History
Eleven years ago, 12 juniors teamed up and raised $12,000 for charity, and the Carolina Cup was born. Patrick Cover and Thomas Walsh, both North Carolina natives, founded the initial event. Though its leadership, title (originally the Dormie Cup) and venue have changed, this event provides a blueprint for future Leadership Links and ACE Grant fundraising opportunities. The event has raised money for the Wounded Warrior Project, Curesearch for Children’s Cancer, The First Tee of Sandhills and Tri Counties and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The event also raises money for the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, which provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf. Since 2010, the event has raised more than $500,000. In 2017, the AJGA was excited to introduce the State Cup Series, founded to produce Carolina Cup-type events throughout the United States.
Mission
The Cobra Puma Golf State Cup Series is a unique junior golf event series providing competitive junior golfers development in important life skills such as charitable giving, leadership, and teamwork. Participants gain a greater understanding and knowledge of the benefiting charities while being celebrated for their accomplishments.
Please check back soon for the 2023 Schedule!
How do I get involved?
Interested in bringing an event to your city or Club? Please contact Bobby Puchner at bpuchner@ajga.org to learn about hosting your own event.
Details
- 24 - 32 juniors (mostly, but not all AJGA members) are split between two teams in a two-day Ryder Cup style event
- Participants come from all over the state
- Each junior commits to raising a minimum of $1,000 to compete
- Proceeds are split between the local charities and the AJGA’s ACE Grant program
- A more formal junior-led banquet celebrates the accomplishments and educates juniors on the charity and the reasons to give back
- Uniforms, golf balls, event incentives and opportunities for top fundraisers to play with Rickie Fowler or meet Jack and Barbara Nicklaus at the Honda Classic serve as rewards to motivate the juniors
