Road to the PGA Tour

My name is Gilbert Mendez and I am looking for your support to help achieve my life long dream of playing on the PGA Tour. I started playing golf 20 years ago at the age of 13 and was immediately hooked to the game. Ever since I picked up a golf club, I've had this unwavering desire to play the best golf to my ability. I suddenly found myself shooting in the 70's within the first year. I then made the varsity high school golf team as a freshman where I soon discovered the pressure of tournament golf which was just one of many learning experiences. I didn't have a sophmore season because I was in the transition of moving to Rota, Spain with my parents but that didn't stop me from playing. I continued to improve and joined the team at my new high school in Spain and won the DoDDS European Golf Title my junior year in 2003 (https://www.stripes.com/sports/mendez-smythe-keep-leads-win-dodds-europe-golf-titles-1.12575). I had a chance to repeat my senior year leading after day 1 but just didn't have enough to finish the job on day 2. Another lesson learned.

After high school, I was not recruited to play at the collegiate level so I concentrated on my education at Texas A&M University-Kingsville where I earned my degree in Electrical Engineering in 2010. While earning my degree, I worked at the local golf course where I would also play and practice as much as I could and soon realized that I had the ability to shoot in the high to mid-60's. At this point in time I had not taken a single lesson but learned a good deal from the great players with whom I would golf. After graduating college, I tried to find a career in EE but just didn't feel the desire. There was always something about golf and the dream of playing on tour that kept me wondering so I decided to enroll into the Golf Academy of America-San Diego in 2012. It was there where I began taking lessons to improve my technique and learn about the golf industry. It was also there where I discovered GOLFTEC and joined the team after graduating from the Golf Academy in 2013. 

While teaching my students at GOLFTEC and helping them improve, I was also honing my skills to compete on a professional level. I would compete and still do in many Southern Texas PGA events and any other professional events I can find in Austin, Houston, or Dallas areas. It took me years of dedication, hours upon hours of practice, and the desire to fulfill my dream but I finally broke through. I won the 2020 Southern Texas PGA Championship hosted at Boot Ranch Golf Club with the scores of 66 and 67 for a total of 9 under in 2 days winning by 5 shots. This qualified me for the 2021 National PGA Professional Championship in Florida where they take the top 20 from that event to play in the 2021 PGA Major Championship. I also qualified for the 2021 Texas State Open and earned exemption into the 2021 Houston Open which is a PGA Tour event!!

I am going to fulfill a dream of playing in a PGA Tour event but I don't want it to stop there. This is why I am asking for your support to help fund my journey in 2021 and it starts now. My fundraising goal includes tournament fees, travel and living expenses that begin in December with plans on playing Winter series events in Port St. Lucie Florida, Houston, and Dallas. Funds will also help pay for entry fees into other various PGA Tour qualifiers, All Pro Tour: APT events, more STPGA events, AND 2021 Q-School for the remainder of the year. Whatever you decide to contribute is beyond appreciative. Thank you for investing and believing in me.


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