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Clubs Fore Kids clinic and Bob Woodfin Junior Classic combine equipment, instruction and competition to create opportunities for young golfers
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Bob Woodfin Junior Classic has become an opportunity to remember a PGA Professional who made a lasting impact on golf in the Mahoning Valley. This year, that impact extended beyond the championship itself.
Before competition began, approximately 20 student-athletes from Newton Falls High School, Wellsville High School and Niles McKinley High School gathered at Old Avalon Golf Course for a Clubs Fore Kids instructional clinic hosted by the Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation.
For some, the afternoon provided an opportunity to sharpen their games ahead of the high school golf season. For others, it included some of their first swings with a golf club.
That combination of access, instruction and opportunity made the clinic a fitting start to a week honoring Bob Woodfin and his contributions to the game.
Earlier this summer, the three participating schools received 21 complete sets of golf clubs through Clubs Fore Kids, a Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation program designed to provide equipment to high school golf programs and young players who otherwise may not have access to it.
The Youngstown-area initiative was made possible through the support of John and Sally Taylor of Paige & Byrnes, who funded both the equipment and instructional clinic.
Before players headed to the practice area, John Taylor spoke to the group about Woodfin and his impact on golf throughout the Mahoning Valley. The message gave the young golfers an understanding of the PGA Professional whose name they would see throughout the week.
“Listening to stories about the kind of PGA Professional Bob Woodfin was has been incredibly inspiring,” said David Griffith, Executive Director of the Northern Ohio PGA Section. “He dedicated his career to serving others, mentoring young people and making golf better for everyone around him. There couldn’t be a better way to begin the Bob Woodfin Junior Classic than by introducing new golfers to the game and creating opportunities for these student-athletes. Thanks to John and Sally Taylor and Paige & Byrnes, Bob’s legacy will continue to impact young people throughout the Mahoning Valley for years to come.”
Putting golf clubs into the hands of young players is only the first step.
Scott Karabin, PGA; Sean Patrick, PGA; Jeff Myers, PGA; and Kim Boehlke, PGA, led the clinic, working with players through a series of instructional stations covering different areas of the game.
The station format gave each student-athlete an opportunity to interact directly with PGA Professionals and receive individual instruction, regardless of previous golf experience.
Coaches Abbey Chieffo of Niles McKinley, John Stoakes of Wellsville and Julie Stimpert of Newton Falls accompanied their teams, giving them another resource as they prepare to build their respective golf programs.
The three schools are among 22 selected for the 2026 Clubs Fore Kids program. Schools are chosen through an application process that considers financial need, the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch, and each coach’s commitment to developing golf within the school and surrounding community.
The goal is not simply to distribute equipment. It is to remove one of the most significant barriers to entering the game while connecting young golfers and their coaches with PGA Professionals who can help them develop.
The focus shifted from instruction to competition when the Bob Woodfin Junior Classic began the following day.
Originally scheduled as a multi-round championship, inclement weather forced the final round to be canceled and shortened the event to 18 holes.
Elijah Stewart captured the overall boys title after firing a 66 at Trumbull Country Club. On the girls side, Saijal Jawa and Kayla Knaze shared the title after each posted a 2-over 74.
Although weather changed the championship schedule, it did not change what the week represented.
Within a matter of days, the Youngstown golf community saw the full spectrum of junior golf — from young players making some of their first swings with newly provided equipment to accomplished juniors competing for a championship.
That connection is at the heart of the Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation’s efforts through Clubs Fore Kids and a fitting continuation of the legacy attached to the Bob Woodfin Junior Classic.
For the PGA Professionals, coaches and supporters involved, success is measured not only by the scores posted during tournament play, but also by the opportunities created before a young golfer ever reaches the first tee.
In Youngstown, 21 new sets of clubs, an afternoon of instruction and a championship honoring a PGA Professional who devoted his career to the game provided another opportunity to ensure that golf continues reaching the next generation.
