by Tom Cade, Editor

Former Seattle Seahawk football player Jermaine Kearse and current PGA Tour player Andrew Putnam have joined the board of directors of the Washington Golf Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization that is leading the way in the efforts to foster and advance the growth of golf in Washington by supporting initiatives and programs that enrich and unite the golf community.

With Kearse retired from his football career, he will be an active participant on the Foundation’s board. Putnam, still in the midst of a PGA Tour playing career and the travel that it necessitates, will be an honorary member of the board.

Both Putnam, 36, and Kearse, 35, are married with children and have deep roots in the South Puget Sound region. Both are committed to giving back to youth sports, particularly through the game of golf. Kearse is co-owner of the Evergreen Golf Club, an indoor golf practice facility with two locations in the region.

The son of an Army staff sergeant, Kearse went to Tacoma’s Lakes High School where he was a standout three-sport athlete. He would go on to play football at the University of Washington, after which he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. He played eight years in the NFL, winning the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2014.

Kearse was introduced to golf in 2014 by his stepfather, and plays to a 3.1 Handicap Index out of Tacoma Country and Golf Club, the same club that Putnam plays out of, and where the two athletes initially met.

Putnam also grew up in Tacoma, won the 2010 Pacific Coast Amateur and was named the 2010 WA Golf Men’s Player of the Year. He has three wins as a professional, and has competed in 13 major championships including five U.S. Opens.

“Current and future board members of the Foundation consist of people who really want to make an impact on the game and have an impact on peoples’ lives,” said Troy Andrew, executive director of the Washington Golf Foundation, and who also serves as CEO of WA Golf, the governing body of golf in the state. “We’re looking for leaders in the golf industry for this board. There are people who have had success in their own lives, and have seen the benefits and value of the game, of the opportunities it has provided them, and they believe in it. Jermaine and Andrew are examples of people who really want to give back; they have a real passion for this.” 

Established in November 2022, the Washington Golf Foundation supports a number of programs in the area, one of which is WA Golf Youth on Course which provides youths with access to play for only $5 per round at over 75 participating courses in Washington and Northern Idaho.

Matt Brown, the director of development and donor engagement for the Washington Golf Foundation, says the Youth on Course program is the best initiative that’s come along in the golf industry in a long time. “Growing the game by making it accessible to young and beginning golfers is the best possible way to ensure its future, to provide opportunities to junior players, and to help families play together. This resonates with everyone.”

Kearse starting playing golf during the midst of his NFL career. “Golf does a lot of wonderful things, and my main goal in getting involved with the Washington Golf Foundation is to be able to be part of a very positive influence in peoples’ lives,” he said. “I’m excited about the chance to make a difference in golf in the state of Washington. I wanted to have an impact on providing accessibility to the game for those who might not otherwise have it. It’s important to open as many doors as we can for young people, to help them grow and have opportunities to decide their next steps as they become adults.”

For Putnam, who grew up in a golfing family which also saw his older brother Michael compete on the PGA Tour, he sees this as an opportunity to share what he has learned from the game. “I was blessed to benefit from all the effort that WA Golf and the Washington Junior Golf Association put into giving us opportunities to compete when I was growing up,” he said. “So, for me it’s a natural fit to want to keep the game growing and thriving.

“I travel a lot because of being on tour, but I still live in this region, my kids are here, all my nieces and nephews, my whole world is invested in this area, so I really want to do what I can to support the game here. There is so much a young person can learn from golf that applies to all facets of life. It’s a special game.

“We have a lot of room to grow, and there’s a lot we can do through the Washington Golf Foundation, where we can continue to improve access and affordability for junior golfers. I’m excited to be involved with it. I’m all in.”

Doug Rohner has served for many years as a volunteer in the region’s golf community, culminating in his three-year term as president of Washington Golf in 2018-2020. He is now the president of the Washington Golf Foundation. “My dad taught me how to play the game when I was a kid,” he said. “As a teenager, I volunteered as a forecaddie in a USGA national championship that was being held at our club. I just loved being around the game. I still do.“Kids have all kinds of diversions, and if we can get them outside and involved with golf, which is a game for a lifetime, then that is our focus. Golf is a good game, and we want it to be accessible to everyone, especially youth.”

Adaptive golf, an initiative which provides access to the game to people who have disabilities, is another program that the Washington Golf Foundation will be supporting. “The USGA has already launched their U.S. Adaptive Open, a national championship, and we want to start a regional event for this as well.”

Along with the WA Golf Youth on Course program, the foundation also will support the creation of Northwest Golf House, which will be located at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. and will house the region’s respective golf associations; will support the adaptive golf programs in the area, providing access to the game for those with disabilities; and in 2025 has plans to establish the Andrew Putnam Scholarship and the Future Fairways Youth Scholarship.