TCU Alum and PGA TOUR Winner Tom Hoge’s Donation to Make a Lasting Impact on Junior Golf
The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) Foundation is excited to announce a new partnership with PGA TOUR winner, Tom Hoge as he supports junior golf in conjunction with the RSM Birdies Fore Love grant program. Earlier this year, Hoge contacted the NTPGA Foundation and indicated that $50,000 of the $300,000 he won through the RSM Birdies Fore Love program during the Fall Series on the PGA TOUR would be donated to the NTPGA Foundation.
Although not a former member of the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour, Hoge played collegiately at TCU and is a member of the Northern Texas PGA Section. He plays out of Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth, where NTPGA Section Honorary President, Courtney Connell is the PGA Head Professional.
“Tom played great all fall and I was keeping up with the leaderboard in the Birdies Fore Love grant program. When he finished tied for 1st in the Birdies Fore Love program, I texted him and congratulated him on his great play during that fall and simply asked for his consideration to potentially support our Foundation,” said Courtney Connell.
“I have played in the Ewing Charity Classic which benefits the NTPGA Foundation several times and I am very familiar with the great work the Foundation does on all fronts, but particularly in junior golf. Seeing North Texas is my adopted home, it just made sense to support the Foundation and what they do to promote and grow the game here locally,” said Hoge.
In 2020, NTPGA Junior Tour alumni, Scottie Scheffler also made a $50,000 donation from the RSM Birdies Fore Love grant program to the NTPGA Foundation. This is the second time in as many years that TOUR players and Section Members from North Texas have supported the Foundation in its growth of the game efforts.
Tom Hoge has designated this donation be directed toward the NTPGA Foundation’s junior golf and education pillars as follows:
Introduction - Prep Tour (9-hole competitions)
To encourage the growth of the game and continued skill development, Junior Tour members who played in a 9-hole tournament for the first time on the Ewing Automotive Junior Tour in 2021 will be provided a free entry fee for their first Prep Tour event in 2022, compliments of Tom Hoge and the RSM Birdies Fore Love grant program.
Playing - Membership and Financial Assistance for Junior Golfers
Junior golfers in North Texas who have a passion for the game of golf but lack the financial means to join and compete on the Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour will have an opportunity to do so through a new grant initiative that has been created compliments of Tom Hoge and the RSM Birdies Fore Love grant program.
This grant initiative, named the Tom Hoge / RSM Birdies Fore Love grant program, provides funds for junior golfers to cover the cost of Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour membership as well as entry fees for tournaments.
Education - College Scholarships
Each year, the Northern Texas PGA Foundation continues its charitable commitment to educational services by providing scholarships for very deserving students to attend college. This year, the NTPGA Foundation is projected to award a record of $600,000 in scholarships to more than 60 deserving high school seniors.
Through the grant initiative, three scholarships will be provided to very deserving students. The scholarships will be named the Tom Hoge / RSM Birdies Fore Love scholarships. Junior golfers who are attending TCU and have earned a scholarship will be given first consideration for the newly created scholarships.
For more information on the Northern Texas PGA Foundation and Junior Tour, please visit www.ntpgajuniorgolf.com or contact the Northern Texas PGA office at (214) 420-7421.
About the Northern Texas PGA
The Northern Texas PGA is one of 41 Sections of the PGA of America and its geographic territory includes the State of Texas north of the 31st latitude, or just north of Austin. The Northern Texas PGA is comprised of approximately 850 PGA members and associates employed at more than 300 facilities.
The Northern Texas PGA has 17 full-time staff members and is currently headquartered in Dallas. The Northern Texas PGA will be joining the PGA of America national office relocation to Frisco in the summer of 2022 with its own state of the art headquarters on the PGA Frisco campus.
In addition to managing the day-to-day affairs of the Section, the Northern Texas PGA also operates a non-profit and charitable foundation that focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, fellowships and military and veterans.
About the Northern Texas PGA Foundation
Founded in 1983, the nationally acclaimed Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was rebranded in 2019 as the Northern Texas PGA Foundation. The Northern Texas PGA Foundation focuses on five pillars: junior golf, college scholarships, inclusion, fellowships and military and veterans. The mission of the Northern Texas PGA Foundation is positively impacting lives and communities through golf.
About the Ewing Automotive Northern Texas PGA Junior Tour
The Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour is one of the largest of its kind in the country. It has a membership of approximately 4,000 junior golfers ages 7-19 and conducts over 450 tournaments annually. Tournaments vary in their degree of competitiveness and are for junior golfers of all skill levels. Although the NTPGA Junior Tour fosters competition, its primary goals are to grow the game of golf, continue skill development and encourage fellowship, good sportsmanship, honesty and integrity, while setting the stage for a lifetime of playing golf. Notable alumni include major champions including: Justin Leonard, Jordan Spieth, Brittany Lang, and Angela Stanford along with others including Scottie Scheffler, Ryan Palmer and Will Zalatoris.
