Arnold Palmer junior golf tour with tournaments across the country to launch in January

David Blitzer always has an eye on sports properties as the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, and as the only person with equity in five major sports leagues. What got his attention recently was youth, specifically golf, with participation levels soaring.

“Good business doing excellent things for kids is a wonderful combination,” Blitzer said.

That combination — along with partnering with the most trusted name in golf — has led to the creation of the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour that launches in January with 400 tournaments planned across the country with an emphasis on accessibility.

The new junior tour is a partnership among Bolt Ventures (the family office of Blitzer), Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation. The idea is to lean on Palmer's timeless name to help develop juniors for college scholarships and beyond.

“Our goal with the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour is simple — to create more opportunities for young people and their families to experience the positive benefits of golf, both on and off the course,” Blitzer said. “This is an incredible opportunity to build on the legacy of one of the sport’s greatest global icons and carry Mr. Palmer’s mission forward through the next generation.”

The golf ball got rolling before Blitzer's group connected with Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the foundation. Bolt Ventures earlier this year acquired the Florida-based Hurricane Junior Golf Tour and the Texas Junior Golf Tour, a circuit that partners with the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour.

Now those junior tours are under one umbrella — the colorful Palmer umbrella, the King's famous logo seen at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the Palmer Cup college matches.

“We are hyper-protective of the brand and cautious, for sure,” said Brodie Waters, president of Arnold Palmer Enterprises. "We're also focused on Mr. Palmer's legacy, making sure we can share that legacy with the next generation. He really cared about giving opportunity to youth.

“We had these conversations, and it became pretty clear quickly their passion and vision aligned with what we were wanting to do.”

The Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour figures to complement, not so much compete, with the more established American Junior Golf Association, which has been around for some 50 years and has captured golf's growth coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AJGA has about 150 tournaments around the country this year and has been using some of its many alumni, such as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and Billy Horschel, to either support or lend their name to tournaments, often with corporate partners

Other junior golf needs are filled by PGA of America sections — both sections in Texas, both in California and south Florida are among the strongest. J.J. Spaun, the 2025 U.S. Open champion, once said he couldn't afford to travel to national AJGA events with both parents working; the Southern California PGA section supplied plenty of competition.

The partnership with Palmer’s foundation also wants to lean into character development, similar to the “Program for Leadership and Character” at Wake Forest, where Palmer played in college.

“Beyond competition, my father believed that golf was about bringing people together, treating others with respect and creating opportunities,” said Amy Palmer Saunders, chair of the foundation. “We want the next generation to understand that success in golf is measured not only by how you play, but also by how you conduct yourself and the impact you have on others.”

Also key to the Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour was accessibility and affordability. The “Palmer Foundation Player Access Award” is being designed to help family cope with financial obstacles that can limit participation.

“It's a mechanism of giving to the right people,” said Josh Press, CEO of the new tour. “We want to provide kids that need assistance and give them a path.”

Having two tours in place helps with the quick launch. The Arnold Palmer Junior Golf Tour also has backing from an investor group with experience in youth sports and athletic development that includes Weatherford Capital, Heights LLC, Blair Mill Capital, The Team and Blumenfeld Development group.

“Arnold Palmer represented everything that’s right about sports, and this tour pairs his legacy with a team that has a clear vision for growth,” said Todd Marcy, a Weatherford Capital partner. “We’re excited to come alongside them to help shape the next generation of golfers and contribute to the continued growth of the game.”

This version corrects the name of the CEO to Josh Press.

See AP’s full golf coverage here

FILE - Golfers hit from the driving range near an umbrella and golf bag paying homage to the passing of Arnold Palmer during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., on March 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

FILE - New Jersey Devils owner David Blitzer attends a news conference in Newark, N.J., on April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Sweden and Norway joined Finland in pledging to boycott games against Russia at the ice hockey world championship and another leading sponsor threatened to walk out as a rift in the sport deepened Tuesday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last week that the International Ice Hockey Federation must reinstate Russian teams, beginning with the world juniors starting next month in Canada. Finland announced Monday it is rallying other nations to boycott games against Russia.

The Swedish hockey federation said its board decided Tuesday that it would not play against Russia but would still play other world championship games. That was a turnaround from last week, after Sweden initially indicated a boycott was off the table after the CAS ruling Friday.

“The Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments,” federation head Anders Larsson said in a statement, using the team's nickname.

The Swedish statement came shortly after Norway announced its boycott.

“Our position is that Russia should be excluded from all international championships as long as the war in Ukraine continues and remains unchanged,” the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association said in a statement. “At the same time, this decision is based on our responsibility to protect the safety and wellbeing of our players, team staff and their families. We believe that playing Russia under the current circumstances could expose our players and team staff to significant security risks. Our priority is therefore their mental health, wellbeing and personal safety.”

Norway only referred to the men's world championship in May in its statement.

Asked about the world juniors starting in Canada next month, NIHA general secretary Petter Salsten told The Associated Press that Norway would potentially be removed from the tournament by the IIHF to make way for Russia anyway.

In that case, “if RUS is added, it is a huge possibility that NOR is out," he wrote via email, because Norway was the last team to qualify.

The IIHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Finland and Norway's refusal to play Russia.

Finland is the defending men's world champion and Norway was the bronze medal-winner this year.

Norway joining the boycott means that at least one team in each of the two groups of the 16-team tournament has now pledged not to play Russia. Reports in Latvian media have indicated Latvia could refuse to play Russia as well.

Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tyres said it will no longer sponsor the world championship if Russia takes part.

Tiina Frazer, senior vice president for brand, marketing and communications, said that “under the current circumstances, continuing the sponsorship if Russia participates would not be aligned with our values.”

That comes a day after Swedish furniture maker AJ Products, a tournament sponsor since 1989, said it would ask for its logo not to be shown if Russia plays.

Previously, the chief executive of Germany's hockey federation said it could pull out of hosting the men's world championship next year over concerns about costs and security.

Junior tournaments are affected too, with the Finnish city of Turku saying it will not co-host next year's world juniors if Russia participates.

The Czech government could bar Russian players entry for the women's under-18 world championship there in January.

One political figure in support of Russia's return is Slovakia's pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

“I’ve also always wondered what the value of a gold medal is, if on the way to it you don’t have to beat the Russian hockey players, who are undoubtedly among the best in the world," he posted on social media Saturday.

The women's world championship starting in Denmark this week is not affected by the CAS ruling and is going ahead without Russia.

Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.

See AP’s full sports coverage here

FILE - Norway's players celebrate after winning the bronze medal ice hockey match between Canada and Norway at the 2026 IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championship in Zurich, Switzerland, on May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)