The sixth annual U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championship kicks off this week in Moore County.

More than 400 teens ages 13-18 from across the United States and more than 30 countries abroad will compete for world titles during the three-day event. The U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Cup, a match-play event modeled after the Ryder Cup, will cap off the action on Sunday on Pinehurst No. 2.

Players earned their invitations for the World Championship through championship qualifiers, local tours, European and regional championships and performance in previous U.S. Kids Golf world championships.

Practice rounds and registration started this morning, accompanied by a U.S. Kids Golf Club Fitting & Demo Day held at the Pinehurst Resort driving range.

Players begin tournament play first thing Thursday morning. A closing ceremony will take place at 7 p.m Saturday at the Cardinal Ballroom at the Carolina Hotel.

The teens will be playing on four area courses. Boys 15-18 will be competing on Pinehurst No. 2, 14-year-olds on Pinehurst No. 8 and 13-year-olds on Pinehurst No. 6. All three of the girls’ age groups will be playing at Pine Needles.

Six Moore County teens are ready to tee it up in the championship. Anderson Allgeyer, of Pinehurst, will be playing in the Boys 13 division. Hailey Crider and Elizabeth Hall, both of Pinehurst, are playing in the Girls 15-18 division. Griffin Cryan, of Pinehurst, Blake Martin, of Pinehurst, and Benjamin Chrystler, of Whispering Pines, are playing in the Boys 14 division.

Sunday’s Teen World Cup matches the top four finishing boys and top two finishing girls from the United States against the top four finishing boys and top two finishing girls from abroad.

The larger U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, which hosts more than 1,200 participants ages 6-12 from around the world, kicks off next week and will be hosted on nine courses around the county.

A parade kicking off the kids’ championship will take place Aug. 2 in Pinehurst.

Contact John Krahnert III at sports@thepilot.com.