Powell, OH – Six years ago, Birdie Bash began with a simple question:
What could happen if a group of PGA Professionals decided to use the game they love as a force for something bigger than themselves?
Six years later, the answer can be measured in many ways.
In dollars raised, certainly. In the birdies made and the stories that come from playing dawn to dusk. In the growth from one event in Columbus to all the Birdie Bashes now held across the country.
But the real answer lives somewhere deeper than that.
It’s in the culture that has formed around this day and how a community built on camaraderie and purpose can leave the world better than it found it.
Every year, that culture reveals a new and exciting iteration. The laughter and energy before sunrise is familiar. So too is the collective exhaustion late in the afternoon when one more birdie still matters. What was new this year is best represented by Aiden, our Patient Champion from Nationwide Children’s. Taller by the year, when Aiden stepped up to hit the same ceremonial opening tee shot he’s hit a number of times before, he walked onto the tee not simply as a guest of Birdie Bash but part of its heartbeat.
If culture creates traditions and traditions lead to legacy, that moment becomes proof of what can happen when something as simple as a fundraiser turns into real, tangible shared purpose.
On Monday at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, that purpose carried the Southern Ohio PGA and PGA REACH Southern Ohio to another milestone moment.
The 2026 Play Yellow Birdie Bash raised $203,897 in support of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, pushing the event beyond $1.3 million raised since its inception in 2021.
And under perhaps the best weather conditions the event has ever seen, the golf reflected it.
Every team played well. Multiple groups established personal bests for birdies made during Birdie Bash, while the event finished with its second-highest total birdies made at 877. In our history, 4,452 birdies have been made across the six Birdie Bashes.
Leading the way was “The Leftys” team of Kyle Sanders, PGA, and Andrew Muhich, PGA, who finished with 57 birdies, the most during the marathon 72-hole day. Our hosts, Team Kinsale, finished second with 56. Team Scioto and Team Kenwood tied for third place with 52 birdies each.
Off the golf course, the giving reached another level as well.
A special matching campaign supported by the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday helped push the event beyond its $200,000 fundraising goal. Beginning the weekend prior to Birdie Bash, all donations were matched dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000, creating a final wave of momentum that carried throughout the event.
Scioto Country Club professionals Joe Falardeau, PGA, and Chris Yoder, PGA, led all teams in fundraising, generating more than $47,000 in support. Team Muirfield Village’s Peter Dornisch, PGA, and Chad Middaugh, PGA, followed with more than $36,000 raised, while Columbus Country Club’s Chase Wilson, PGA, and Evan Hartnett, PGA, contributed more than $15,000.
Proceeds from Birdie Bash directly support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals while also funding the efforts of PGA REACH Southern Ohio. Together, those efforts continue to connect the game of golf to more care, more hope and more moments for children and families facing difficult circumstances.
What we built together matters.
And we’re just getting started.
About the Southern Ohio PGA
Founded in 1946, the Southern Ohio Section of the PGA is home to nearly 530 golf professionals. The section’s mission is to promote golf, maintain professional standards and improve the well-being of its members. Learn more at www.thesouthernohiopga.com
About PGA REACH Southern Ohio
A nonprofit established in 2010, the PGA REACH Southern Ohio Foundation supports community initiatives and the growth of golf through Youth, Military and Diversity & Inclusion programs. Its offerings include the SOPGA Junior Tour, PGA Jr. League, PGA HOPE, scholarships and more.
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Since its founding, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised over $7 billion for 170 hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. Funds stay local to support urgent needs like research, patient care, training for medical professionals and family support. Learn more at www.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org