PGA REACH Georgia UPDATE

From,
Scott Geary, CEO/Executive Director

For this first update, I thought it would be appropriate to take a quick look back at some of the momentum we have built from January 1 through July 31.

YOUTH

  • Major Junior Golf Partnership – We began a new four-year partnership with Edible Arrangements, running from 2026–2029, with Edible serving as Presenting Title Sponsor of the Georgia PGA Junior Tour. This has allowed us to offer more competitive opportunities (1,189 tournament spots through 13 events) as well as upgrade tournaments, venues, gifting, and experiences, leading to our highest Junior Tour Membership to date: 515 members. For context, we ended 2025 with 484 members.

  • Gene Siller Memorial Grant Continues its Impact – The Gene Siller Memorial Red Pants Tournament returned to Hawks Ridge Golf Club on July 20th, alongside our month-long auction. We raised over $75,000. Both efforts continue to support the Gene Siller Memorial Grant and help remove financial barriers for young golfers pursuing opportunities through the game. In 2026, we will support 14 recipients to the tune of $31,500 dollars. Since the grant’s inception in 2022, we have raised around $750,000, invested for perpetual sustainability, and distributed over $135,550 to 55 recipients.

  • Drive, Chip & Putt Across Georgia – Local qualifying continued throughout the state this summer, creating opportunities for young golfers to compete and advance toward the national Drive, Chip & Putt Championship. To date, we have offered 1,506 competitive opportunities throughout the state.

  • PGA Jr. League Continues to Grow the Game – PGA Jr. League remains an important part of our youth programming, creating a fun, team-based environment for young golfers to learn the game, build friendships and develop a lifelong connection to golf. Through the leadership of our Georgia PGA Professionals, we continue to expand opportunities for juniors and families to experience the game in an engaging and welcoming way serving 2,410 juniors throughout the state.

  • Supporting the Next Generation – We recognized our 2026 PGA REACH Georgia College scholarship recipients, distributing $20,500 to Georgia PGA Junior Tour grads heading to college.

MILITARY

  • $725,000 Invested in PGA HOPE Georgia – Through the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation's partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore, $725,000 has been dedicated directly to the growth and sustainability of PGA HOPE Georgia through 2028. This investment allows us to expand access and serve even more Veterans across the state at no cost to participants while also funding a full-time employee by 2028 dedicated primarily to PGA HOPE Georgia. We are on pace to serve around 600 veterans in 2026 (The goal with the AMBFF & PGATSS was 500 for the year).

INCLUSION

  • The Drew Grant Launched – We introduced The Drew Grant in honor of PGA Professional Drew Dunn. The grant will provide annual financial assistance to individuals working toward becoming Class-A PGA Members and creates another meaningful way for Drew's legacy to positively impact the next generation of PGA Professionals. The application process has begun and we will announce the first recipient at The Drew reception in November at East Lake. Additionally, we are hosting The Drew Pro-Am prior to The Drew tournament to raise funds for the grant to remain sustainable.

  • Her Shot – Creating Opportunity Through Golf – PGA REACH Georgia is proud to continue to support Her Shot, a youth leadership and development program that uses golf to empower young women ages 11–18. The program goes beyond golf instruction, providing mentorship and exposure to leadership, education, college and career pathways while helping participants build confidence and real-world skills.

  • Women’s Summit Continues to Grow – PGA REACH Georgia brought women from throughout the golf industry together at Atlanta Athletic Club for the second annual Georgia PGA Women’s Summit focused on connection, professional growth, leadership and opportunity within the game. On March 10th, 2027 we will expand the summit to include women who may not work in the game, but are passionate about playing/supporting fellow women in golf. We also secured a Title Sponsor for the event in Good Girl Golf Collective.

MISC

  • Trustee Program Growth – Our Trustee initiative continues to gain momentum. After launching the program in 2025 with a long-term goal of 25 Trustees, we have reached 12 committed Trustees. Each Trustee represents a $100,000 commitment over four years, providing meaningful long-term support for the Foundation and our mission. Essentially, that is $1.2 million (80% of which will be invested into our Foundation Investment account for sustained growth) designated for unrestricted program growth, staff recruitment/retention, and the ability to promote/market the Foundation more freely.

  • Building Relationships Beyond the Boardroom – Several of our Trustees and Foundation Board Members joined us at the PGA Championship this year, providing an opportunity to strengthen relationships while also supporting Georgia PGA Professional Francisco Bide during his PGA Championship debut. In addition, several of our trustees (alongside others in their network) were able to enjoy a short getaway to The Tree Farm in June. We raised over $30,000 and were able to interact and celebrate the Foundation's continued growth.

There is a lot happening within PGA REACH Georgia, and these highlights only scratch the surface. What excites me most is that we are continuing to build sustainable support around all three pillars of our mission — Youth, Military and Inclusion.