“We provide an opportunity of a lifetime for 18 boys and 18 girls who qualify for the Junior Pro-Am through the Southern Texas PGA Section,” says Jane Wandmacher, tournament director of the Insperity Invitational. “These aspiring young golfers are awarded the pro-am experience inside the ropes, on the Tournament Course. They get to bring a caddie, their parents come out to watch, and we host them all for lunch and a clinic. It is a great opportunity for golf’s future in southern Texas to play alongside the pros.”

Guiding these young hopefuls around the course this year were PGA Tour Champions stars Steven Alker—the eventual winner of the Insperity Invitational—Robert Karlsson, Kirk Triplett, Jose Maria Olazabal, Joe Durant, Tom Pernice, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ken Tanigawa and Steve Flesch.

“I have played the Junior Pro-Am for the last few years,” Pernice tells Kingdom. “These kids have qualified for the pro-am, and it is pretty special for them to play golf inside the ropes.”

Pernice, 63, is a six-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions, and twice lifted trophies on the PGA Tour. “I like to see how the juniors are doing, what level they are at, and see how I can help them and give them some insight into their progression through junior golf, high school and then hopefully onto college,” he says.

Junior Day was also highlighted by the SUCCESS Golf program (Students Undertaking Challenging Courses Ensuring Development of Sportsmanship and Skill)—part of the Be An Angel Foundation—which set up an adaptive 9-hole miniature golf course on the driving range for local children with disabilities and special needs. “The miniature golf course was enjoyed by around 50 kids from different schools in the Houston area,” says Wandmacher. “Players spent time there and putted with the kids, and so did some of the Junior Pro-Am golfers. It is a great opportunity for the children with special needs to experience golf and the tournament. They also have lunch, they receive t-shirts and medals—it’s a fun day.”

Adds Pernice: “Any time you get an opportunity to make a difference and help someone to enjoy their day a little bit more, it is a pretty simple thing to do. As tour golfers, we are grateful for what we have in our lives, so it is important to give something back.”