you know someone in the Air Force Academy, which is actually nice because nobody will have an advantage."


 
It will be a little more than a month when this event concludes that Greenberg will be on campus in Vermillion. She hasn't settled on a particular area of study and hopes to knock out some gen ed classes while adjusting to a collegiate golf calendar.
 
"Catie Nekola is on the team and I've been friends with her since I was 10," said Greenberg. "Just knowing somebody there was a big part of my decision, but Brett (Bennett) is a great guy and a great coach. And it's not too big of a school. It's in a good town and commuting around a big city is not my thing so I am excited to get to campus."