PGA HOPE Parris Island Prepares for the 2024 Secretary’s Cup

Parris Island, S.C. – Use your imagination. It’s Veteran’s Day weekend at Kiawah Island Resort – Cougar Point for the 2023 HOPE Cup. The sun is shining and the wind is lightly gusting to the North. An audience of at least 90 players is watching and waiting as you take your practice swing. Your team is in a spirited playoff with a trip to Louisville, Kentucky on the line – all you need to do is hole a 50-yard chip shot. Easy.

Led by PGA HOPE Lead Jeff Harris, PGA, this team of veterans has already tasted victory at the HOPE Cup, and now they stand on the threshold of another remarkable achievement – a trip to the upcoming Secretary’s Cup during the week of the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.

For Jeff Harris, PGA, the journey with Team Parris Island is more than just about golf; it’s about honoring the service and sacrifice of military veterans. With a career spanning decades in the golfing world, Jeff’s passion for the game is matched only by his dedication to supporting those who have served their country.

From left to right, Past President Chris Byrd, PGA, Earl White, Thomas Sams, Joseph Reese, Kevin Strickroth, Jeff Harris, PGA.

“The PGA HOPE program is invaluable. These guys have learned to develop new friendships and new skills in golf. It gives them a reason to come out and enjoy life again, for many of them. As a PGA professional, no question, it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done… It’s just so exciting. [Going to the 2024 Secretary’s Cup] My guys are on top of the world. We are looking forward to doing that and representing the Carolinas well”, he reflected. 

Among the members of Team Parris Island is Earl White, whose journey to golf is rather unique compared to the rest of the team. After a distinguished career in the Marines and retiring as a Gunnery Sergeant, Earl has found joy, and in his words, a slight obsession in the game of golf, despite its challenges. He didn’t understand the joy of the rollercoaster that is a round of golf until he began playing casually. That was about eight years ago. As the man of humor on the team, he mentioned one golf accomplishment: he did have the highest (yes, you read that right – the highest) qualifying score for the Match Play Championship in 2022.

Kevin Strickroth, another member of the team, brings with him 22 years of experience serving in the Marine Corps. He was a multi-sport athlete during his career with softball being his main sport (might we add on an All-Marine level) and golfing in amateur regional events on the side. Since retiring from active duty, Kevin has continued to serve his fellow veterans through initiatives like Parris Island’s Adaptive Golf Program and acts as one of South Carolina’s Assistant State Directors with the Veteran Golfers Association, embodying the spirit of camaraderie and service.

Thomas Sams, a retired US Air Force veteran, adds a wealth of competitive experience to the team. With a background in engineering and construction, Thomas brings a strategic mindset to the game. Master Sergeant Sams has always been involved with the game of golf. Before joining the Air Force, he competed for a year in community college. Upon his enlistment, he kept competing – and winning. He is a multiple-time base champion at his first duty station, England Air Force Base, in Louisiana. But, military life and other sports interests gradually separated him from competitive golf, and after about a ten-year layoff he resumed playing again in the 1990s.

Joseph Reese, the youngest member of the team, represents the next generation of military leaders. Currently serving on active duty in the Marine Corps, Joseph’s spare time is spent on the course. Captain Reese was invited to qualify for the All-Marine Corps Golf Team in 2022 and 2023. Captain Reese has also participated in multiple state and USGA qualifier events which has strengthened his interest in becoming a PGA of America Golf Professional after his service in the military. 

As they prepare to travel over 600 miles to compete in the Secretary’s Cup representing the Carolinas PGA Section, Team Parris Island carries with them not only months worth of excitement and anticipation but also the collective spirit of camaraderie and service that binds them together. For these veterans, the journey is about more than just winning. It is about experiencing a unique and memorable adventure and remembering the positive power the game of golf can have on an individual.

Click HERE for photos from November’s  PGA REACH Carolinas HOPE Cup!

About PGA HOPE Carolinas – PGA HOPE Carolinas (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is an adaptive golf program offered by our PGA Professionals as a rehabilitation tool to improve our Veterans’ quality of life by enhancing their mental, social, physical, and emotional well-being. There is NO COST to our Veterans. We serve our Veterans at twenty-six locations in North and South Carolina with an emphasis on helping those with physical and emotional disabilities that would most benefit from our initiatives.