Foundations on the fairways: Sun Country Golf hosts tourney for PGA HOPE campaign

SANTA ANA PUEBLO — It was a Veterans Day celebration out on the links at Santa Ana Golf Club.

The Sun Country Golf Foundation hosted the “RBC Wealth Management PGA HOPE Sun Country Cup” at SAGC on Nov. 10.

PGA HOPE, the flagship military program of the PGA of America REACH Foundation, strives to change and save veterans’ and active-duty military service members’ lives through the power of golf.

The program often hosts events year-round for veterans to get out on the course or compete in tournaments and events, serving more than 17,000 veterans since 2024 across the country.

That mission’s journey made its way to Santa Ana Pueblo with the Sun Country Cup, bringing teams from across the Southwest for the Veterans Day Eve Cup, coming from locations such as Farmington, Las Cruces and El Paso.

This year’s event brought together 14 teams, made up of four PGA HOPE alumni and PGA of America professionals. The bright Monday morning began with an opening ceremony before some spirited competition, followed by a celebratory lunch and awards presentation in a day of fun and camaraderie on the course.

“The event was exceptionally well organized,” PGA HOPE Ambassador Manny Gonzales shared. “What made it excellent was the genuine connection between our community and veterans; it benefited everyone. What stood out most were the interactions among veterans, PGA staff, donors and the course team.”

It was team versus team in the morning battle, with Team Santa Ana tying for third at 14-under. Team Kirtland Air Force Base took the win at 18-under.

Scoreboard aside, it was all about the connections and bonds, as Gonzales stated. And this is just the tip of the iceberg for HOPE.

In their national “HOPE 4 Heroes” campaign, which started on Oct. 31 and runs through Dec. 31, the Sun Country Cup is one of several events you will see here in state and across the country within the next few weeks.

After the Monday tourney, the Sun Country team played 100 holes for HOPE on Tuesday at Los Altos GC. Just almost two weeks into the campaign, Sun Country has raised $4,591 toward PGA HOPE Sun Country programming.

“HOPE” stands for “Helping Our Patriots Everywhere,” along with the organization’s go-to slogan, “serving those who served.” Through these successful campaign events, it shows it’s more than just a catchphrase.