A showcase of talent and tenacity

Each November, The Charles Schwab Cup Championship brings the top 36 players from the PGA TOUR Champions—the official senior circuit of the PGA TOUR—to Arizona’s Phoenix Country Club to compete for the season-ending title. 

For competitors including golf legends like Ernie Els, Stewart Cink, Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, and the current points leader, Steven Alker, the final playoff event for the season title is just as much about wisdom as it is about winning. For volunteers and community members who support the event, including those from the On Course Foundation, which helps injured veterans rebuild confidence through golf and career opportunities, the message is just as critical: that golf, and life at large, are best played with purpose and perseverance.

The Charles Schwab Cup Championship has long celebrated tenured excellence, where years of experience coalesce into the season-ending race to crown the year’s best player. Years of triumph, heartbreak, and pressure have taught these seasoned golfers valuable lessons that guide their playing style, ranging from risk management to mental resilience. 

John Goudie, retired U.S. Army Special Forces Communications Sergeant and national programs manager for the On Course Foundation, is volunteering at his third Charles Schwab Cup Championship this year. One of his favorite parts of the tournament is caddying for the pros during the pre-tournament pro-am where the pros play alongside amateur golfers. 

“I absolutely love getting to caddie at the pro-am and getting to talk with all the pros,” John says. “It's different than the PGA TOUR, because these guys have been doing it for so long. They're all so good, and they need less help reading birdie putts or picking clubs.”

Beyond caddying, volunteers like John and Justin Lynn, a fellow veteran and member of the On Course Foundation, get a front-row seat on the golf course to see how the professionals fine-tune their game.

“One of the big things I noticed is how each person has a unique routine, and how they've all been so successful with their individual preparation,” Justin says. “There's not one specific routine that leads to success. Some guys go straight from practicing wedges to drivers. Miguel Ángel Jiménez stretches for half an hour with a cigar in his mouth before he hits a single ball. So, I've incorporated little bits and pieces of each into my warm-up routine. Especially the stretching.” 

Eclectic training regimens show that there's no precise blueprint for success; the one necessary factor is consistency and a strong work ethic. 

Beyond consistency, another lesson John and Justin have noticed from their time at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship is just how important the mental side of the game is. 

“The Champions TOUR guys always preach that it’s more mental than physical,” John says. “It’s all about doing the right things, surrounding yourself with the right people. So, they have this great positive outlook that really resonates with me and the other veterans.”

For several years, John, Justin, and other On Course Foundation members have volunteered at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, connecting with players, fans, and fellow veterans. Their service also extends to helping host clinics for the On Course Foundation that use golf as a bridge for rehabilitation and personal growth.

This year, the foundation’s focus is serving children with disabilities. PGA-certified instructors help lead the clinics, and the veterans work alongside the kids to serve as role models—creating opportunities for mentorship and connection.

“It's really meaningful for the kids,” says John. “They look over and see someone like me that's missing a leg, and they see my swing and think, ‘See, that guy can do it.’ It’s so inspiring for these kids to see adults out there with disabilities. It gives them a ton of motivation to set their own goals and to go achieve them. The kids are so joyful and excited to be there—it's one of the best parts of the event.”

The event’s impact ripples outward from the pros topping the leaderboard to the volunteers running clinics and ensuring every detail runs smoothly. Many volunteer veterans have returned year after year, finding in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship not just a sporting event, but a community.

“It’s a special event for On Course [Foundation] members,” Justin says. “The time Champions TOUR players give to veterans during this event is what sets it apart. We show up and feel like VIPs. The time we get to spend either caddying or on the range with the pros is unique.” 

“The Charles Schwab Cup has just been amazing to our guys,” adds John. “Because of their experiences caddying in the pro-ams, we've got [On Course Foundation] members who went through caddie programs and now caddie full time. They all started at Schwab events, so it's been super impactful.” 

At its heart, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship is a celebration of staying power — the kind that comes from passion, preparation, and perspective. The pros may be chasing a title, but everyone involved is chasing something just as meaningful: the chance to keep learning, giving, and growing. Because, as golf so often reminds us, success isn’t always dependent on your first tee shot, it’s about how you play every shot along the way. As Ben Hogan once said, “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”

“That's what I love about the game of golf: it's all about perspective,” John says. “Having the right attitude, the right mentality. It's more mental than it is physical. If you get complacent, become lackadaisical, or stop wanting to be out there, you're not going to succeed.”