SCPGA Selected To Play In PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup

PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup celebrates the PGA HOPE Program by providing a unique and memorable experience for our military Veterans and the PGA Professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact Veterans’ lives. This annual event in conjunction with the week of PGA Championship, began in 2016 and is named after the Secretary of Veteran Affairs in recognition of the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veteran Affairs. Each team is made up of four Veterans from a PGA HOPE program and one PGA or LPGA Professional. PGA HQ hosts the Secretary’s Cup (a 9 hole scramble with 1 Pro and 4 Vets) the Monday before the PGA Championship each year as an opportunity to honor select Veterans who’ve graduated from PGA HOPE and provide a fun, competitive environment to foster camaraderie.

Meet the Southern California PGA Team below.

Tony Chavez, PGA HOPE Coach – Los Serranos Country Club

Tony Chavez, PGA, a native of Indio, California, fell in love with golf at the age of 5 when he started to follow his father Jose at Mexicali Country Club in Mexicali, Mexico. After playing Junior Golf in Mexico, Tony came to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue his dream of playing High School Golf and going to College. He attended College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California, where he earned an associate’s degree in golf management. After an apprenticeship of 8 years in the year 2000, he earned Class A status with The PGA of America. Tony has been in the Golf Industry for over 30 years, living his mission statement of “helping People through the Game of Golf.” In 2020, he earned a PGA Hope Certification and became very actively involved in helping the lives of veterans. 

James Davenport, PGA HOPE Coronado Graduate/SCPGA HOPE Ambassador

James Davenport is our current PGA HOPE Ambassador and a native of Southern California. He retired in 2021 after 26 years of service in the US Navy. Since then, he has followed his passion for golf to the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, CA, where he earned a degree in Professional Golf Management and began teaching professionally. Currently, he is a PGA Associate and the 1st Assistant at Native Oaks GC, where he is a certified PGA HOPE Instructor and hosts the PGA HOPE program on Saturday mornings. Additionally, he has created a Facebook page and built a team of PGA HOPE graduates to help as a Chapter Captain for post-graduate activities such as Play Days and range days throughout So Cal. 

Erik Farney, PGA HOPE Temecula Graduate

Erik Farney served in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer for eight years. While in the Navy, Erik deployed onboard USS GRAVELY (DDG-107) and USS AMERICA (LHA-6). He wrapped up his time in the Navy as an instructor at Basic Division Officer School San Diego, where he led ship handling simulation training for junior officers heading to the Pacific Fleet. After separating from military service, Erik attended one of the first PGA Hope SoCal convenings and fell in love with golf after a 20-year hiatus from the game. On the course, he developed a passion for the mental game of golf and the opportunities it presents for golfers to better deal with stress and anxiety. This passion is driving him to pursue PGA coaching credentials and pursue an advanced degree in psychology. Erik became a member of the PGA Hope SoCal committee and is dedicated to supporting that program’s massive growth and impact to veterans. 

Bob Kephart, PGA HOPE Desert Willow Graduate

Bob essentially has had the opportunity to work with the military his entire career. He is a retired Master Sergeant from the US Air Force. Plus, he is a retired US Department of Defense Fire Chief with a Ph.D. He and his family have lived in CONUS and overseas.  Thanks to PGA HOPE’s 6-week training class during November/December 2023 at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California, he began a new sport – golf. Currently a competitive runner in 5K. Previously competed in sprint triathlons and duathlons. Recreational sports include Army, Navy, and Marine Corps softball, football, and endurance teams. His wife, Helaine, and he raised six children: three daughters and three sons. All three sons are veterans, and one grandson is an Air Force Academy graduate. 

DJ Naigan, PGA HOPE Native Oaks Graduate

DJ served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years as a Utilitiesman with the Seabee community. He completed seven deployments globally, building infrastructure for humanitarian assistance and forward operating bases. During his service, he completed his Business degree at Coastline College and retired in November 2022 as a Chief Petty Officer. He is currently a PGA Associate in San Diego that is involved with the PGA Junior League, active-duty golf clinics offered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego and PGA HOPE SOCAL events.