June 19, 2025 • 4 mins
Lee-Anne Gilchrist, CEO of the Golf Performance Academy and the USA Junior Golf Federation, joins us live from the Travelers Championship. Both organizations are dedicated to junior golf development, helping young athletes from around the world pursue their dreams on and off the course.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Allison de Merz. I'm here at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell.
My guest this morning is Leanne Gilchrist. She is CEO
of the Golf Performance Academy and the USA Junior Golf Federation.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Allison. How long are you? I'm wonderful, Thank you.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I'm amazing, very excited to be here. Thank you so
much for having.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
For people who don't know about the Golf Performance Academy
and the USA Junior Golf Federation, how did it come
about and what is it all about?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, these two organizations are very passionate about junior golf development.
On the academy side, we develop players from all over
the world essentially and help them achieve their potential and
their goals and their dreams. Ironically, being here at the Travelers,
this is what they all aspire to, right being teeing
(00:55):
off in a big professional event, and our mission is
to make their dreams come true. And the USA Junior
Golf Federation helps fund and provide opportunities and access for
those athletes that have the talent and potential but just
do not have the opportunity the financial.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Means and how are you able to do that?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
So we cover education expenses, We cover tuition to the
golf academy, help them with their tournaments, a variety of
different ways. The USA Junior Golf Federation helps these athletes
either come to America or come to our academies and
be able to attend and really focus on their golf development.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So you must need donations.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Then, absolutely, We, like many nonprofits, were looking for donors
for those that love the game of golf, that are
maybe passionate about helping identify and find the next Justin
Thomas or Tiger Woods, or and just having a little
part in their journey to get them where they want to.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Go and changing their lives for the better.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Absolutely, we are very mission focused and mission based. It's
not just golf, it's academics, it's golf and its leadership
and character. So how we identify those players, how we
give them their opportunities. It's a very robust selection process
to ensure alignment with our mission and vision and the athletes.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
How has it positively affected the players and their families unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I mean I could regale you with story after story.
One thing I like to tell people is this last
year in the academy in Connecticut, we have a Ridgefield
campus and we have a small group of athletes, twenty
four athletes from around the world, and I don't think
ever such a small group of kids has had such
(02:58):
a big impact for exacts. We had three players who
played for.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Their national teams.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
We've had three players play in the US Junior which is,
you know, the biggest junior event in the world. We've
had players win agagas, win big tournaments, play in an LPGA.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We had a girl.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Player at LPGA and she came in the top thirty
in the field. So just some incredible results. And then
some of them are going off to schools, to D
one schools, high profile D one schools, D two schools.
We're just so proud of the contribution we've made to
get them to this point and.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
To watch them and support them moving forward. So you're
opening a new place.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Absolutely, we are super excited about expanding into.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Florida, Port Saint Lucy.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
We're partnering with URPS Academies and Port Saint Lucy and
super excited to open that campus. So we will have
Connecticut and Florida.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Wonderful. Just fly right into West Palm.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Absolute perfect, right there, Allison. We can give you golf
listens anytime you want to come in with us last,
so take us up on that.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Thank you so much. We mentioned donations earlier. You're involved
with the Birdies for Charity program. For every dollar raised,
Webster Bank is going to give you fifteen cents. So
I would like for everyone to go to the Golf
Performance Academy dot com or Travelers Championship dot com and
donate right now, do not forget, and then you can
find out more about what we're talking about today and
(04:28):
this beautiful new place that you're building.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Thank you so much, thanks for having us.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Thank you. iHeartRadio. Great job you're doing here, the Travelers
my plea.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Leanne Gilchrist, CEO of the Golf Performance Academy and USA
Junior Golf Federation, thank you so much for being here
and for serving the community.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Thank you so much, appreciate you
Good morning, thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Allison de Merz. I'm here at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell.
My guest this morning is Leanne Gilchrist. She is CEO
of the Golf Performance Academy and the USA Junior Golf Federation.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Allison. How long are you? I'm wonderful, Thank you.
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I'm amazing, very excited to be here. Thank you so
much for having.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
For people who don't know about the Golf Performance Academy
and the USA Junior Golf Federation, how did it come
about and what is it all about?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, these two organizations are very passionate about junior golf development.
On the academy side, we develop players from all over
the world essentially and help them achieve their potential and
their goals and their dreams. Ironically, being here at the Travelers,
this is what they all aspire to, right being teeing
(00:55):
off in a big professional event, and our mission is
to make their dreams come true. And the USA Junior
Golf Federation helps fund and provide opportunities and access for
those athletes that have the talent and potential but just
do not have the opportunity the financial.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Means and how are you able to do that?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
So we cover education expenses, We cover tuition to the
golf academy, help them with their tournaments, a variety of
different ways. The USA Junior Golf Federation helps these athletes
either come to America or come to our academies and
be able to attend and really focus on their golf development.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So you must need donations.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Then, absolutely, We, like many nonprofits, were looking for donors
for those that love the game of golf, that are
maybe passionate about helping identify and find the next Justin
Thomas or Tiger Woods, or and just having a little
part in their journey to get them where they want to.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Go and changing their lives for the better.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Absolutely, we are very mission focused and mission based. It's
not just golf, it's academics, it's golf and its leadership
and character. So how we identify those players, how we
give them their opportunities. It's a very robust selection process
to ensure alignment with our mission and vision and the athletes.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
How has it positively affected the players and their families unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I mean I could regale you with story after story.
One thing I like to tell people is this last
year in the academy in Connecticut, we have a Ridgefield
campus and we have a small group of athletes, twenty
four athletes from around the world, and I don't think
ever such a small group of kids has had such
(02:58):
a big impact for exacts. We had three players who
played for.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Their national teams.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
We've had three players play in the US Junior which is,
you know, the biggest junior event in the world. We've
had players win agagas, win big tournaments, play in an LPGA.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
We had a girl.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Player at LPGA and she came in the top thirty
in the field. So just some incredible results. And then
some of them are going off to schools, to D
one schools, high profile D one schools, D two schools.
We're just so proud of the contribution we've made to
get them to this point and.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
To watch them and support them moving forward. So you're
opening a new place.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Absolutely, we are super excited about expanding into.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Florida, Port Saint Lucy.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
We're partnering with URPS Academies and Port Saint Lucy and
super excited to open that campus. So we will have
Connecticut and Florida.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Wonderful. Just fly right into West Palm.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Absolute perfect, right there, Allison. We can give you golf
listens anytime you want to come in with us last,
so take us up on that.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Thank you so much. We mentioned donations earlier. You're involved
with the Birdies for Charity program. For every dollar raised,
Webster Bank is going to give you fifteen cents. So
I would like for everyone to go to the Golf
Performance Academy dot com or Travelers Championship dot com and
donate right now, do not forget, and then you can
find out more about what we're talking about today and
(04:28):
this beautiful new place that you're building.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Thank you so much, thanks for having us.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Thank you. iHeartRadio. Great job you're doing here, the Travelers
my plea.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Leanne Gilchrist, CEO of the Golf Performance Academy and USA
Junior Golf Federation, thank you so much for being here
and for serving the community.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Thank you so much, appreciate you
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