Look closely around the ropes of the Volunteers of America Classic, and you might spot five young women soaking up a big opportunity. Thanks to an annual initiative spearheaded by past pro and current Golf Channel analyst Judy Rankin, five junior golfers annually get to experience this Texas LPGA stop a little bit differently.
Through her JTR Suitcase Fund, Rankin, who is calling the action for Golf Channel this week, makes it possible for a handful of junior girls to play in the Volunteers of America pro-am, meet LPGA players and watch the championship at Old American Club in The Colony, Texas, up close.
The five junior golfers who attended this year’s event are Angela Aguirre, Lainey Cristan, Jules Crow, Ryann Honea and Sara Reid.
Volunteers of America Classic attendees (Photo submitted)
The mission of the Suitcase Fund is to help junior golfers in the West Texas area with travel funds and experiences for summer golf events and tournaments for middle school and high schoolers, who normally wouldn’t necessarily have the means to do so. The name pays homage to a similar experience that opened doors for Rankin growing up in the St. Louis area.
When she was 8 years old, the members at her nine-hole home course filled a suitcase with $400 and presented it to Rankin as a means to travel to the National Pee Wee tournament in Orlando, in which her father had entered her. Rankin went on to win that event four years in a row. Now, the people of Midland, Texas, where Rankin has long made her home, help Rankin pay it forward. The JTR Suitcase Fund is in its eighth year of existence and has partnered with the Volunteers of America Classic for five years.