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PGA REACH Philadelphia is hosting its inaugural pro-am at Rolling Green G.C. on Wed., Oct. 28. The pro-am is designed to be a major fundraising event for the foundation with proceeds helping to fund PGA REACH Philadelphia’s Youth, Military and Diversity programming.
PGA REACH Philadelphia, the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, has announced its 2020 Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship winners, including: Curstan Bunch, Wilmington, Del.; Emma DiPatri, Franklinville, N.J.; and Brayden Mitchell, Merchantville, N.J. PGA REACH Philadelphia created the scholarship program to provide opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate on the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour, an elite circuit for youth golfers ages 18 and under. The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarships provide recipients annual tour membership dues and tournament event fees (up to seven tournaments per year until the recipient turns 18 years old).
“PGA REACH Philadelphia is proud to provide scholarships that will inspire youth in our community by providing a program designed to promote social skills, self-esteem, leadership, and athleticism through the game of golf,” said PGA REACH Philadelphia Director Leila Mackie. “This year’s scholarship winners were chosen among many other youth golfers who applied, and were selected based on their academic success, passion for the game, and references from coaches and teachers.”
Curstan Bunch is a 14-year-old hailing from Wilmington, Del. In her scholarship application essay, Bunch encouraged everyone to “embrace and celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity deep-seated within everyone. No matter what goes on in your life, no matter what the circumstances are, when we learn to tap into that diversity within, it has a way of bringing us all together.”
“We are ecstatic to know that [PGA REACH Philadelphia] has our young golfer’s passion and her best interest at heart in addition to providing valuable opportunities,” said Dawn Bunch, Curstan’s mother.
Emma DiPatri is a 10-year-old from Franklinville, N.J., who credits golf with helping her to become more confident in her decision-making and boosting her self-esteem.
“I am thankful and honored to share in the privilege of having been chosen as a 2020 Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship winner,” said DiPatri. “I am beyond excited to be able to pursue my love of golf and improve my skills in the coming years through the generosity of this scholarship. I would have never had this opportunity if not for this program.”
Brayden Mitchell is an 11-year-old residing in Merchantville, N.J. In his application essay, Brayden acknowledged that being from around the Camden area has made it difficult to play golf on a regular basis. After discovering the Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour and learning about the scholarship program, he is hopeful that his access to courses will grow and that he will be able to make new friends.
“This scholarship means a lot to my family and me because it will help me focus on golf along with providing me easier access to the game,” said Mitchell.
The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour Diversity Scholarship program is one of many programs and initiatives managed by PGA REACH Philadelphia and is the foundation’s flagship program under its Diversity pillar, helping to positively impact lives through the game of golf. PGA REACH Philadelphia’s goal is to grow the game by providing financial assistance, coaching, instructional materials, mentoring, equipment and scholarships to individuals and organizations throughout the region, with the help of the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 900 PGA Professionals, who work at more than 300 public and private golf facilities in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware and northeastern Maryland.
The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour leads the region in competitive youth golf with over 90 events held seasonally at many of the area’s top facilities, covering all of the Section’s geographic areas.* In addition, the tour hosts four major championships throughout the season, including nationally ranked events that provide exposure for youth golfers looking to play competitively. With opportunities to learn, grow, and compete, many tour members graduate to play at the college level and beyond.
About the PGA REACH Philadelphia
PGA REACH Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Philadelphia PGA Section, one of the 41 Sections within the PGA of America. PGA REACH Philadelphia is committed to serving our communities and growing the game of golf through our three pillars: Youth, Military, and Diversity.
For more information on PGA REACH Philadelphia and its mission to positively impact lives through golf, visit https://www.pgareach.org/philadelphia. To donate to PGA REACH Philadelphia, please click here.
Contacts:
Leila Mackie, PGA
Director, PGA REACH Philadelphia
lmackie@pgahq.com
Courtney Curcio
Coordinator, PGA REACH Philadelphia
ccurcio@pgahq.com
Matt Frey, PGA
Communications Director, Philadelphia PGA Section
mfrey@pgahq.com
*The Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour’s 2020 season has been shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
PGA REACH Philadelphia Director Leila Mackie, PGA, has filmed a short video to update you, our supporters, on how the foundation has been reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic and to keep you informed about 2019 and 2020 programming. To watch the video, click the video image left or the below “Watch” button.
After it’s first full year of operation, PGA REACH Philadelphia, the Philadelphia PGA Section’s 501(c)(3) charitable arm, is well-positioned to achieve its mission to positively impact lives through the game of golf by supporting and delivering programs that focus on personal development and sportsmanship with an emphasis on three core pillars: Youth, Military and Diversity. To read PGA REACH Philadelphia’s 2019 Annual Progress Report, click the image left or the below “Read” button.
The Philadelphia PGA Section, the Golf Association of Philadelphia and PGA Magazine will be hosting the first annual Women in Golf Leaders Summit at Aronimink G.C. on Tuesday, March 31 from 1:00-5:30 p.m. for $20 per person. The event is open to both men and women including all golf industry stakeholders, PGA Professionals, facility leaders, and passionate individuals, with the goal of sharing ideas and positively impacting women’s golf.
I’m hopeful that this message finds you well during our “offseason.” Mother Nature has kept us busier than we usually are this time of year with many days conducive for golf. Hopefully you still have been able to get some of your winter to-dos completed as well as spending valuable time with your families.
For those of you that did not attend the Fall Meeting, you might have missed out on the announcement that John Pillar was appointed as our next District 2 Director for the PGA of America’s Board. John went through the different chairs of leadership on our Section’s Board, which culminated with him serving as our President from 2014-2015. John has also served at the national level as a member of the PGA of America’s Tournament Committee. As the incoming District Director, John attends Board Meetings as an observer until he officially becomes District Director at the Annual Meeting this coming October in Hartford, Conn. We are thrilled to have John represent our Section as well as the New Jersey and Metropolitan Sections. John’s experience and enthusiasm will be a tremendous asset in the board room.
Speaking of the Annual Meeting, this year is an election year for the PGA of America Secretary position. At the PGA Show, members of our Executive Committee met with the four candidates for brief introductions. Some of us will be traveling to Atlanta, Ga., later this month for a Super Regional meeting where each candidate will present their campaign agendas. In addition, each Section will be allocated time with the four candidates privately to be able to ask questions in a more personal venue. If you are interested in learning about the candidates, you can click the link below.
Congratulations once again to all of our award winners. It is an incredible collection of talent that is being recognized. I especially want to congratulate John Carpineta on being named our Golf Professional of the Year. John’s story of becoming a PGA Member is inspiring by itself let alone the incredible work that he continues to do with our military veterans. I am confident that calling John to tell him he won this award will stand out as one of my fondest memories from my time as Section President. The Section is hosting the Annual Awards Dinner at Aronimink G.C. on Sunday, March 15. We encourage you to attend, especially if you have a friend or co-worker that received one of these prestigious awards. It is a special night and it casts a great spotlight on some of our Section’s best professionals.
Finally, congratulations to Ashley Grier and Vincent Kabaso for being selected as two of the 15 members of the fifth PGA LEAD class. PGA LEAD was created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds into volunteer leadership positions in the Association. Previous LEAD classes have served as a launching pad for leaders both at the Section level and for the national PGA initiatives. With individuals like Ashley and Vincent, I am sure that this class will be just as successful.
We are less than two months away from our Spring Meeting at Green Valley C.C. The date of the Meeting is Monday, March 30. Spring Meeting registration is currently open as is TPD registration. We look forward to seeing you all for the meeting.
Philadelphia PGA Section Members Ashley Grier, Overbrook G.C.; and Vincent Kabaso, Laurel Creek C.C.; have been selected for PGA LEAD’s class of 2020-’21. PGA LEAD was created in 2016 to identify, mentor and further PGA Members from diverse backgrounds into volunteer leadership positions in the Association. Grier serves on the Section’s Tournament and Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization committees and has played on the national stage, including the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup and two KPMG Women’s PGA Championships. Kabaso is the first PGA of America Member from Zambia, an accomplished motivational speaker and the creator of the “Raised By the World” foundation.
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