,Utah, August 28, 2025
News Summary
In Utah, a foundation established by a six-time PGA Tour winner is helping aspiring golfers who come from modest backgrounds. This support includes annual grants ranging from $30,000 to $45,000 for essential expenses related to their golf careers, paving the way for their entry into professional tournaments. The foundation, created to give back after enduring his own struggles, ensures players can focus on their games rather than financial barriers, significantly impacting their paths to success.
Salt Lake City — How One Foundation Is Changing the Game for Utah’s Rising Golf Pros
From a garage mattress to the big leagues
The road from local courses to big-money tours is a grind that most golf fans never see. In Utah, that grind has a familiar face attached to it: a six-time PGA Tour winner who grew up in tight financial circumstances and learned to practice with whatever he had — including an old mattress in the garage. That story is now part of a more structured effort to help promising players from the state make the leap to professional golf.
A foundation built from hard-knock lessons
After living the mini-tour struggle himself — and spending eight years to finally crack the PGA Tour — the pro set up a foundation in 2015 aimed at giving back. The foundation focuses on a few core things: promoting literacy, helping with basic needs, offering mental health resources, and, since 2018, directly supporting professional golfers who are from Utah or who attended college here.
Who gets help and how much?
The selection is pretty specific: recipients must have ties to Utah, either by birth or by college. The application process is described as straightforward and practical. Accepted players can receive between $30,000 and $45,000 a year to cover essential expenses tied to their campaigns, with no repayment strings attached. That kind of support covers travel, entry fees, coaching, and other behind-the-scenes costs that can sink a player’s season before it even starts.
Real players, real impact
The first two players to receive support were alumni from a local university and both used the funds to stay competitive on developmental tours. One of them played 50 events on the PGA Tour and credits the assistance with helping him stay in the game until he became financially stable on the Korn Ferry Tour. Another former recipient said the help was crucial and expressed hope not to need it forever — the aim being to get players past the tipping point to independence.
Current beneficiaries and recent moments
Among the players currently getting help are a handful of names Utah fans will recognize: Mitchell Schow, Connor Howe, and Carson Lundell. Schow, in particular, qualified for the Utah Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour in his home state last month — a milestone made possible in large part by foundation support. He needed help to play Monday qualifiers and get his shot at the tournament; without the financial backing, that path would have been far harder to navigate. He made the most of the opportunity and finished tied for 54th, grateful for the chance to compete in front of a home crowd.
Why this matters
Mini-tours and Monday qualifiers are expensive, unpredictable, and emotionally draining. Players who don’t have sponsors or a financial cushion often must decide between chasing their dream and staying afloat in everyday life. The foundation’s grants are not flashy headline checks — they are a safety net aimed at covering the nuts and bolts of professional life: travel, lodging, entry fees, coaching, and mental-health support. For a lot of young pros, that safety net is the difference between stepping away and sticking it out.
How it started — a quick background
The origin story is gritty and familiar: a family with six kids, limited resources, and a community that pitched in when it mattered. A local businessman once paid a steep entry fee that allowed both brothers to enter a high-stakes putting contest in Las Vegas. That gamble paid off and helped launch a professional career. The foundation that followed tries to recreate that kind of community backing for new generations — only more systematic and targeted.
What to watch next
Keep an eye on Monday qualifiers across Utah and Korn Ferry events in the region. The foundation’s recipients are hungry, experienced with life’s hardships, and carrying both the pressure and pride of representing their state. The support they receive can produce quiet success stories: making cuts, keeping tour cards, moving up to bigger tours, and ultimately becoming mentors to the next crop.
Bottom line
This is not charity for charity’s sake. It’s practical, targeted aid designed to erase the economic hurdle that keeps talented players from showing what they can do. For Utah golfers with pro dreams, it’s an engine of second chances and momentum — funded by someone who knows what it takes to get from a garage mattress to the greener fairways of the PGA Tour.
FAQ
Who is eligible for support?
Players who are from Utah or who attended college in Utah and who are pursuing professional golf can apply for foundation support.
How much funding can a player receive?
Accepted players can receive between $30,000 and $45,000 annually to help cover career-related expenses.
Does the support need to be paid back?
No. The funds are grants with no repayment strings attached.
What expenses does the funding typically cover?
Common uses include travel, entry fees, coaching, equipment, lodging, and mental-health resources.
How do players apply?
The application process is designed to be straightforward and accessible; candidates submit materials showing their Utah ties and professional aspirations for consideration.
Quick Reference Table — Foundation Support at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | From Utah or attended college in Utah; pursuing professional golf |
| Annual Grant Range | $30,000 to $45,000 |
| Uses | Travel, entry fees, coaching, equipment, lodging, mental-health support |
| Repayment | None — grants, no repayment required |
| Notable Recipients | Mitchell Schow, Patrick Fishburn, Peter Kuest, Connor Howe, Carson Lundell |
| Founded | 2015 (professional golfer set up the foundation; pro-support began in 2018) |
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