Putting With Purpose

Leadership Links making an impact on and off the golf course

Illustration by Roshni Capewell

By Emily Paulson

Nerves fuel success

During the first round of the tournament, nerves begin to slowly build up, and the battle against the human mind begins. While warming up on the putting green, putts begin to seem longer and the cup smaller. The body tightens while walking to the first tee, and the loneliness sets in.

Your name and where you’re from are called out to the crowd, leaving you with nowhere to hide. After teeing off, you remind yourself that this is the sport you love and want to compete in. For junior golfer Nicole Iniakov, these are all of the emotions felt heading into the first tee of every round.

Competition for all

The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) helps junior golfers between the ages of 12 and 18 meet their goal of playing collegiate golf. Juniors are given the chance to further their future college careers, and can learn important life lessons from interacting with other players.

Every week, the AJGA hosts different tournaments nationwide for juniors to show off their talents to college coaches. Every tournament is categorized as an open, preview, all-star, qualifier or invitational — all of which have their own standards for qualifying. Sponsors and various golf courses, private and public, are shown off to some of the best juniors in the country and in the world. 

The race begins

Iniakov’s adventure this summer began at the AJGA Junior at Chicopee Country Club. After getting off to a strong start in the tournament’s first round, she held onto the lead all the way through, and ended the day at 3 under par.

“It was beyond fun to play, and I love the little ups and downs,” Iniakov said. “The greens were tricky but just so much fun. It was like a roller coaster out there.”

Leading the pack after day one of three is one thing, but holding onto the lead is another. After the second round, Iniakov was still ahead, at 6 under par for the tournament, with the runner-up at 3 under. 

Making an impact on and off the golf course

In 2009, the AJGA started its Leadership Links initiative to give back to the golf community. Beth Dockter, the AJGA’s Director of Youth Development, said Leadership Links was created to help juniors raise money for a charity of their choice as well as the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant Program. 

“While developing young men and women is our first goal, the follow-up is to help raise charitable dollars for different charities and the AJGA’s ACE Grant program,” Dockter said. “Through Leadership Links and the State Cup Series, we are almost able to fully fund the ACE Grant Program, ensuring money is always available to those in need.”

Since 2009, Leadership Links has made it easier for junior golfers to raise money for different foundations. Matthew Lin, an AJGA golfer from Orinda, California, has participated in Leadership Links for three years. Lin enjoys giving back to the game that has brought him so much joy and friends within the golf world.

“I’m being able to help others and give them the opportunity to play this amazing game and allow others to be able to prosper in college or whatever they want to do, whether it be with or without golf,” Lin said. 

The AJGA provides everything juniors need to participate in the Leadership Links program. They help with creating personalized websites and marketing materials, processing donations, and issuing letters. At the end of every junior’s program, a check with the amount of money they raised is mailed and awarded to them at the charity presentation. 

Winning isn’t everything

Heading into the final round of the Chicopee tournament, Iniakov knew the stakes were high, and the tension began to set in. She had to wait around all morning for the last tee time of the day, the possibility of becoming a champion looming over her all the time. A herd of parents and spectators followed the leaders, eyeing their every move.

Iniakov, the final person to tee off for the day, led the way. After bogeying the first hole, her anxiety and nerves took over, and as the day continued, she double-bogied two holes, including one on the 17th hole, pushing her down to second place. 

Feeling disappointed, frustrated and exhausted, all Iniakov could do was focus on trying to secure a better outcome in the next tournament, which would be held in Washington, D.C.

Small steps can equal significant contributions

Each junior gets to pick a charity to donate to, whether it’s the AJGA’s ACE Grant program or another charity of their choosing. Any charity is up for grabs so long as it has an IRS designation 501(c)(3). Owen Blakely, an AJGA junior, explained why he picked his charity of choice.

“It’s with the Boston Children’s Hospital,” Blakely said. “Since I’m from Boston, and helping children is something I’ve kind of wanted to do all my life, being able to donate to those kids that are in need is a really great thing.”

Juniors can accept donations using different methods. They can accept one-time donations, birdie pledges for their tournament play, host the State Cup Series, or create a unique event. 

The State Cup Series is a match-play event with friends that is hosted by a junior’s golf course of choice (or one that they are able to secure). The event lasts a full day, and any junior can participate if they have raised at least $1,000 for charity. 

One State Cup Series, the California Cup, was run by Iniakov on April 8-9, 2023 at The Links at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, California. The event raised nearly $44,000, to be split between the Pebble Beach Company Foundation and the AJGA’s ACE Grant program. 

“It’s so exciting that I can be a part of something bigger than myself and help raise money for the ACE Grant,” Iniakov said. “I get to touch so many different people in the AJGA, so it’s just so much fun, and I had a great time this year.”

Another week, another tournament

After the Chicopee tournament, Iniakov was excited for a fresh start at the first-ever Babygrande D.C. Classic tournament held at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, D.C. She gained a three-stroke lead in the tournament’s first round, putting her in the lead with 7 under par. 

After a good night’s rest, she returned ready to dominate the course again. Birdying two of the first three holes to start the round, Iniakov was a force to be reckoned with, and ended the second round shooting a 64, bringing her tournament score to 15 under par, the runner-up being at 6 under.

Feeling good after the round, Iniakov decided to relax and focus on exploring the capital with her mom. Being from California, she and her mom had never been to D.C. and were excited to see the White House, Washington Monument and more. These kinds of experiences are made possible by the AJGA ACE Grant program.

Turning golf dreams into reality

The ACE Grant program was established by the AJGA in 2003 with the goal of providing juniors with financial assistance. The program’s goal is assisting junior golfers who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. Juniors have to apply annually for the ACE Grant in order to receive funding and be reimbursed for the costs that accompany playing competitive golf. 

Within the ACE Grant, juniors and their families may be reimbursed for entry fees, equipment, membership fees, housing costs incurred during travel for tournaments, and much more. Since the program started, the ACE Grant has awarded $3,013 to qualifying juniors, $6.1 million to ACE Grant recipients, and $15.4 million in scholarship dollars to ACE Grant graduates.

At the beginning of almost every AJGA tournament, a junior amateur event invites donors to play with some of the top juniors in the country. Half of the proceeds from every junior amateur event go toward supporting the ACE Grant program. 

Most juniors put a fun spin on raising money to make donating to their charity of choice stand out. Junior golfer Lucy Wang explained how she fundraises at her school with friends and how much joy it brings her.

“I feel like it’s a really fun process because you can help others and can get benefits from it when you do really good,” Wang said. “I think getting to help people that need help is cool too!”

Along with raising money for charities, juniors are incentivized to do as much as possible. Each year, the AJGA provides prizes for the juniors once they hit specific benchmarks of donations. Every incentive program lasts one year and will change depending on the year. 

From December 2021 through November 2022, juniors were able to earn five different incentives. The minimum amount needed to qualify for an incentive is $500, with the top prize being earned at $10,000. The incentives range from Apple Airpods to a TaylorMade club fitting, and over the years, they have even included perks like playing golf with Rickie Fowler and meeting Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for many junior golfers.

Understanding the bigger picture

Even though juniors can earn perks by raising money, they tend to understand the bigger picture. Lindsay Yao, who will graduate in 2024, learned about Leadership Links when she heard about the State Cup Series.

The California Cup is one small portion of what makes up all the money donated towards charity and the ACE Grant program. Many juniors never see or experience the hardships of the costs of playing competitive golf. 

“The reason I did it [participate in charity fundraising] was because I was playing in South Carolina in the qualifier and there was a girl who got first and qualified for the tournament,” Yao said. “She wasn’t able to play because her parents couldn’t afford it and had to get back to their jobs.”

This experience made Yao realize how big of an impact the ACE Grant program can have on other juniors. Small encounters like these helped shape the Leadership Links and ACE Grant programs into what they are today.

“I was able to give her the opportunity to play because it was really sad she couldn’t,” Lao said. “I was able to talk to her when she was really upset and understand her frustrations.”

Parents surrounding the AJGA understand the hardship of playing competitive golf nationwide. They recognize the opportunities that come with participating in the AJGA, such as recruiting, making connections, and meeting college coaches in person. Patrick Lin, Matthew Lin’s dad, has seen what the ACE Grant program and Leadership Links can do for juniors and their families.

“When I see the number of opportunities that the AJGA has allowed for many aspiring golfers— especially ones who don’t have the financial means to actually pursue potential scholarships by competing at this level and get[ting] attention from the coaches – it makes me feel like every dollar you put in actually has a meaningful return,” Lin said. “It means a lot because this is beyond golf, it’s about teaching the next generation of young kids how to grow, as well as contribute to their surroundings.”

A new champion is crowned

Heading into the final round, Iniakov held a substantial lead over her competitors. Remembering the previous weekend at Chicopee, she was focused on a better outcome. Unfortunately, the final round got off to a rough start – with two bogeys on the first two holes. 

As doubts about her ability and flashbacks to the previous tournament raced through her mind, she began to feel uneasy. However, Iniakov bounced back, securing an eagle on hole three to bring her back up to par. From there on, she played at her own pace, finishing with a score of 70, bringing her total for the tournament to 17 under par and securing her the title of Babygrande D.C. Classic champion. 

“I’ve gotten second place five different times, [so] it feels so good to finally win,” Iniakov said. “A win is just such a good confidence booster, and hopefully there’s many more to come.”