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Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates with his wife Meredith Scheffler and son Bennett Scheffler on the 18th green after winning The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025.
Scottie and Meredith Scheffler have launched a meaningful new chapter in their community work: the creation of the Randy Smith Junior Golf Tour, a free and inclusive golf circuit for children across North Texas.
The tour is named in honor of Scheffler’s long-time coach and mentor, Randy Smith, who has been instrumental in junior-golf development in the region for decades.
By removing membership and entry fees, the Schefflers aim to lower financial barriers that too often prevent kids from accessing the game. Meredith will also play an active role in the programming, reinforcing the family’s commitment to making golf more welcoming.
“This tour is about giving kids the same gift Randy gave me,” Scottie said. “He taught me that golf is about more than just scores. It’s about character, respect, and the people who help you along the way. That’s the legacy that Meredith and I are excited to pass on. We are proud to help start the Randy Smith Tour.”
Scottie and Meredith Scheffler are creating a fantastic new offering for young golfers in North Texas.
A new free golf tour for golfers aged 6-12 years old.
It’s going to be called The Randy Smith Tour, named after Scheffler’s teacher and legendary PGA of America golf
The Tour’s Format and Philosophy
The Randy Smith Junior Golf Tour is tailored for boys and girls ages six to twelve, split into appropriate age groups, and designed around fun, learning and sportsmanship rather than cut-throat competition.
Some key features of the tour:
Par-3 courses (6- or 9-hole formats) offering shorter, less intimidating rounds.
Four-player teams (each playing their own ball) and a non-competitive “stamp system” that rewards effort, improvement and participation rather than only winning.
Mentoring by high-school golfers and family-friendly elements like ice-cream celebrations for all participants.
Why This Matters for the Game
At a broader level, this initiative carries significance for the sport of golf beyond Texas. One of the persistent challenges for golf is maintaining and growing youth participation, particularly among demographics underserved by traditional club-based models. By creating a no-fee tour and explicitly centering young players and families, the Schefflers are addressing both cost and cultural barriers.
Moreover, naming the tour after Smith sends a powerful message about mentorship and legacy. Smith’s decades of work in junior golf is now being honored while simultaneously being extended through the Scheffler family’s efforts.
“Randy’s fingerprints are all over our Foundation and have been for more than four decades. He’s been the connective tissue behind so many relationships and milestones that help define who we are today,” Mark Harrison, CEO of the Northern Texas PGA, said.
“In 1983, he started a yearly fundraiser that has raised more than $2.3M for our growth of the game initiatives. Randy then introduced us to Justin Leonard, our first Junior Tour spokesperson nearly 30 years ago, and to Fin Ewing III, whose partnership through Ewing Automotive has powered both the Ewing Charity Classic and our Junior Tour for 20 years. About a decade ago, Randy also connected us with Dr. Bill Blair, whose impact on our Foundation has been extraordinary.
“The Growth of the Game Pavilion on our campus is the Randy Smith & Dr. Bill Blair Who’s Next Pavilion. Along with Scottie and Meredith, Dr. Blair was instrumental in helping us endow this new level of our Junior Tour. When I think of Randy, I think of junior golf. It is only fitting that our new tour bears his name.”
What to Watch Going Forward
As the Randy Smith Junior Golf Tour launches in 2026 with 10-12 events across North Texas, key questions will be how the program scales and how it influences youth participation metrics.
Will similar free or low-cost junior tours emerge in other states or regions? Could this become a model for how top players give back and how the sport rebuilds its youth footprint?
For the Schefflers, involvement can evolve: Meredith’s active participation suggests the family may embed deeper into the events, outreach, and perhaps brand partnerships that support the initiative. Scottie’s star power provides visibility, but long-term success will depend on execution, community support and sustainability.
“Scottie and his family are proof that when kids are surrounded by support, great things can happen,” Smith said. “I’m humbled and grateful that they want to pay that forward, and I am beyond excited about the countless kids that will be introduced to the game through this new addition to the Ewing Automotive NTPGA Junior Tour.”
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
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