In the middle of his first AJGA tournament, Isaiah Marseille of Linden, New Jersey, noticed the soles of his shoes were worn out.
“[After his round], we went to the pro shop but we could not find any shoes in his size or within our budget,” Marseille’s mother Michelle remembers.
After the tournament, he discovered a timely gift from National Sponsor adidas Golf: a card good for the redemption of a new pair of shoes. He immediately went to the website to order.
“I didn’t have [golf] shoes before that," Marseille said. "I just had sneakers that didn’t really fit. These golf shoes helped a lot."
The gift was especially important because Marseille plays golf with the assistance of the AJGA’s ACE Grant, a financial aid program that helps talented junior golfers gain access to competitive events. His family, like many others, need the support in covering qualified expenses and entry fees.
In golf, these costs can be extraordinary barriers to opportunities to play and gain the exposure needed to earn a college golf scholarship. Thanks to the ACE Grant, more than $4 million since 2013 has turned into X million in life-changing support for 2,000 families.
At his next tournament, Marseille experienced seeing his name on the top of the leaderboard for the first time and even celebrated his first hole-in-one. Ultimately, he earned his first top-10 national junior golf finish and the PBE status to enter many more AJGA events.
“I’ve been able to play the sport that I love thanks to the ACE Grant and its donors. Without them, competing wouldn’t be possible. The ACE Grant has helped me play.”
In 2020, Marseille has added a top-five finish to his career highlights and is now inside the top-350 players in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.
“I am deeply grateful for the support of the AJGA and its national sponsors, adidas and TaylorMade, for making it possible for my son to pursue his passion in this temporary testing time in our lives.”
To learn more about the ACE Grant and how to apply, visit ajga.org/acegrant .
