Neighbor News
Military Veterans from New Jersey Win Secretary’s Cup
Spirited Golf Tournament Kicked-Off PGA Championship Week in Oklahoma
Military Veterans from across the country coping with physical & cognitive challenges teed-it-up in the PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup to Kick Off 2022 PGA Championship Week, on Monday, May 16th at The Club at Indian Springs in Broken Arrow, OK.
12 teams consisting of four Veterans and one PGA Professional competed in a spirited nine-hole golf competition that features America’s heroes who have participated in the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program hosted by their local PGA Section. PGA HOPE is a rehabilitative golf program for Veterans and Active-duty Military, that enhances their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.
The participating teams included PGA HOPE South Central, the host section that fielded two teams (Tulsa and Oklahoma City), along with PGA HOPE Carolinas, PGA HOPE Georgia, PGA HOPE Illinois, PGA HOPE Kentucky, PGA HOPE Nebraska, PGA HOPE New Jersey, PGA HOPE Northern California, PGA HOPE Northern Texas, PGA HOPE Philadelphia and PGA HOPE Western New York.
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Led by Pete Stefanchik, PGA Head Golf Professional at Hawk Pointe Golf Club, in Washington, NJ, Team New Jersey finished at 7 under par to capture the 2022 Secretary’s Cup. The winning team included: U.S. Army Veterans David Ryden and Garret Hrynko, U.S. Air Force Veteran Jared Forest and Marines Corps Veteran Jim Csogi. This is New Jersey’s third Secretary’s Cup title (2017, 2018) since the competition started in 2016.
Stefanchik, who comes from a military family, teared up when discussing the experience ,“This is what it’s all about, this is my major,” he said. “These guys mean the world to me, and to share this incredible experience with them is so rewarding.”
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Led by PGA Professionals, PGA HOPE programs are currently offered at more than 215 locations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, across 46 States and 40 PGA Sections. In 2021, the program positively impacted 4,500 Veterans, and the 2022 goal is 7,500 Veterans served. It is the only adaptive golf program that has an MOU with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which enables VA Facilities to refer Veterans to the PGA HOPE program as a form of therapy.
For more information on PGA HOPE, please visit PGAREACH.org.
