News - Cameron Champ Foundation

Cisco Series Gives Juniors a Tour Experience

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date December 19, 2024

The fourth and final event in the 2024 Cisco Junior Series presented by the APGA and the Cameron Champ Foundation was played in December at Fleming Island Golf Club just south of Jacksonville, FL.

Myla Robinson, a ninth-grader from Eastvale, CA, finished +1 to win the tournament, and Koa Seymour, a senior from Valley Village, CA, took home the series title to earn a spot in the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open Pro-Am, which will be played at iconic Torrey Pines in San Diego in late January.

The final boys event was played in mid-November at Tustin Ranch Golf Club in Tustin, CA. Ryan Nana Tanke, a high school freshman from Palm Beach Gardens, FL, shot 74-72 (+2) to beat Roman Solomon, a senior from Sarasota, FL, by a shot. Solomon’s cumulative effort in the series earned him a chance to compete against the pros in the APGA’s Farmers Insurance Invitational, which will also be held at Torrey Pines in January.

The Cisco Junior Series, which features 12 promising junior golfers from around the country, all of whom have played in the Mack Champ Invitational, is designed to nurture the next generation of junior golf talent while giving them a true professional tour experience. The junior tournaments are played alongside APGA Tour events at world class courses.

This year’s series kicked off in August at the APGA Tour Championship at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, GA, and moved on to the second tournament in the APGA Farmers Insurance Fall Series, which was held at Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, NJ, in early October.

Koa Seymour with Montrele Wells, Director of Player Performance for the APGA.
Myla Robinson won the final girls event.
Seymour and Robinson were joined at Fleming Island by Staci Pla, second from right, and Ariel Collins.
Roman Solomon was the overall winner in the boys series.
The competitors at Tustin Ranch: Tye Treadwell, Solomon, Seymour, Collins, Ryan Nana Tanke and Toa Ofahengaue.
Wells with Seymour, who won the girls event at Tustin Ranch.
Cameron Champ Foundation Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Champ, far left, and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Daniel Bryant, with Seymour, Solomon and Ofahengaue.
Ryan Nana Tanke shot 74-72 for a 2-over total.

The 2024 competitors were:

Morgan Riley

Raleigh, NC

Toa Ofahengaue

Lehi, UT

Jayden Lizama

Elk Grove, CA

Roman Solomon

Sarasota, FL

Ryan Nana Tanke

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Tye Treadwell

Omaha, NE

Staci Pla

West Palm Beach, FL

Myla Robinson

Eastvale, CA

Aleah Shields-Rodipe

Conroe, TX

Koa Seymour

Valley Village, CA

Ariel Collins

Locus Grove, GA

Vivian Lott

Fayetteville, GA

Cisco Junior Series presented by APGA TOUR and Cameron Champ Foundation Homepage News

Lizama and Robinson Win Cisco Series Event in NJ

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date October 3, 2024

Jayden Lizama and Myla Robinson were the big winners at Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, NJ, this week in the second event of the 2024 Cisco Junior Series presented by the APGA and the Cameron Champ Foundation.

The series, which features 12 Mack Champ Invitational veterans competing in four events, is designed to nurture the next generation of junior golf talent while giving them the opportunity to experience a true professional golf tour experience. The APGA’s Farmers Fall Series was played on the same course this week.

Lizama, a high school senior from Elk Grove, CA, who will play for Gonzaga next year, shot 69-68 to finish five-under, three shots ahead of Tye Treadwell, a sophomore from Omaha. Robinson, a high school freshman from Corona, CA, shot 70-75 for a three-over total. That was six shots clear of her nearest competitor, Koa Seymour, a senior from Valley Village, CA.

Leaderboard: Cisco Junior Series at Seaview Golf Club

The remaining events in the series are:

Tustin Ranch Golf Club, Tustin, CA – Boys and Girls, Nov. 12-14
Fleming Island Golf Club, Fleming Island, FL – Girls Only, Dec. 16-18

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Cisco Junior Series presented by APGA TOUR and Cameron Champ Foundation Homepage News Mack Champ Invitational

Riley Goes Low to Win First Event in Cisco Junior Series

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date August 14, 2024

This boys competing in this year’s series, from left: Ryan Nana Tanke, Morgan Riley, Roman Solomon, Toa Ofahengaue, Tye Treadwell and Jayden Lizama.

Morgan Riley finished five under at TPC Sugarloaf to win the first event of the 2024 Cisco Junior Series presented by the APGA and the Cameron Champ Foundation.

The series, which features 12 Mack Champ Invitational veterans and four events, is designed to nurture the next generation of junior golf talent while giving them the opportunity to experience a true professional golf tour experience. The Mastercard APGA Tour Championship was played on the same course this week.

Riley, a high school senior from Raleigh, NC, shot 71-68 to finish three shots ahead of Roman Solomon, a senior from Sarasota, FL, who was two under after shooting a pair of 71s. Jayden Lizama, a senior from Elk Grove, CA, was third at one over.

Leaderboard: Cisco Junior Series at TPC Sugarloaf

The remaining events in the series are:

Seaview Golf Club, Galloway, NJ – Boys and Girls, Sept. 29-Oct. 1
Tustin Ranch Golf Club, Tustin, CA – Boys and Girls, Nov. 12-14
Fleming Island Golf Club, Fleming Island, FL – Girls Only, Dec. 16-18

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Alaythia Hinds Homepage News Mack Champ Invitational USGA

USGA Features Hinds, 2023 MCI for Girls Champ

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date May 13, 2024

Alaythia Hinds won the 2023 Mack Champ Invitational at The Club at Carlton Woods.

Alaythia Hinds, the 2023 Mack Champ Invitational winner, was one of two Black golfers in the field at the 2024 U.S Women’s Amateur Four-Ball at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.

Hinds and her four-ball partner, Erica Villegas, missed the cut at Oak Hills after shooting even par in the stroke-play competition on May 11 and 12, but Hinds still has lots to look forward to this summer, including trying to qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur and heading off to a college career at Howard University.

The USGA recently wrote about Hinds, her history with the Cameron Champ Foundation, her 2023 victory at the Mack Champ Invitational, and her upcoming college career. You can read the article on the USGA’s website.

Evan Pena Homepage News Mack Champ Invitational

Pena’s Record Round Highlights Stormy MCI for Boys

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date May 10, 2024

Evan Pena had six birdies and no bogeys in the second round.

Evan Pena shot a tournament-record 66 in the second round to win the rain-shortened 2024 Mack Champ Invitational for Boys at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Pena, a member of the class of 2026 from Puerto Rico, was 6-under for the tournament, three shots clear of Joseph Gutierrez (2026) from Whittier, CA, and Aadi Parmar (2027) from Selma, TX.

Storms led to several delays during the tournament and the cancelation of Sunday’s final round.

In the 12-and-under division, Andrew Ayuso from Cypress, TX, was the winner at 9-over. His brother Blake shot 74 on Saturday to finish 12-over for the tournament and take the 10-and-under title.

For complete coverage, go to mackchampinvitational.com.

Grant Thornton Mack Champ Invitational

Grant Thornton Videos Feature Wilbon and Volunteer Bethune

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date April 14, 2024

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Mack Champ Invitational

Fourth Annual MCI for Girls Is in the Books

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date April 14, 2024

Lydia Portlock and Kayla Jackson with Cameron after their victories.

Two new champions were crowned at the fourth annual Mack Champ Invitational for Girls, which was played April 12 and 13 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, TX.

Lydia Portlock, a high school junior from San Antonio who has committed to play college golf at Texas, edged 2022 champ Alona Avery in the over-13 division, and Kayla Jackson, a 5th grader from Charlotte, won the 12-and-under division.

For complete coverage, go to mackchampinvitational.com.

Cameron Champ Foundation Cisco Junior Series presented by APGA TOUR and Cameron Champ Foundation Jayden Lizama Mack Champ Invitational Staci Pla

Pla and Lizama Play With the Pros at Torrey Pines

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date January 27, 2024

Jayden Lizama hitting his opening tee shot at the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational.

When Jayden Lizama and Staci Pla won the 2023 Cisco Junior Series presented by the APGA and the Cameron Champ Foundation last summer, they also punched their tickets to Torrey Pines.

Lizama is one of two amateurs playing in the APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational this weekend, and Pla played a pro-am round for the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open with Collin Morikawa and Alex Morgan, an amazing opportunity captured in the video below.

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Cameron Champ Foundation Mack Champ Invitational

MCI Returning to The Club at Carlton Woods and Memorial Park

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date December 24, 2023

We are excited to share the dates for the fourth annual Mack Champ Invitational.

The girls tournament is returning to The Club at Carlton Woods, site of The Chevron Championship, from April 11-13. The boys will be back at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston from May 2-5.

Tournament invitations will go out February 2nd for the girls and March 4th for the boys. To be considered for the tournament, join our junior golf database.

The MCI, inspired by the memory of Mack Champ, was created not only to provide an elite competitive experience for junior golfers of diverse backgrounds, but also to serve as a springboard into top-tier tournaments and college scholarships while creating an environment where players and families can build relationships that last a lifetime.

We can’t wait to continue the tradition in 2024!

Cameron Champ Cameron Champ Foundation Foothill Golf Course Video

Cameron Champ Puts on a Clinic at the Place Where It All Began

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date September 13, 2023

Cameron Champ returned to the place where he learned to love golf in order to share that love with youth from all over the Sacramento area.

Cameron hosted the clinic on Sept. 9 at Foothill Golf Course, where he learned the game from his grandfather Mack. The Champ family now runs the course, which also serves as home base for our foundation, which is committed to diversifying the game and unlocking the potential in youth from underserved and underrepresented communities.

Some of the kids at the clinic were avid golfers looking for tips and inspiration, and others were learning about the game for the first time, but one message was clear to all of them: just like Cameron, you too can achieve great things in the world through hard work and determination.

Many of the juniors in attendance were members of Youth on Course, a national organization that allows youth to pay just $5 for a round of golf at more than 2,000 partner courses. Foothill Golf Course is the home of the Youth on Course Cameron Champ Junior Club and allows YOC members to play unlimited rounds for just $5 per day. Cameron himself was a YOC member and has credited the organization with making the game more affordable when he was a junior golfer.

The foundation’s local efforts include the Cameron Champ Golf Academy at Foothill, which offers affordable junior golf programs (and scholarships for those who can’t afford them); STEM education initiatives; and holiday toy and food drives. The foundation hosts the annual Mack Champ Invitational in Houston, where Cameron now lives. The MCI is the premier tournament for junior golfers from diverse backgrounds, drawing top players from all over the country as well as Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

The foundation’s college scholarship program awards more than 20 scholarships annually, including the Chevron | Charlie Sifford Scholarship, which goes to a student from the Sacramento area who demonstrates academic achievement, leadership, financial need, community service, and golf ability.

The PGA Tour’s Fortinet Championship, which will be played this week at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa Valley, supported the clinic. Cameron won the event at Silverado in 2019, an emotional victory that he dedicated to Mack, who was gravely ill with cancer at the time. Cameron is competing in the tournament again this week.