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Many of golf’s biggest names find ways to give back beyond the course. Jordan Spieth, through his Jordan Spieth Family Foundation, funds junior golf programs and also aids cancer survivors and veterans. The World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, also said he likes to give back to the community. He even donated his entire $500,000 Ryder Cup earnings from 2025 to charity. Most players focus on youth programs or community outreach. Billy Horschel, however, is focused on a group of golfers who often go unnoticed. The 8x PGA Tour winner was at the Concession Golf Club for an Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) event. When asked why Horschel is involved with the development tour, he gave a fitting reply that reflected on his personal life. “If I wasn’t as successful in college as I was and I wanted to chase my dream of playing golf professionally, where was that financial support going to come from? I didn’t grow up with a lot of means,” Billy Horschel said to Sports Illustrated. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Horschel was at the Billy Horschel Invitational presented by Cisco. The event bears his name because he has been part of the APGA for the past 5 seasons. He joined the association when the APGA hosted a concurrent event at Torrey Pines in California. The 2024 Corales Puntacana Championship understands the financial challenges of golfers on the developmental tours. “These mini-tour guys who are trying to chase the professional game … it’s very expensive. And so any financial backing to help them maybe achieve their dream goes a long way,” he said. Travel, tournament entry fees, coaching, equipment, and general living costs can be too much for the athletes on developmental tours. These tours don’t usually have regular games or high prize pools. Therefore, any chance to earn comes as a significant financial help. That’s what Billy Horschell aims for. This year, it was Everett Whitten Jr., who took home $50,000. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Two years ago, it was Gabe Lench. “Gabe Lench won my event two years ago when he was about to give up on golf. He had been deciding between playing my event or going to Q-School and opted to play my event, and won $50,000. He took a portion of that money to pay off credit cards that he’d been charging everything to,” Horschel said about Lench winning the event. While PGA Tour pros can earn millions from a single win, players on the APGA compete for just $50,000. That gap shows how much financial support can mean for golfers chasing their dreams on developmental tours. Billy Horschel has always had a soft spot for those players. It showed again when he congratulated young Michael Brennan for making history at the Bank of Utah Championship. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Billy Horschel’s take on the PGA Tour getting younger Billy Horschel teed it up at the Bank of Utah Championship shortly after announcing his resignation from the DP World Tour. The spotlight, though, belonged to Michael Brennan, who turned a sponsor exemption into his first PGA Tour victory. The 22-year-old earned $1.08 million and a two-year Tour card with the win. Horschel finished T11, still a solid result given his recent struggles. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad But rather than talking about his game, Horschel congratulated Brennan with a message that read, “Congrats to Michael Brennan on his victory. Impressive what these young kids are doing in professional golf. Professional golf has been getting younger for a while now and that’s not changing anytime soon.” In recent years, a wave of young stars has taken over the PGA Tour. Since 1985, there have only been five seasons where the average winner was younger than 31. And all of these came after 2014. The 2016-17 season set the record, with winners averaging just 28.8 years old. Today, golfers 25 and under like Tom Kim (23), Nick Dunlap (21), Akshay Bhatia (23), Michael Thorbjornsen (23), and Karl Vilips (23) are leading the charge. Michael Brennan has now joined that group after his breakout win at the Bank of Utah Championship.
