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The 2026 HOPE for Heroes Charity Golf Tournament brought together veterans, PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) graduates, and golfers on a sun-soaked Monday at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington for a day that went well beyond a round of golf. From the opening ceremony to the final putt, the event served as a reminder of what the game of golf can mean to those who have served.
The morning got underway with a ceremony that set the tone for everything that followed. The University of Kentucky Army ROTC Color Guard presented the colors, Kentucky-native county singer Taylor Hughes performed the National Anthem, and Retired Kentucky Army National Guard Colonel Dwayne Lewis provided a flyover that drew cheers from the crowd. It was a fitting start to a day built around honoring the men and women who have served this country.
The 6-person scramble drew a field made up largely of PGA HOPE Kentucky graduates and veterans, alongside golfers who came out simply to give back. Long drive specialist Nick Vorbeck also made an appearance, drawing a crowd and helping generate additional support for the program throughout the day. When it was all said and done, the team of Jess Farmer, Scott Kahle, Tyler White, Nathan Ward, Tim Smith, and Scott Toombs took home top honors on the course. But the competition was only part of the story. “This event is way bigger than you might think,” said KPGA Program Coordinator Kara Madden. “It might just seem like an average tournament on an average day, but the majority of our field here is made up of PGA HOPE graduates and a lot of veterans, or people who are connected to veterans in some way, and everyone is just here to give back to veterans.”
For PGA HOPE Kentucky Ambassador Bob O’Neill, the tournament captured everything the program stands for. O’Neill first discovered PGA HOPE in 2023, going through lessons at Man O’War Golf in Lexington before going on to compete in the PGA HOPE Cup and then the PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup in 2024. That journey, he said, opened doors he never anticipated when he first picked up a club. “We’re changing veterans’ lives one swing at a time,” O’Neill said. “Veterans are a different type of people. We kind of loosen up when we’re around each other, and you know, a lot of joking and cutting you down and building you back up.”
Now serving as an ambassador, O’Neill spends his time sharing the program with other veterans and working to grow its reach across Kentucky. For him, events like HOPE for Heroes are proof of what is possible when a community comes together around a common cause. “What we’re doing is we’re changing veterans’ lives one swing at a time,” O’Neill said. “The pros out here with these guys, just cutting up with them and giving them some pointers on the course. Just the pros taking their time to help the veterans, it’s just been great.”
That spirit carried throughout the entire field. For PGA HOPE Graduate Chris Stamper, the day was his first time participating in the HOPE for Heroes event, and it exceeded every expectation. Stamper said he initially stumbled into the program after a fellow veteran recommended it, with no expectations beyond free lessons. What he found was something much greater. “I had no idea what it was,” Stamper said. “I got eight lessons completely for free, and at the end when we graduated, I met people in that class that I still play golf with today. If it wasn’t for PGA HOPE, I never would have met them.” Once on the course, Stamper said it did not take long for the group to find its rhythm. “By hole four or five, everybody’s laughing, cracking jokes at each other,” Stamper said. “A lot of us have had experiences that some people haven’t experienced in their life, so in a way you can bond with them a little bit. It takes you right back to boot camp days, and by the end of the day you all feel like you’re in your own little squadron.” Stamper spoke candidly about the deeper value the program provides, particularly for veterans who struggle to readjust after returning from service. “Sometimes with vets, we like to isolate. We get in our heads. PGA HOPE is an outlet for that. It gets these vets out of their houses, out of their heads, and out here with a bunch of veterans. You don’t have to be good at golf. It’s about getting out here, swinging a club, and having a good time.”
His enthusiasm for the program even spread to his employer, who covered his entry fee and donated $500 to PGA HOPE Kentucky after hearing what the event was all about. It was one of many examples throughout the day of the broader community rallying around a cause that resonates far beyond the golf course. Madden echoed that sentiment on the lasting impact the program continues to make across the Commonwealth. “I want people to know this program changes lives and saves lives, and as cliché as that sounds, many of the veterans who have participated will tell you that. They really were trying to find a meaning after coming back from being overseas, and they found that meaning again through golf.” Stamper put it simply. “It’s just an awesome fellowship, and I think fellowship is a human need. As human beings, we all need some sort of friends and camaraderie, and PGA HOPE is a place where you can come find it.”
To see event photos, Click Here
Congratulations to our very own Zach Haynes, PGA from The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green, KY for his impressive playing at the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort at the end of April, finishing T4. This performance clinched his spot on the Corebridge Financial Team to compete at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, PA! After making his first ever hole in one at Bandon, who thought it could get much better. Turns out earning his spot as one of 20 PGA Professionals on the Corebridge Financial Team and competing against the hardest field in golf was the best way to kick off this year’s golf season!
We were so proud of Zach for representing Kentucky on a national stage, and for competing in his first ever major. We can’t wait to see where your journey continues to go and wish you nothing but the best as you continue crushing it on and off the course!
Click Here to view Zach’s Instagram, where he talked about the experience.
