Of all the strides PGA HOPE Southern Ohio made in 2025, perhaps the most important one happened in rain-soaked shoes during a borderline biblical downpour at Carmel Country Club, just days before the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“That’s the most rain I’ve ever seen,” Dr. Aishia Johnson, a member of the 2025 Secretary’s Cup team for the Southern Ohio PGA Section.
Team Southern Ohio – From left to right: Melissa Dickens, Dr. Aishia Johnson, Maj. Jessica Blair, Maj. Alyson Goolsby, Matt Starr, PGA
“I’m not sure my shoes ever dried,” said fellow team member Melissa Dickens. “But nothing was going to bring us down that day. Nothing.”
Rain was not getting in the way of Team Southern Ohio making history. The team, composed of Dr. Johnson (Air Force), Dickens (Navy), Maj. Alyson Goolsby (Air Force) and Maj. Jessica Blair (Air Force), became the first all-female team in the history of the Secretary’s Cup. On vibes alone, the team from Southern Ohio made an impact. No group had more fun, made more friends or created better memories. But they also put faces to an underrepresented group within the PGA HOPE community. They were the first all-female team and they’re making sure they won’t be the last.
Melissa Dickens (left) and Dr. Aishia Johnson (right) at the 2025 Secretary’s Cup.
“It was an opportunity to see women in the military excel,” Dr. Johnson said. “We were able to discuss what we went through as women in the military. It was an incredible experience. We mattered.”
The Secretary’s Cup was established in 2016 to showcase the therapeutic power of golf and the strength found in shared experience. Led by Matt Starr, PGA, the Southern Ohio team was one of 12 from PGA Sections across the country playing in the event. Team members were chosen for having an outstanding presence at their own HOPE sessions, as well as continuing to be involved beyond their graduations.
Maj. Alyson Goolsby at the 2025 Secretary’s Cup
The Secretary’s Cup exists precisely for this moment. Proving an opportunity for Veterans to continue their journey, not alone, but shoulder to shoulder with others who understand what it means to serve and then find their footing again.
“PGA HOPE was something I saw on Facebook when I was living in Ohio and stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” said Maj. Goolsby. “That’s the beauty of a HOPE program. You get to do something fun while also being around Veterans who have experienced different things.”
That sense of being seen has long been at the heart of PGA HOPE Southern Ohio–the Secretary’s Cup simply brings it into sharper focus. The spirit of that competition serves a deeper and unmistakable purpose: to celebrate Veterans and to remind each participant that their story continues, even after their service.
“I think the Secretary’s Cup is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” said Goolsby. “We’ve all had different military journeys and being able to share our experiences together is pretty remarkable.”