Pacific Northwest Section PGA selects 2026 PGA HOPE team
The Pacific Northwest PGA Foundation recently announced its team for the 2026 PGA HOPE Secretary’s Cup, held in conjunction with PGA Championship week.
Representing the Section are Josh Cantrell, PGA, alongside PGA HOPE graduates Clinton Stayton, Christopher Houle, Ralph Brown, and Kevin Wilson.
This year marks a historical milestone for the Pacific Northwest PGA, as it will be the first time the Section competes in the prestigious golf tournament, which will be held May 11, 2026, at Chester Valley Golf Club in Malvern, Pa., with the PGA Championship being held at nearby Aronimink Golf Club the week of May 11-17.
(Donate to PGA HOPE Pacific Northwest.)
Established in 2016, the Secretary’s Cup celebrates the impact of the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) Program. Named in recognition of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Memorandum of Understanding between PGA REACH and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the event brings together teams of four Veterans and one PGA or LPGA Professional for a powerful and memorable national experience.
For Josh Cantrell, an Air Force veteran and PGA Professional at Moose Run Golf Course in Alaska, the heart of PGA HOPE is connection.
“While on active duty you have connections with your brothers and sisters in arms that get lost after service,” Josh said. “PGA HOPE re-establishes these connections through the game of golf. The program gives Veterans something to look forward to every week.”
Clinton, a 17-year Army Veteran with an above-the-knee amputation, described how his military-ending injury reshaped his identity.
“My military career-ending injury put my life into a tailspin,” he says. “I didn’t know who I was anymore. I was becoming that disgruntled vet that didn’t have anything to do and felt useless.”
His wife had suggested trying golf, which he had casually enjoyed before his injury. However, he now found the experience frustrating. During a PGA HOPE session at Eugene Country Club, adaptive instruction unlocked a breakthrough moment when Bill Morach encouraged Clinton to switch to a left-handed swing.
“Now I’m more balanced on my ‘good leg.’ I don’t have as power, but I am more stable with a smoother swing.”
After the PGA HOPE sessions, Clinton became active in the Veterans Golf Association and started playing in his local men’s golf league.
“What has PGA HOPE done for me? It’s given me purpose again and I needed that, plain and simple.”
Chris, a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran medically discharged after sustaining major injuries—including being struck by lightning during training—shared a similar rediscovery of purpose.
“Through PGA HOPE, golf became more than just a game to me—it became a therapeutic outlet and a new mission,” says Chris. “Much like the military, golf gives me routine, discipline, and goals to work toward, but it also brings peace and tranquility that I hadn’t felt in a long time.”
Ralph, a U.S. Navy Veteran, faced multiple surgeries, leukemia, and depression before returning to the game.
“With the help of PGA HOPE, I have torn down mental and physical barriers that I had put in place years ago,” Ralph said. “My only regret is not finding PGA HOPE sooner.”
Kevin, a U.S. Army Veteran who is navigating vision loss and participates alongside his guide dog, Calvin, described the program’s impact during a pivotal transition in his life.
“As I was losing my vision, I struggled with isolation, anxiety, and the loss of independence that many disabled veterans experience,” Kevin says. “PGA HOPE addressed those challenges by focusing on what is possible, not what has been lost. PGA HOPE didn’t feel like a ‘program’—it felt like someone saying, ‘You still belong here.’”
The Secretary’s Cup represents the highest expression of PGA HOPE’s mission: hope, healing, and well-being through golf. As this team prepares to represent the Pacific Northwest on a national stage, they carry with them not only competitive spirit, but stories of resilience, rediscovery, and renewed purpose.
The Pacific Northwest PGA is honored to have these Veterans represent the Section and demonstrate how the game continues to positively impact lives.
