As with all events, preparation began many months ago. One of my main responsibilities was collecting biographies from the juniors who would be participating alongside donors for this event. The players enjoyed reading the junior bios on our website and we were excited to highlight their accomplishments thus far. We also had quite a bit of work to do the day before the tournament as we loaded our company van with all kinds of supplies: tents, tablecloths, easels and on-course giveaways thanks to the U.S. Open.  

On the day of the Foundation Cup, July 24, staff arrived at 8 am for set-up. Between registration, giveaway holes, tournament info sheets and the tee gift tent there was a lot to do! Thankfully, our team, committee members and Mission Viejo CC staff executed efficiently, and we were fully organized by the time the first juniors arrived on-site.  

By 9 am, registration, the auction table and the Palm Golf Co. setup were ready to receive the attendees for the tournament, and everyone on staff was assigned to a specific role throughout the day. While some staff were taking care of different roles at registrations, others were making sure everything else on the course was ready for our shotgun start at 11 am. After everyone had picked up their amazing giveaways from the Palm Golf Co., which included gifts like polos, hats, towels and utility bags, they mostly headed to the range for warmup. 

At 11 am, everyone rolled out from the clubhouse towards the hole to which they were assigned, each foursome ready with their juniors to have a great day of golf in sunny SoCal. During the tournament, our staff was distributed in different roles, whether it was on the course or with other tasks, ensuring that the event ran smoothly. We had all kinds of different activities on the course, including closest to the pin, beat the scholar and a hole in one competition. From what I heard, most people had a lot of fun playing against our Assistant Director, Lauren Fesler, trying to beat her on a par-3. Additionally, players and juniors received some great giveaways, such as SCGA Foundation hats and U.S. Open memorabilia. Since I was mainly stationed at hole 16, giving out the U.S. Open giveaways, I heard how almost everyone was amazed by this giveaway and relieved they didn’t have to compete against someone for it. 

As the tournament wrapped up, all the players headed to our reception to enjoy great food and share their experiences throughout the day. During the reception, the staff helped get everything ready to wrap up the scoring for the tournament, announce the raffle and auction winners, and mainly recognize the Foundation Cup 2023 winners. 

 As the tournament finished, some of the staff started to do some course cleanup and gather all the material used throughout the day so we could all enjoy time at the reception with the players and juniors. Throughout the event, it was a great success thanks to all the staff involved, making the overall experience enjoyable for everyone attending. 

Before I started working full-time at SCGA Junior, I was a youth golf coach with SCGA Junior working for our San Fernando Valley Community. In this role, I met Robert “Bob” Veeh, who is one of our most active volunteers and helps coach the juniors during our programming at Woodley Lakes GC. Bob and I connected over our passion for golf and teaching the game, and I was grateful to be playing with him and introducing him to Alejandro and Judah at the Foundation Cup.

Very early in our round, Bob and I noticed how challenging a golf course Mission Viejo CC (otherwise known as Mission Impossible) is, and we were oozing with excitement to tackle this golf course. We also shared with each other how great an experience this is for Alejandro, Judah and all the juniors in the field to gain experience playing a course as complex as Mission Viejo. The tee shots demanded deep thought in attempting to navigate the different dog-leg left and right holes, there was extreme precision required in each approach shot to many elevated, severely sloped greens, and the putting required tremendous green-reading and speed-control skills to navigate the complexities of the greens. This was a challenge that our juniors are not exposed to often, and it is these challenges that really develop and polish a golfer.

Despite the difficulties of the course, it was amazing to see Alejandro’s high, powerful drives off the tee and Judah’s precision and accuracy with his tee ball and approach shots. Both juniors made some impressive birdies, and it was fun for me and Bob to watch them all day. Bob is also a very talented golfer, and although he doesn’t have the same length off the tee as the rest of the group, his precision and accuracy is amazing to watch. Although we got off to a slow start, our team got on a roll towards the end of our round. I made three birdies on our last five holes to get our team in the clubhouse at seven-under. Ultimately, we were two shots behind the winning team in the gross competition, but we all relished the experience and opportunity to play such an amazing golf course and event.

One of the most rewarding parts of being involved with SCGA Junior is seeing our juniors grow and develop as golfers and as people, and this was something I saw first-hand on that day with Alejandro and Judah. Bob’s support and joy in being involved with SCGA Junior is also something I am so grateful for. His enthusiasm for golf is contagious, and he has made so many meaningful relationships with the juniors that he coaches on a weekly basis at Woodley Lakes. Events such as the Foundation Cup are an honor to be a part of and make me proud to be involved with SCGA Junior.

For photos from the event, please click here.

I received a call from the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf team a month ago asking if I could coach at the Junior Golf Experience area during the Women’s Open and immediately said yes. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to mentor juniors at such a historic venue. Throughout the tournament, we saw over 1,500 juniors, including hundreds of SCGA Junior participants. The kids started the day with a scavenger hunt around the course to encourage exploration and exercise. After they hit their eight designated stops, they returned to our golfing area for a relay race, 3-hole putting course setup and chipping practice with rubber duckies. The sheer joy and laughter of the kids were incredibly contagious and made it my favorite part of the entire event. It was so exciting to see golf presented in a fun and engaging way.

Once the juniors were ready to head back inside, they were welcomed with Girls Golf-themed prizes, coloring and community building. It became the heart of junior golf with music, laughs and festivities.

Being at both the Women’s and Men’s U.S. Open championships this year was an amazing opportunity that led to personal growth and joyful memories. While The Los Angeles Country Club is such a historic landmark, nothing compares to being at Pebble Beach.

I received my shift assignments, and began researching; caddie services, player tracking, to what it might entail for a U.S. Open Championship, as I only knew what the ‘Marshal’ role was. My first shift was on Sunday, June 11th and I was scheduled to support caddie registration.

But as I walked towards The Los Angeles Country Club entrance, my nerves disappeared, only to be replaced with pride and enthusiasm for this great opportunity, thanks to the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation. I went straight to the Merch tent to get my Volunteer apparel and I was amazed by the massive merchandise tent filled with product from 70+ companies. After scoping out locations for some of my favorite brands, I was able to find my way through the course to find where the range, player services, caddie services, fitness center and other services were set up for the tournament.

For my first shift, I was tasked to help with caddie services. We helped fill up a nice, branded bag with some goodies like water bottles, cigar holders, USGA branded towels, U.S. Open magazine and other additional giveaways. All of this was done inside a hospitality tent designated for caddies, coaches, agents or any other additional staff from the players. The tent had a great setup with food, drinks, a barber, ping pong table, and TV’s showing the RBC Canadian Open Championship.

I also had the opportunity to go get some credentials from the player reception area and it was great to see all the setup they had. Later in the day, I received a credential for the player reception area and ventured over to that private area. Each player was gifted an upgraded bag with all kinds of giveaways, including a selection of wines for the players to choose from. The reception area was incredible. In addition to a ping pong table and mini basketball hoop, there was an on-site magician and station where players could sign posters and other SoCal memorabilia such as a surfboard. My favorite component was a wall that highlighted the number of U.S. Open Championships attended by each player who was part of this year’s tournament- of course Phil Mickelson’s 32 appearances were at the top.

On Monday I began my first of three shifts as a marshal on Hole No. 5. The journey to arrive at Hole #5 was an adventure in itself! First, I took a shuttle from a nearby UCLA parking lot and then began to hike as Hole #5 was the farthest from the entrance. Once I arrived at the tee box, I connected with my SCGA colleagues and our hole captain who explained the different stations throughout the hole and the timing of our rotation schedule.

As marshals, our team was responsible for tracking and marking balls all while ensuring spectators were behind the ropes at the appropriate times. The most important role on that hole was holding the paddles behind the tee box. With the hole playing at nearly 500 yards, I got to witness a lot 300+ yard drives up close, while those with the paddles would watch players tee off and indicated where the ball was headed so other marshals up the hill could mark where it landed if it went into the rough.

Many players struggled on this hole during the practice rounds. In fact, one funny story that circulated through the tournament took place when Ben Hogan was teeing off. His caddie pointed towards four palm trees towards the end of the hole and said to hit to towards them. Hogan’s response? “Which one?” Fans loved that story, and I must have heard versions of that story at least twenty times throughout my Marshal shifts.

My three shifts on Hole No. 5 were all unique, with Wednesday having the least number of players on the course as I assume they were taking it easy before the start of the tournament. It was amazing to be so close to some of the best golfers in the world. Some of the most memorable shots I watched were Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson teeing off from Hole No. 8, Matt Fitzpatrick (2022 US Open Champion) hitting it into the rough (I marked his ball) and Rory playing with his gallery of 20+ behind him.  

Another awesome component of being on the course was talking to fans and other volunteers, who were quick to tell me so many fun facts about LACC, from the rumor of Lionel Richie’s enormous house next to the green on Hole No. 4 to the sounds of peacocks and monkeys from the Playboy Mansion behind Hole No. 13. There were also a lot of people talking about the thick rough and LACC’s controversial course set-up for this championship. Many spectators thought the course looked easy; others predicted it would be very tricky as the tournament progressed.  

Everyone had their own take on which clubs to hit on each hole and seemed very confident in their abilities. Overall, most folks were especially impressed with how a course as lush as LACC could be in between a city like Los Angeles. Being from Mexico City, I am used to having a couple of golf courses in more urban areas, so I haven’t really thought about it much, but people came from all over the world to watch this tournament and many had never seen such a beautiful juxtaposition!  

Throughout the entire week, the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation made a concerted effort to be active in and around Los Angeles to share information about its important work and the FORE YOUTH 2023 U.S. Open Community Legacy Campaign. With that in mind, I spent Friday morning at U.S. Open Showcase, an interactive fan experience hosted at the Century City Mall. This was a fantastic space with different amenities such as a pop-up merch tent, a golf simulator, celebrity appearances, live music, the EA Sports PGA tour experience, and a screen to watch the tournament live. Fans could even take photos with the trophy! 

The morning was a bit slow as most people were more interested in finding their way to the golf course but in the afternoon, we chatted with tons of folks at the SCGA’s booth. We shared the benefits of an SCGA Membership and how parents could sign their junior to our golf programming offerings for our Summer Session which begins on July 9th.  We also had a fun interaction by being interviewed by some FOX Sports interns!  

My final shift was on Championship Sunday, I was thrilled to be a part of this important day. Although I was originally slated for player tracking, I ended up in the grandstands between the 9th and 18th holes to assist with crowd control. Fans began reserving seats at 2pm although the tournament didn’t wrap up until about 7pm. It was really special to hear the cheers for each player on the 18th, despite where they landed in the standings. All of the pros were very grateful for the love, despite not getting the results they expected. Watching such a big tournament coming down the home stretch was an amazing experience. The energy from the fans was palpable, especially to see how the tournament was closing and people were so excited rooting for Rory and Wyndham to have an exciting end to the round.  

Overall, I had a great experience throughout the 123rd U.S. Open week, something I probably only dreamt of before being part of the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation team. To be able to work as an important event as it is a Super Bowl, a World Series, or any other major sport event was a once–in–a–lifetime experience. Volunteering and talking with people from all different backgrounds who have a common interest in golf was such an interesting and learning experience. I recommend getting involved in an event of this magnitude as it is something you will never forget!   

This story has been translated to Spanish and can be accessed here.

View photos from U.S. Open week here. 

It made me feel honored and grateful to be chosen for this opportunity to become a better person and leader through golf. My days at the Academy were filled with fun group activities and challenges with friends. We learned about different things such as trust, decision-making and goal-setting and then we implemented them into our golf game.

Girls Golf and SCGA Junior not only make girls better golfers, but also encourage girls to be confident and persevere when things get tough, which is very important to me. I was also recently accepted as a Girls Golf eLeader, which means I’ll be able to lead and inspire other girls to be passionate about playing golf.

Through SCGA Junior and its programs, I’ve been mentored and coached by so many inspiring people, that now I’m excited to do the same for others. It has also led me to make new friends and be able to learn from great coaches.

I’m not the only one who has had this experience. Lots of local girls are developing skills on and off the golf course because of the programs that you support.

Someone who I met at a recent event was SCGA Foundation scholar alumni, Alyaa Abdulghany. Alyaa spent a lot of time talking to myself and the other girls who were there, sharing her swing tips with us and encouraging us to follow our dreams about playing golf at the next level. Alyaa just advanced to Stage II of LPGA Q-School and I think it’s really cool that I got to spend time with her.

This program has affected myself, girls like me, and even Alyaa. Thank you for all that you do to help girls grow on and off the course.

Your local future LPGA star,



Ayuka Yang

SCGA Junior and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Participant

Being selected to participate in events like these makes me feel special and honored that SCGA Junior sees my potential, supports me and knows I will represent SCGA Junior well.

Of course, my favorite moment on the course this summer was the USGA commercial. I was chosen to recreate an iconic moment from Michelle Wie West, and the coolest part was when we saw that she posted the video on her Instagram. Since the commercial aired, I have had lots of people congratulating me and showing their support.

In the Foundation Cup, playing such a beautiful course and with such wonderful people are memories that I will cherish. Going to lots of different courses and challenging myself both as a golfer and as a person has been great, and Summer League has been a big part of that as well.

I’m loving Summer League because I can still be competitive, and I am also able to hang out with friends. My brother and I have made some really special friends while being part of SCGA Junior. Golf also helps me off the course. Golf teaches me to have good sportsmanship and to stay focused a lot, because on tests you have to try and stay focused and in golf tournaments you have to stay focused, so it just helps me with my life.

I’m so grateful for all the opportunities that I’ve had, and they’ve added up to a very special summer! It has been a busy summer, but I look forward to the future tournaments and practices and starting high school golf. My goal one day is to play in college, and with the help of SCGA Junior and opportunities like these, I know that I’ll get there.



Nataliya Laciste, SCGA Junior Participant

I have been a part of SCGA Junior since I was seven. SCGA Junior provided me the opportunity, like many other juniors across Southern California, to be able to play, practice and compete in the game of golf without breaking the bank. Of course over the years as I aged and matured, my perspective of the program changed, but it was a good change.

When I was younger I remember appreciating having my bag tag that would allow me buckets of range balls for a couple dollars and golf for $5 or less! I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever as a kid, and I still do. Now that I am older, I can look back in a broader sense as to how much SCGA Junior contributed to my overall athletic, academic and professional careers. To this present moment I continue to give thanks to SCGA Junior for all they have done for me in the game of golf and within my own life. 

I have been involved with SCGA Junior for so long now, it is almost hard to narrow down the impactful experiences I have had or the people I have met throughout my involvement. I would have to say the greatest experience that has impacted my life and primarily my golf career was when I got to meet Nancy Lopez at an SCGA Junior fundraiser when I was still in high school. I was working as one of the caddies/scorers for a group of gentlemen playing in the fundraiser, and Nancy Lopez was one of the special guests that came out to play in and promote the fundraiser. At the end of the round of golf, there was a clinic hosted by Nancy Lopez where those who played were allowed to ask her questions. Since I worked the tournament, I was allowed to attend, and I asked her some questions about the game in general and about putting under pressure in a tournament. Her advice was something that I have carried since hearing her say it: “If it’s five feet or less, just drill it in.” That piece of advice right there has saved me so many times on the putting green both in and out of tournament play that I could not count them all if I tried. In another sense, too, she was reminding me how simple golf really is. I use that memory and experience of meeting her as a reminder to not overly complicate things. All you have to do is just putt it straight in, or, in a more practical sense, just do what needs to be done and move on.

As for people within the Foundation, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the board members, volunteers, staff, special guests, and hundreds of juniors throughout the years that I cannot pick just one to talk about. However, I can say that everyone who I have had the pleasure of meeting or playing with through SCGA Junior has left a positive impact on my life and outlook of the golf community that I will carry with me through the years. I know I will always have friends and family to come back home to both on and off the course for years to come. 

SCGA Junior and the scholarship program have changed my life in many ways. Without them my family and I would not have been able to afford the expenses that came with golf, and I would not have been able to play or practice as much as I did. I honestly contribute most of my success to SCGA Junior because I would not be as developed mentally and physically without the practice. On top of that, the scholarship program really helped me out throughout my four years of undergrad at the University of Illinois Springfield. When you are fresh out of high school and going to attend college, no one truly informs you of how expensive attending college can get outside of the normal tuition cost. The scholarship program really helped me in paying for my classes, books and school supplies wherever I needed the help. It really eased the burden on me and gave my family some peace of mind that I was going to be okay over in Illinois.

In addition to that, being a scholar has presented me with so many opportunities for networking and in improving my professional skills. I attribute most of my public speaking and conversational skills to all of the fundraisers and scholarship receptions I attended. It really helped me to step into true adulthood with my new full-time job since I have graduated from UIS. 

As for my current and future plans, I have some concrete foundations down, but most of it is to be determined. My dream is to attend a Masters of Science program in California at UC Irvine or UC Davis in either Molecular Biology or Neuroscience. I am currently working towards studying for the GRE as well as working towards my applications to both of those schools and a few others. I sadly do not think I will be using my extra year of eligibility for golf due to COVID-19, as the educational demand for either of those graduate programs is fairly high, and I want to be able to devote my attention to learning as much as I can. In the meantime, I am working full-time for the State of Illinois in their SHIELD COVID-19 testing laboratory. There, I work under the title of a Lab Scientist and run the actual PCR tests for the saliva samples collected and submitted throughout the regions we collect and test from.

I have been involved with SCGA Junior for the majority of my life, and I know I will always have places and people to return to once I am done with my time in Illinois. I would just like to extend my personal thanks to everyone in the Foundation for all they have done for me and all of the other juniors and Scholars. Thank you to the staff, volunteers, teaching professionals, golf courses, friends and my family for all they have done and helped me with throughout my SCGA Junior and Scholar experience. I cannot wait for the day when I can contribute donations back to the Foundation as a thank you for all they have done for me. I would not be standing where I am at in life and golf without SCGA Junior and I will always remember my time I had in the program as a junior.  

I love seeing the kids’ faces light up when they understand what to do and see how proud they are when they make progress. As a former SCGA Junior participant myself, I’ve been playing golf for several years and know how big it can be in someone’s life. I grew up using the Golf Pass to have affordable playing opportunities, I still play competitively for El Camino College and now working as a coach is something that I love. It’s so much fun to know that I’m working alongside people who are just as passionate about golf as I am.

Our Riverside community is growing every day. We’ve already nearly doubled our registration from the first session that we hosted at the beginning of the year and are beginning to see some familiar faces that always come back to the course. I’ve become especially close with Adrian and John – two kids that I coach every week. They bring the energy, and it’s contagious!

I’ve learned that golf is a game that teaches you a lot about life. I always tell the kids to keep at it. Golf can be frustrating at times, but it’s a lot like life in that way. Sometimes it knocks you down, but you should always get back up and keep trying.

I’m so passionate about bringing kids from our community to the course and showing them everything that this great game has to offer. There are a lot of kids we want to get out on the course!

Christian Oster, Program alumni and part-time coach

In high school, I finally started taking golf seriously after I missed the cut to play in CIF as an individual. The following year I became the first golfer in my school’s history to win our league title.

I earned a scholarship through the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation, which helped me play collegiately at Cal State Dominguez Hills. While there, we won the PGA Works Collegiate Championship.

Last month, I played in Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Q-School.

My name is Andrew Banuelos and I’ve been a coach in the Player & Youth Development Program for six years. I’m telling you all this to show you how much a Mexican kid from Pico Rivera can achieve in the game of golf.

I know golf isn’t the most diverse sport, but it should be. It’s important for kids from all backgrounds to have opportunities to play golf because it’s a game that brings people together and teaches important life lessons. After more than a year away, I’m so excited that we are getting back to the course.

Programming is finally back, and there are so many kids that I coach who I’m excited to see. I’m excited to hear what they’ve been up to, how they are doing and what they have coming up. I’m just excited.

Part of what I love so much about being a coach is getting to take my knowledge of the game, my experiences, and my mistakes, and using them to teach our junior golfers. I can make a huge impact on them and prepare them for the next level. I can show them how to have confidence in themselves and belief that they can play at any level if they work hard to achieve their goals.

These kids are just like I used to be. So I’m here to help them become the best golfers, and people that they can be.

Andrew Banuelos

PYD Coach and Scholar Alumni

Volunteer, 2020 President’s Award Winner