Rest in Peace, Mason Goodnight
9/29/2021 8:27:00 AM | Men's Golf
In my life, I've done a lot of things I'm very proud of.
I've won golf tournaments.
I'm playing college golf at one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
And I like to think I've done some good in my community as well.
But there's one accomplishment I hold above everything else — starting the Mason Cup.
My friend Mason Goodnight
Before I talk about the event, let's talk about who it was named after, Mason Goodnight.
Mason was a friendly kid. He had the type of charm that can only be found in a young child that is so eager to see what life has in store for them. The only thing that matched Mason's joy of life was his joy of sports.
Particularly golf.
He loved everything about it. He loved to play, he loved hanging out at the golf course, and he'd talk to anyone at any time about the game.
He had a love and energy that is impossible to fake. He made you realize how special this game can be.
Tragically, Mason Goodnight passed away from viral meningitis when he was just eleven years old.
The suddenness of it shocked all of us.
Our family was very close with the Goodnight's. I went to school with Mason's sister, and my brother Cooper was just a year and a half older than Mason.
No one could comprehend this tragedy. It just felt so wrong. Mason had so much life to live and so much happiness to give. At eleven years old, how was this just? Why did this happen? I went through the five stages of grief after he passed.
It was a hard time for everyone who knew Mason, and in Bowling Green, Kentucky, everyone knew Mason. I know it sounds like a cliche, but Bowling Green is a small community that looks out for one another. We all felt the impact of Mason's passing, and we all felt helpless. There were no answers and just anger over the loss.
What could we possibly do to help?
Fundraising
I asked myself the same question while waiting to board the plane to attend the Junior Presidents Cup. So, I came up with an idea.
"What if we hosted a golf tournament in Mason's honor?"
I immediately called Mason's father to tell him about it. You have to know that I'm forever in awe of Mr. Goodnight. The fact he even took the call and brainstormed with me during this challenging time is incredible. He never hesitates to help anyone who has the courage to ask.
Little did I know that conversation would lead to the creation of the Mason Cup, an annual two-day Ryder Cup-style tournament that's become part of the AJGA's State Cup Series.
It brings some of the best junior golfers in the world together to compete here in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
And since the inception of the event in 2017, we've been able to raise over $400,000 to help benefit the AJGA's ACE Grant Program and the Mason Goodnight Foundation.
Both of these organizations do some incredible work. The ACE Grant Program helps cover tuition costs for underprivileged children, and the Mason Goodnight Foundation supports all community facets in city of Bowling Green.
It's been an honor and a privilege to help bring the Mason Goodnight Foundation into existence, and I couldn't have done it without the help of the Goodnight's and the Bowling Green community.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it was now the child that was raising the village.
Mason made us better.
He made us more united and focused on doing what we could to help people in our community and beyond.
Today, my brother Cooper has taken over the management and operations of the event. Seeing your younger brother follow in your footsteps and pursue it with the same passion you have is beyond rewarding.
The Power of Golf
Throughout this experience, I've learned so much about the power of golf.
It can bring an infectious joy to people like it did to Mason Goodnight.
You can experience pain and frustration and learn how to fight self-doubt to become a better version of yourself.
And, most importantly, this sport can help inspire a community to do better.
Not sure I will ever do something in my life again that will be this meaningful to me.
I've helped create a foundation that has done and will continue to do good in my community. And we did so in Mason Goodnight's honor. We've brought back some of the happiness and joy Mason was all about, and we're sharing it with the world. Literally.
I'm now friends with a kid from Australia, for example, who came over to participate in the Mason Cup. He helped spread Mason's story back home in Australia, and it's been so amazing to see how many people Mason touched.
Honestly, there's nothing that can compare to that.
I hope this story inspires you to ask yourself if there is something you can do to help your community as well.
Wherever my life takes me, I know that giving back and leaving my mark in other people's lives will forever play an important role in mine.
Rest in peace, Mason!
