Almost all competitive golfers dream of qualifying for a national championship. For a junior, competing in a USGA Championship might open doors for a college scholarship, a professional golf career or a lifetime love of amateur competition.

‘Nez Muhleman, a longtime volunteer for the USGA and Women’s Texas Golf Association (now merged with the Texas Golf Association), was passionate about helping young people realize their dreams. She established the Junior Girls’ Travel Fund to ensure that girls from all over the state of Texas who do qualify for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship have the opportunity and resources needed to go play. The fund is solely designed to secure donations and raise funds to pay for the girls’ travel expenses and caddie fees.

The TGA Foundation provides a unique opportunity for those who would like to help support these talented young golfers. In order to protect the integrity of amateur golf, the USGA has established strict limits and procedures on financial assistance for expenses related to tournament golf. While this creates a clean line between amateur and professional golf, it also creates challenges for golfers with limited financial resources in their families. The USGA allows Authorized Golf Associations, like the Texas Golf Association, to accept and disburse contributions for tournament-related expenses directly to competitors. The Junior Girls’ Travel Fund provides a tax-exempt vehicle for donors to support junior girls needing assistance.

To be eligible to receive reimbursement from the Junior Girls’ Travel Fund for some of the expenses related to playing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, qualifiers must have maintained a permanent residency in the state of Texas for a period of no less than six months prior to the Championship and are officially playing for Texas.