SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (June 24, 2023) – During PGA Jr. League Day at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, and KPMG have teamed-up to collectively donate $50,000 to PGA Jr. League for the development of two new, local “Opportunity League teams” in New Jersey at Galloping Hills Golf Course in Clark; and the First Tee Raritan Valley/Rutgers University Golf Course in Piscataway.
The new Opportunity League initiative funds community-based PGA Jr. League programs, and is designed to support up to 40 junior golfers, providing assistance with program fees, golf course access, transportation, equipment and more. Today, PGA Jr. League is one of golf’s most popular growth-of-the-game programs, designed for boys and girls, ages 17 and under, featuring a team format in structured leagues.
“Last year, we had a record 70,000 kids register nationwide for PGA Jr. League. And now, through these new Opportunity Leagues, we are providing additional funding through our scholarship program to support kids of all abilities and backgrounds,” said PGA President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing in Lansing, Michigan. “We’re proud to come together with KPMG as part of the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and donate $50,000 that will directly fund two local New Jersey teams and make them part of this great PGA Jr. League initiative.”
“We are proud to partner with PGA REACH through our KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to extend the impact of the PGA Jr. League through these new teams,” said KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO Paul Knopp. “We take great pride in supporting our local communities, and we hope that these programs will continue to develop and inspire the next generation of golfers.”
Alongside the check presentation, PGA Jr. League Day at Baltusrol welcomed local PGA Jr. League players who had the opportunity to take a photo with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship trophy; take part in a clinic with Stanford golfer Rachel Heck and social media influencer Roger Steele; meet PGA President John Lindert, PGA Vice President Don Rea Jr., PGA Secretary Nathan Charnes, PGA Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price; meet KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Deputy Chair and COO Laura Newinski, KPMG National Sports Industry Leader Shawn Quill; and have access to a special viewing area to watch the Championship.
“We greatly appreciate the commitment and generous donation from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, PGA REACH and KPMG that will enable us to build PGA Jr. League programs at both Galloping Hills Golf Course and the Rutgers University Golf Course,” said Mark McCabe, Executive Director, First Tee – Raritan Valley. “Thanks to this unwavering support, we will be able to introduce the game and this amazing PGA Jr. League program to dozens of kids every year, and establish a feeder system for years to come.”
Broadcast in partnership with NBC and Golf Channel, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, operated by the PGA of America in close collaboration with the LPGA, is taking place June 22-25 on the famed Lower Course at historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. The Championship features one of the strongest fields in women’s golf including world #1 Jin Young Ko, Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, In Gee Chun and more.
