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Here's to the new face--make that faces--of golf. Shown above are 10 young golfers, photographed at an American Junior Golf Association tournament in Rancho Mirage, Calif. They come from all corners of the country, from all backgrounds. Some were born to golfers, and golf; others came to the game unbidden, of parents who wouldn't know a niblick from a noodle.

On the pages that follow you'll meet each of these young players. You'll find out who their favorite pros are, what they love most about the game, what about it they would like to change.

GOLF DIGEST will revisit them all in the years to come--as they graduate from high school, as they prepare to leave college and enter "the real world," and at intervals throughout their adult lives.

Though all 10 are accomplished players (one has even shot a 58 on a regulation-length course), our intention is not simply to identify future stars. Rather, we aim to follow their development into adulthood, to see how their love of the game helps shape their growth as individuals and as members of society. In short, to track the effect golf has on their lives, throughout their lives.

Truly, only time will tell what comes of the Golf Digest 10. Join us for the story of a lifetime.

We'll follow the progress of these young golfers in the coming years: Front, sitting: Andy Leadbetter; second row: Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana, Haley Brown, Brady Bauer, Boojie Matthews, Calli Vance, Henry Liaw, Laura Manuel; back row: Paul Cuthbert, Andrew Ahlering.

Laura Manuel Lake Wood, Calif.

Birthdate: Dec. 23, 1984.

Playing golf since: Age 7.

Handicap Index: 4.9.

Favorite pros: Karrie Webb, for her swing; Tiger Woods, for his confidence.

Favorite part of the game: Everything.

Least favorite part: Playing in the rain, and being forced to scramble.

What she'd like to change about the game: Increase the amount of television time and purses on the LPGA

Laura says in many ways she's like most teenagers her age--she enjoys shopping, listening to music and hanging out with friends. But she's also planning her future around golf: Laura hopes to be recruited by UCLA, and eventually to make her way onto the LPGA Tour. A student of Bill Gunderson, brother of LPGA great JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Laura was a winner on the American Junior Golf Association's Junior All-Stars circuit this past summer.

Boojie Matthews Phoenix

Birthdate: Sept. 4, 1984.

Playing golf since: 9 months old.

Handicap Index: 3.0.

Favorite pro: Tiger Woods.

Favorite part of the game: Winning.

Least favorite part: Coming in second.

Biggest influence: His parents--to wit, the license plate on his dad's car reads "Boojie" as a show of support.

Career goal: To play on the PGA Tour. What he'd like to change in golf: That women be allowed equal access to all golf clubs.

Boojie is literally a one-man golf team at Tempe Prep. The Division A high school is so small the sophomore can play only the individual events against other Division A and AA schools. He plays other sports, though not competitively. "I played baseball when I was younger, but I like golf more. You get to know people, and I like the competition. And you know that you can grow older and still play it." Boojie hopes to play golf in college, where he plans to study finance.

Henry Liaw Rowland Heights, Calif.

Birthdate: Sept. 18, 1985.

Playing golf since: Age 9.

Handicap Index: 1.3.

Favorite pro: Justin Leonard.

Favorite part of the game: Everything, especially the long game.

Least favorite part: Putting.

How often he practices: Every day.

Ambition: To go to a good golf univer-sity, turn pro and "be the best golfer in the world."

What he'd like to change about the game: Nothing; "I like the way it is now."

A freshman with a 3.8 GPA, Henry received worldwide attention when he shot a 58 in July 1998. "I even surprised myself, but I've worked really hard, and it paid off." He says his classmates weren't jealous--"some asked me to sign their yearbooks, in case I become famous or something." He played in nearly 40 tournaments in 1999, benefiting from parents just as dedicated to his game as he is. Golf coach Jerry Wong, a family friend, also plays a big role.

Jennifer Tangtiphaiboontana Long Beach, Calif.

Birthdate: June 7, 1985.

Playing golf since: Age 8.

Handicap Index: 1.3.

Favorite pro: Fred Couples.

Favorite part of the game: Putting; playing new courses.

Least favorite part: Being superstitious.

What she'd like to change about golf: To see more sportsmanship and honesty.

Jennifer is drawn to the mental challenges of the game. "If you hit a bad shot, you have to control your mind and concentrate on the next shot and do the best you can," she says. "I figure it's kind of like helping me train for life." Although she wants to play golf in college, Jennifer is setting her sights on becoming a pediatrician or a veterinarian. "Golf is something to keep me in fitness and in health."

Brady Bauer Lincoln, Neb.

Birthdate: Jan. 2, 1985.

Playing golf since: Age 7.

Handicap Index: 5.2.

Favorite pros: Tom Lehman, Fred

Couples, Jack Nicklaus.

Favorite part of the game: Short game, practicing and hitting the ball well.

Ambitions: To play college golf and then work in the golf business.

Brady's home backs up to "an entire country club," which gives him ample opportunity to chip and putt and hit balls. "It's just a game that people should enjoy," he says. A high point was meeting Tom Lehman several years ago, who told the youngster "to work hard and to practice when I possibly can, and to work on every part of the game. That's what Tom said he did when he was my age."

Andrew Ahlering St. Louis

Birthdate: Oct. 25, 1984.

Playing golf since: Age 6.

Handicap Index: 1.0.

Favorite pro: Fred Couples.

Favorite part of the game: The competition and the honesty.

How often he practices: Daily in summer.

Ambitions: To become a "great pro golfer," or a doctor like his dad.

Andy has been playing in national tournaments since age 10; with three sports-minded brothers and athletic parents, competing comes naturally. "If you shoot a bad score, you can't blame it on anyone but yourself," he says. Becoming a pro is a long-range ambition, but for now Andy plays for pleasure: "If you're not enjoying yourself, then you shouldn't be doing whatever you're doing."

Calli Vance Crofton, Md.

Birthdate: Oct. 19, 1984.

Playing golf since: Age 8.

Handicap Index: 6.5.

Favorite pro: Annika Sorenstam.

Favorite part of the game: Facing the challenges.

Least favorite part: Playing poorly.

What she'd like to change about the game: Raise LPGA purses.

After playing competitively for only three years, Calli placed second in the state as a high school freshman, then won it last fall as a sophomore. Her goals: To play college golf at Duke, become an LPGA touring pro and then "retire to being a club pro. If not, then I'd like to get a Ph.D. in genetics or immunology." Though she is serious about competition, she says overall enjoyment of the game is more important.

Paul Cuthbert Cypress, Calif.

Birthdate: Oct. 8, 1985.

Playing golf since: Age 7.

Handicap Index: 12.0

Favorite pro: Tiger Woods.

Favorite part of the game: Chipping.

Least favorite part: Keeping score.

How often he practices: Three or four times a week.

Other interests: Piano, skateboarding, rollerblading, drawing.

What he'd like to change about the game: Make the cost of green fees more affordable for young golfers.

Paul dreams of winning the Masters someday, though the eighth-grader is first hoping to make his high school golf squad. If he doesn't, he'll try out for the cross-country team while working on his game. Golfer grandparents got him started with his first set of junior clubs; his interest inspired his mother to take up the game, too. A member of the highly regarded Long Beach Junior Golf Association, he often plays the same course Tiger Woods grew up on, Heartwell.

Andy Leadbetter Orlando

Birthdate: Aug. 23, 1984.

Playing golf since: Age 4.

Handicap Index: 2.0.

Favorite pro: Nick Price.

Favorite part of the game: Putting.

How often he practices: Daily, sometimes for three or four hours.

Biggest influence: His dad, golf teacher David Leadbetter.

Other interests: Skiing, basketball.

Ambitions: Play on the PGA Tour.

What he'd like to change about the game: The out-of-bounds rule.

Having a world-renowned golf teacher for a father is a big plus, Andy admits, "because everything I need is right in front of me. A lot of kids might be intimidated, because of my dad, but I think that also makes it harder for me." Andy plays in amateur events around the country, accompanied by his mom, Kelly, a former LPGA player. Of golf, he says, "It's a fun game that if you work hard at you'll do well." And if he doesn't play well? "I'll be a little sad, but then I'll just move on."

Haley Brown Austin, Tex.

Birthdate: Nov. 27, 1985.

Playing golf since: Age 10.

Handicap Index: 7.0.