Palos Verdes member and SCGA Junior supporter Scott Chernoff served as the host for the event, while SCGA Junior Vice President Phil Frengs and SCGA Junior Advisory Committee Member Mark Pfeil participated.

We were lucky to be joined by Tom Sullivan, who kicked off the day with a motivational speech.  High school student and SCGA Junior instruction program member, Dana Bryant, found his words to be especially encouraging.

In a thank you message to Tom, Dana stated “I feel honored to have met you and listen to you speak.  You were very inspiring to me, especially with your encouragement telling us (juniors) that we can do anything we put our minds to.  My favorite quote was when you said ‘Remember that no fence is too high to climb.’ Thank you again for your kind words and sharing your funny stories!”

The groups then teed off for a competitive 9-hole round.  The format played was that the teams would score 1 ball on a Par 3, 2 balls on a Par 4, and 3 balls of the four person team on a Par 5.  However, the focus wasn’t on the scores being shot that day.  11 year old, Jesse Palazuelos, paired with Scott Chernoff, appreciated the time he spent on the course learning about the speed of the greens and where to hit smart shots.  He also spoke to the group after the round about how he learned that he’s supposed to clean his golf clubs!

At the end of the round, one team came out on top, the foursome of SCGA Junior Scholar, Kailee Ward, SCGA Junior instruction member, Miles Flournoy, and PVGC members Michael Sinclair and Alan Bergland.

SCGA Junior member, Sofia Alonso, summed up the day by sharing “I really had fun playing at Palos Verdes and never thought I would have a chance to play at a country club.”

Our scholarship program is one of the many ways that we support youth who participated in our programs.  Juniors who are active in our programs have an opportunity to receive a scholarship to pursue their education, which is renewable for up to four years. The scholarship is available to those who choose to and/or able to play college golf and for those who just want to go to college.  The funds can be used for tuition, room and board, and educational supplies.  In 2015, we awarded 37 youth a total of $136,000 to continue their education. In 2016, $155,000 will be distributed to 45.

At the Renewing Scholar Reception at Friendly Hills Country Club on April 30th, we received impressive updates from our current scholars.  A couple highlights included that Torrey Munoz, a junior at UC Santa Barbara, will be studying in Scotland in the fall, as he was accepted to participate in an internship with the Scottish Parliament.  Freshman Jakeishya Le won her first collegiate tournament representing UC Riverside.  Alec Spencer had another successful season as a member of the University of LaVerne’s golf team and just qualified for the California Amateur Championship.  We beamed with pride as we listened to each and every update. But beyond what they have accomplished so far, what makes us the proudest is that our scholars give back.  Scholar Nick Moreno, who attends Carnegie Mellon University and back for the summer, raised money and played in our recent golf marathon.  Most of our Southern California scholars also volunteered for the day, as they do for most of our events.

We gave junior golfers skills and instilled values through our instruction and SCGA Junior Golf Club programs.  The scholarship program is a continuation of providing opportunities for these youth.  It is our commitment to their growth and success.  Whether or not they play golf in college or just focus on academics, the scholarship program allows scholars to have the support to pursue their next endeavor.

The 7th Annual Golf Marathon raised $37,487 for our junior golf programs, thanks to our marathoners/fundraisers who signed up, asked friends and families to donate, and played!

The format included two balls per hole and a fun activity every other hole. Activities included golf pong, golf trivia, hitting with junior or SNAG Golf clubs, and “teeing off” using a kickball, football, or soccer ball. The event was a celebration of the 10-week fundraising campaign.

At the event, marathoners had opportunities to earn a ticket for a drawing in which the can win prizes such as dinners, comedy club tickets, aquarium tickets, museum tickets, and rounds of golf at golf courses throughout Southern California.  Marathoners earned tickets by participating in hole activities.

All fundraisers also received a Nike shoe bag with an SCGA logo and golf balls. Top fundraisers and pledge earners received prizes that include airfare and tickets to the Deutsche Bank Tournament in Boston on Labor Day Weekend, round at Oakmont and San Gabriel Country Clubs, tickets to an Angels Game, a $400 Amazon Gift Cards, and a $400 Golfsmith Gift Cards.  The perfect Long Beach and fun day was capped with an after-party celebration.

STATS:

Number of Fundraising Weeks: 10

Number of Fundraisers: 23

Number of Donors: 409

TOTAL RAISED: $37,481

• Every dollar raised is going to programming.
• Marathoners are continuing to make golf accessible and affordable for kids: only $1 to $5 for range and green fees.
• Through educational and social outings, support helps broaden a child’s perspective that opens their minds to what is possible and the opportunities.
• Dollars raised allows SCGA Junior to do more in underserved communities that we serve.

Congrats to Matt Pawlak who shot a Hole In One on Hole 12!

New $10,000 Club Members: Matt Pawlak and Frank Moore

The Spring Instruction Kickoff was an opportunity for the juniors who are new to golf to spend time and familiarize themselves with the golf course.  The Kickoff also allowed participating program members and families from all three sites to meet each other.  Lastly, the Kickoff was a way to engage and draw the local Bell Gardens community in to their golf course.  Not only is SCGA Junior introducing golf to the community, we are also building a community through golf.

From the looks on everyone’s faces, a good time was had by all!

The ANA Junior Inspiration, one of golf’s most special and unique events that sends its winner into the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration field, has crowned its fifth champion. After shooting a bogey-free round of 5-under par 67, 17-year-old Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach was all smiles as she tapped in for par on the 18th hole of the Palmer Course at Mission Hills CC, knowing she had secured the final spot in this week’s LPGA major.

“To be a part of the [ANA Inspiration] field and be able to compete against the pros, I’m really excited to have that opportunity and am really looking forward to this week,” said Andrea. “I really wanted to make it this year. I can’t wait.”

Andrea was the only player in the 39-person junior field who had also competed in the first-ever ANA Junior Inspiration five years ago, an event that was won by now LPGA Tour Player Alison Lee. In fact, Andrea has earned a spot in the ANA Junior Inspiration field four of the last five years, skipping last year’s event only because she earned a sponsor’s exemption straight into the ANA Inspiration field, where she failed to make the cut.

“Last year in the second round I got caught up a little too much in the score,” said Andrea, a senior at Mira Costa High School who has committed to play her college golf at Stanford next year. “This year I’m just going to go in and try to have fun, play one shot at a time and see what happens.”

In addition to giving one junior the opportunity of a lifetime by sending them into an LPGA major, the ANA Junior Inspiration also allows each girl to be grouped with an LPGA legend for an inspirational round of golf. Thirteen of the most decorated female golfers of all time coach and mentor the juniors throughout the round, a priceless experience that is not lost on the girls.

“To be able to have the chance to be paired up with the hall of famers of professional golf is really amazing,” said Andrea. “For them to take the time to play with us is really incredible. I played with Pat Bradley today and she kept me calm throughout the round, just really kept me positive.”

And for the legends, it’s really a chance for them to see the future of the game they love so much.

“It was amazing out there today,” said Bradley, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the 1986 winner of the ANA Inspiration. “And Andrea is really something. She’s the whole package.”

Andrea’s winning score of 67 matched the ANA Junior Inspiration’s top score, with a 5-under par round having been the winning number three of the event’s five years. Andrea never looked shaky throughout her round, collecting two early birdies on holes four and five to take the early lead. She would never look back, playing without a blemish the rest of the way through, including ending her round with a chance for eagle just off the 18th green.

“I had really no mistakes today,” said Andrea, who last summer won the inaugural Women’s Southern California Amateur Championship. “When the birdie opportunities came I took them. I just played really well, was confident with my iron shots, and it all went really well.”

Also turning in an under-par round was 15-year-old Elizabeth Wang, one of the event’s youngest participants. Despite windy conditions, Elizabeth also collected five birdies on the day, but also recorded three bogeys. Elizabeth and Andrea were the only two girls in the field to shoot rounds under par.

Andrea would go on to shoot rounds of 76, 74 to miss the cut at the ANA Inspiration.

“Thank you. You’ve taught me so much and created so many opportunites for me.” – Shani, Eighth Grader

See the entire video at Thanks to You.

This happens….

“If you learn something, the best way to pay it forward is to teach others what you’ve learned.”

Alejandro, age 14

See the entire video at Friends of Golf Kickoff