After turning professional in 2017, I dedicated myself to excellence on the golf course. I found some success early, earning my Korn Ferry Tour card for the 2018 and 2019 season, contenting in multiple events. In 2019, I nearly earned my PGA Tour card, but fell just short. By the fall of 2019, I felt exhausted. Two years of working hard and finding some success should have brought more contentment. Yet, I was discontent. I want to have a long golf career, but I realized that golf will not satisfy, no matter how good I become. Rather, I realized that my golf career has a purpose that extends beyond the golf course; a purpose that involves hope.

 

I was born to compete on the golf course, but not only that. I was given the profession of golf as a gift. So many people have helped me reach the highest levels of professional golf. So many men and women have selflessly poured into me, teaching me simply how to be a man and an adult. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ died on a cross as a substitute for my sins. I want to give back, and give others around the world a glimpse of this hope. This hope offers forgiveness of our sins, and reconciliation with God. Out of the overflow of this hope, we can genuinely love our neighbor as ourselves, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, and care for the sick. 

 

Out of this desire, I started BirdiesforHope with the goal to bring hope to the world. 

 

I have partnered with International Cooperating Ministries and the Community Foundation Tampa Bay to build churches and hope centers all across the world. These buildings bring hope to their communities every day. In addition to church on sunday's, they are often used as schools for children, shelter for refugees, town halls, orphanages, and even hospitals.  

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We are also beginning to raise funds to equip these local churches. Part of my pledge will go to fund the training of Pastors, to help them spread the gospel and to send resources to these local indigenous churches. For every birdie I've made in a PGA tour sanctioned event since 2020, I've donated $10 to BirdiesforHope. In 2024, I am donating $20. Will you partner with me today?

With your generous help, we have now raised close to $200,000 and helped build or fully fund eight separate projects in the country of Colombia and one in Panama, 9 in total. Why did I chose these places? I have competed in golf tournaments in both Colombia and Panama and have fallen in love with the people of Latin America. 

 

We have recently fully funded the Puerta Del Vielo Church building in Panama. This congregation has about 100 adult attendees and 60 children. They have been meeting since 1999 without a building to call their home or serve their community. Thanks to your help, we have changed that. 

 

Currently, we are working to fund our 9th church project, a partnership with the San Rafael Church in Colombia. The San Rafael church congregation has been attempting to build a place to call home since 1995. From this building they will be serving their community day in and day out. They have acquired the land and have the labor to build it. With the help of ICM (International Cooperating Ministries), we will provide the supplies, building materials, and expertise. This church has a membership of 60 adults, 10 children, and speaks the Spanish language. Will you partner with me to provide them a place to bring hope to their community?

In addition to our partnerships in Latin America, we have also helped fund Ukrainian and Russian churches that have been damaged or are in need of supplies due to recent war. If you are interested in your donation going to helping these churches, please reach out to me or note it on the donation link. Would you consider joining my team and making a donation? 

BirdiesforHope, Our Story

     Similar to what I mentioned earlier on this page, in 2019, I began thinking how I might give back. I found my influence growing in professional golf among players and loyal fans. During the 2019 offseason, I tried to think of a way that I could use this influence to make a difference in the world. My dream has always been to start a foundation. After many conversations with friends and family, I decided to start BirdiesforHope with the goal to build one church that would go on to serve their community. Somehow, God would use minor league golf to create a ripple of hope. This hope would extend from birdies made on the golf course, to places in the world that do not even know what golf is. I decided to donate $10 for every birdie I made, and invited family, friends, and fans to join me. 

     In January 2020, I decided to parter with International Cooperating Ministries to launch BirdiesforHope. Uncertain if BirdiesforHope would grow, I pledged $10 per birdie and decided to trust God to bring along partners to donate as well as provide the birdies on the golf course.

     In the past 3 years, BirdiesforHope has grown tremendously. We have raised nearly $200,000, fully funded and built 8 church buildings, and began our 9th.

 

In the fall of 2023, I earned my PGA Tour card! Starting in 2024, I will be competing in the major leagues, on the most competitive tour in the world. I am so excited to see where God takes BirdiesforHope in the following years. 

     To officially join my team to bring hope around the world, click the pledge now button at the top of the page or give a one time donation using the donate now button. 

Why did I choose International Cooperating ministries and what does ICM do specifically? 

     ICM partners with local congregations that already have the land to build churches and hope centers in third world countries. Hope centers attach to the church chapel and provide improved amenities like air conditioning, plumbing, a kitchen, room for classes, and more. These buildings are often in use seven days a week in service to the community in five key ways: 1. Social Compassion. 2. Healthcare. 3. Education. 4. Entrepreneurship. 5. Preaching The Gospel of the Peace of Jesus Christ. 

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     By partnering with BirdiesforHope, you are helping to support and build quality structures that will serve as community gathering centers, town halls, a place to sleep for missionaries and refugees, local hospitals, schools for children, trade schools for adults, orphanages and places of worship among others. Hope centers allow the church even greater room to expand their charity to their surrounding community. 

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     I chose ICM because I have a close relationship with many in their organization and can personally attest to their integrity and ability to make the most out of every dollar. I have personally been impacted by ICM as they built a church in honor of my adopted little sister, Theresa Maylei Stanger, within 10 miles of her birthplace in China. 

More details about each project

     Our first project at BirdiesforHope was to help fund the building of the Rios de Agua Viva church in Arjona, Bolivar, Colombia. Arjona, a small village in rural Colombia, did not have a church or even many soundly constructed buildings. Since 2004, The Rios de Agua Viva church had the land and labor to build a church building but could not raise the necessary $16,000 in building supplies. We certainly ran into roadblocks, the largest being COVID, but God is good. Through the world of golf, we were able to answer this sixteen-year-old prayer, raise the $16,000, and build a well-constructed church building for this church. They are currently impacting an estimated 650 people per week. 

     Our second project, the San Vicente Hope Center, close to the beautiful city of Medellín, was a much larger building that will impact hundreds of people daily. A Hope Center is simply an expansion of the current church building or a structure next to the church building. These Hope Centers are especially effective in larger communities because it allows the church to reach out to more people in their communities both on Sundays and during the week.  Because of your generous donations, we were able to fully fund and complete construction on the San Vicente Hope Center in the Spring of 2021!

     Our third project, the El Rosal Church, was a bit of an adventure for everyone involved. Thanks to the generous support of people like you, we quickly raised the funds to build this church but construction was halted due to rebel activities in the area. During the late summer of 2021, the central Civil Government had shut down almost all the roads into and out of this area making it nearly impossible to transport the necessary supplies. Fortunately, the government of Colombia reestablished order in the area during the late fall of that year. In November 2021, they completed construction and dedicated the new El Rosal Church! 

     Our 4th, 5th, and 6th projects happened quickly and more recently. After the 2022 season ended in September, BirdiesforHope received multiple generous donations allowing us to fully fund and begin construction on two more projects and begin raising funds for our 6th project! 

     Our 4th project, the Vision Agape Church, had been waiting for a church building since 2002 and consists of a membership of 90 adults and over 150 children. This project especially attracted the attention of BirdiesforHope because we of the large impact on the next generation. 150 children will be able to see God answer a 20 year old prayer through this charity and hopefully grow up in this building, spreading the good news and serving their community. We have fully funded this project and construction is currently underway. 

     Our 5th project, the Aposento Alto church, had been meeting since 1985 without a building to call its home. Currently, this church has a membership of 100 adults and 85 children. Excited to answer this 36 year old prayer, we dove headfirst into this project. As of December of 2021, this church is fully funded and construction is underway. 

     This brings us to our 6th project. The La Odisea Church in rural Colombia. This church congregation had been meeting since 1953 without a building! The opportunity to help this church was too much to pass up. The La Odisea church also consists of a minority people who speak the Nasa Yuwe language as opposed to the common Spanish language spoken in Colombia. Their congregation currently boasts 85 members. This church is fully funded with construction currently underway!

Thanks to your generous donations at the end of 2022, we completed the La Hermosa Sabaneta church in Colombia. This was our 7th church project. This congregation has about 100 adult attendees and 89 children. They had been meeting since 1996 without a building to call their home. The ability to impact the lives of 89 children drew me to this project. I am excited to see how the Lord works through this building in the lives of those young people. 

 

Our 8th church partnership was the Puerta Del Vielo Church building in Panama. This congregation has about 100 adult attendees and 60 children. They have been meeting since 1999 without a building to call their home or serve their community. Thanks to your help, we have changed that. Construction has begun and is nearly completed for this project! 

 

Currently, we are working to fund our 9th church project, a partnership with the San Rafael Church in Colombia.We hope this will be fully funded soon as donations roll in post the 2023 season. The San Rafael church congregation has been attempting to build a place to call home since 1995. From this building they will be serving their community day in and day out. They have acquired the land and have the labor to build it. With the help of ICM (International Cooperating Ministries), we will provide the supplies, building materials, and expertise. This church has a membership of 60 adults, 10 children, and speaks the Spanish language. Will you partner with me to provide them a place to bring hope to their community?

We have also been donating money to help churches and hope centers damaged in the wake of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. While donations to this cause are less definable than building a new church, they are still desperately needed. If you would like to contribute part or all of your donation to this cause, just indicate it in any part of the pledge or donate page! 

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So will you partner with me today?

 

     For every birdie I make, I will be donating 10 dollars. The 2023 season was a successful season with 325 birdies made! Will you partner with me in donating 1, 5, 10, 20 dollars per birdie to create ripple effects of hope around the world? Any amount will make a difference! Thank you!
 

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