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.

The Section hosting the PGA Championship, along with the immediate past and future host Sections are guaranteed a Secretary’s Cup team. This leaves only 5 wildcard spots for the other Sections to apply for, so it is a huge honor that Georgia was selected to go to Louisville in May. Team Georgia is made up exclusively of young professional Vets, all recently out of the service and getting their MBA. Meet the Georgia Team below!

Our current PGA HOPE Ambassador, Robert Leahey, is a former Navy Corpsman who served 5 years with Marine Corps and Navy Expeditionary Units. After the military, Robert attended the University of Iowa where he completed a Bachelors in Business Enterprise and Leadership. Robert is now enrolled at the University of Georgia to complete his Masters of Business Administration and currently works in Employee Benefits for an Insurance Brokerage. Robert completed PGA HOPE Buckhead in 2022. Since then, Robert has helped the Georgia Section create a Facebook page, recruit a Council, and facilitate post program activities for PGA HOPE in our state.

Ryan Carr, PGA HOPE Acworth Graduate

Ryan Carr is a Georgia native and University of Texas Graduate. After graduation, Ryan commissioned into the Navy and spent several years flying F/A-18E Super Hornets before he was medically retired. While in the Navy, Ryan served at NAS Pensacola, NAS Kingsville, NAS Whiting Field and NAS Lemoore, California and has carrier arrested landings on the USS Gerald R. Ford, USS Carl Vinson and USS Chester Nimitz. Ryan now works at the Georgia Tech Research Institute as a Flight Test Engineer and lives in Kennesaw, GA with his wife, Elizabeth, and two children, Leighton and Bennett. Ryan’s been a huge advocate of PGA HOPE Georgia since stumbling upon the Acworth Program and recently committed to the PGA HOPE Georgia Council, volunteering his time to impact other Vets in his community.

Pat Forrestal, PGA HOPE Buckhead Graduate

Pat Forrestal served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an Aviation Supply Officer, spending most of his time in Southern California with one deployment to Kuwait. After leaving active duty service, Pat enrolled at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School for his Master’s in Business Administration, where he is concentrating in Finance and Strategy. Pat has spent the last year interning with consulting and venture capital firms, and he will graduate with his MBA in May 2024. Pat’s background includes playing college football at the Naval Academy and competing as an Ironman triathlete. Pat completed PGA HOPE Buckhead in fall 2023.

Chase Bullen, PGA HOPE Buckhead Graduate

Chase Bullen is from Bradenton, FL and a graduate of Norwich University. Following graduation, he was commissioned into the US Army and was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. After five years of active duty service and a deployment to Iraq, Chase transitioned into the US Army Reserve so he could move to Atlanta, GA to attend Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Chase enjoys assisting other Veterans in the transition from military service to higher education, impact investing with the Peachtree Minority Venture Fund, and swim lessons with his two-year old son, Thomas. Chase completed PGA HOPE Buckhead in fall 2023.

Rachel Clopton, PGA, PGA HOPE Buckhead Instructor

Rachel Clopton graduated from the Professional Golf Management Program at Mississippi State University in 2018, earning a Degree in Business Administration as well as her PGA Class A Certification. Prior to joining the team at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Rachel served as a golf professional at facilities in Alabama, Connecticut, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In 2020, Rachel joined an elite group as a US Kids Top 50 coach for her contributions to the growth and development of junior players. In 2021, Rachel was the recipient of the Georgia PGA’s Youth Player Development Award for the north chapter. Rachel has been a PGA HOPE Buckhead instructor since 2020 and considers it the highlight of her week. She will launch the first ever all female PGA HOPE Session in the Section this spring.