Junior Girl Golfers in South Carolina Benefit From Personal Coaching and Guidance
Hilton Head, SC – Golf’s philanthropy is well documented by the nearly $4 billion raised annually through the game. Yet, there’s nothing more personal than the commitment of volunteers who give of their time to raise funds, awareness, and use the platform of golf for the betterment of others.
Among those giving back to the game is LPGA Legend Rosie Jones, a 13-time LPGA Tour winner and seven-time U.S. Solheim Cup competitor, who now mentors the next generation of junior girl golfers through the Rosie Jones Mentoring Program.
The program’s signature fundraising event is the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA) Vicki Hillen Junior Golf Foundation High School Invitational and Mentoring weekend, hosted by Jones each Fall in the Hilton Head area. The recent event featured 72 players from 15 teams and 12 individual competitors, battling over 36 holes at Rose Hill in Bluffton, SC for team and individual honors. Part of the weekend’s schedule included opportunities to learn and hear from women’s golf legends during a clinic and mentoring dinner program, held at Moss Creek Hilton Head.
2024 Rosie Jones Mentoring Scholarship recipient Ava Kaplan of Wando High School finished second overall in the WSCGA Vicki Hillen Junior Golf Foundation High School Invitational with two-day scores of 72-74 (146).
Jones was joined this year by LPGA legends Jackie Gallagher-Smith, Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Leta Lindley, Yvonne Cox-Holmes, and Kristy McPherson. Together, they provided swing tips and encouragement to the junior golfers throughout the weekend while sharing pointers from their personal golf journeys.
“This weekend celebrates the game of golf through mentoring, camaraderie, and hospitality,” said Jones. “The skills of these emerging young golfers were showcased to a gallery of impressed sponsors and residents, and in turn, these golfers also received some life advice from women golfers who had once been in their shoes.”
Each year, through an application process, $2000 mentoring scholarships are awarded to South Carolina junior girl golfers who demonstrate a desire for excellence on and off the course. Girls in the mentoring program are paired with current and former women’s golf coaches, tour members, and professional instructors who serve as role models and resources on all aspects of the game, including course management, preparing for competition, and even mental game management.
As Jones noted, “It’s not all about what happens on the golf course. It has to do with playing the long game and using golf in your life.
In 2025, four junior girls received the scholarships:
- Lyles Herritage, Lexington High School, Lexington
- Kylie Smith, Gray Collegiate High School, West Columbia
- McKayla Owen, North Myrtle Beach High School, Myrtle Beach
- Ava Cunningham, May River High School, Bluffton
“As my vision for this program has become a reality and reaped positive results, I feel truly rewarded,” said Jones. “So far, with funds raised from generous corporate sponsors and individual donors, we have assisted 13 young women reach their goals while becoming positive and productive adults through the power of golf. And, we’re just getting started,” she added.
Betty Palmer, head women’s golf coach at Alabama for 17 years, Kelley Hester, head women’s golf coach at Clemson University, Kristi Coggins, former head women’s golf coach at the University of South Carolina, and Nanci Bowen, a 17-year LPGA competitor and major championship winner, also serve as mentors.
Karen Tekulsky, CRPC of Morgan Stanley, was the Moss Creek dinner sponsor and has committed to support the event again in 2026, which will be held September 25-27.
For more information about the Rosie Jones Mentoring Program or the WSCGA Vicki Hillen Junior Golf Foundation Invitational Hosted by Rosie Jones, please visit https://www.wscga.org/tournaments.html or Clarissa Childs at wscga@wscga.com
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Karen Moraghan
HUNTER Public Relations
kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com
908/963-6013
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