Supporting amateur golf across the Valley of the Sun
2021 Thunderbird Invitational Champions – Grace & Preston Summerhays
Everybody knows The Thunderbirds from the WM Phoenix Open, but many don’t realize they support amateur golf organizations, too. The JGAA is one of them! With the sponsorship from The Thunderbirds, the JGAA is able to do incredible things like subsidize tournament entry fees for all players; nobody is turned away due to lack of resources. JGAA membership includes the Youth on Course program, which subsidizes green fees for juniors, along with other scholarships and educational opportunities intended to “motivate, educate and inspire.”
“We feel honored to uphold a tradition started long before us,” said Thunderbirds Big Chief Scott Jenkins. “Bob Goldwater and other founders understood the transformative power of the game, especially to shape youngsters into the type of men and women who become community leaders, whether they end up pursuing golf as a profession or pastime.”
Not only do The Thunderbirds annually support the JGAA, they directly fund three tournaments each year: Thunderbird High School Senior Classic, Thunderbird Invitational and Thunderbird Junior Classic. Plus, the JGAA’s sister organization, Girls Golf of Phoenix, also benefits from their generosity. In addition to the JGAA, The First Tee of Phoenix has grown into one of the largest chapters, impacting more than 130,000 youth annually with The Thunderbirds’ help.
From the little ones to young men and women, The Thunderbirds’ support of college golf goes way back to 1975 when the ASU Thunderbird Collegiate first teed off. More recently they launched the Thunderbirds Golf Complex – affectionately known as The Bird – ASU Golf’s new state-of-the-art team facility at Papago Golf Course. And this May will mark the second of three years of The Thunderbirds’ involvement – alongside ASU, Grayhawk Golf Club, Golf Channel and the NCAA – hosting the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships.
Thank you, Thunderbirds, for all you do!
