It is funny when two worlds collide. Amanda Balionis had a very recent experience when two different facets of her life collided in a very surprising manner. Her PGA Tour life collided with her animal-loving self on day 3 of the PGA Championship, thanks to an assist from NBC Reporter Kira Dixon.

The CBS Reporter’s interview with Scottie Scheffler was one of one. The interview started with the World No.1 getting into a coughing fit before even uttering a word. Balionis managed to get a hold of the situation by getting Scheffler a bottle of water. Scheffler made a funny excuse, stating, “Sorry, I am just nervous.” The interview went ahead post that, without a hitch, to the relief of one fan of Amanda Balionis.

The fan was none other than NBC Reporter Kira Dixon’s dog, Steve. Dixon was watching the broadcast of Balionis’s interview with Scottie Scheffler. As soon as Balionis’s voice came, Steve started getting excited, visibly showing understanding of his ‘auntie’s’ voice even from the television. All this was shared by the reporter on her Instagram story. Dixon added a note for Balionis in her story as well, which read,  “Steve loves Auntie Mandy @balionis.”

Balionis shared Dixon’s story, with the caption, “Steve I love you so much and I do this for you and only you.” Her love for animals is quite well-known. She even occasionally volunteers for K9s for Warriors, an organization that provides service dogs to military veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In fact, she also heads an organization that is well-connected to animals.

Animal-adoring Amanda Balionis

Back in 2020, the CBS reporter launched Puppies and Golf, a non-profit that is aimed at facilitating connections between people and rescue dogs. Balionis shared her inspiration behind the organization, explaining, “I was volunteering for K9s for Warriors when I worked for the PGA Tour in Jacksonville, Florida, and it was really fulfilling and gratifying. It made me feel like more of a whole, well-rounded person. And then when I moved to San Diego and took my job with Callaway, all of a sudden I didn’t have that in my life, and I realized how important giving back was to me.”

She started by creating a Puppies and Golf shirt and selling it to raise funds for K9s for Warriors.  Callaway also helped the CBS Reporter out by putting up some limited edition wedges for auction. In total, they raised $30,000 and were able to sponsor a dog. That was the base from which Puppies and Golf grew.

“Once I realized that I had something here that people were getting behind and were as passionate about as I was, I realized there was definitely room to grow Puppies and Golf into something bigger. I wanted to continue to support K9s for Warriors but also all of these incredible animal rescues across the country, and connect them to the golf community, who seemed to have this huge passion for dogs. Everyone loves golf. Everyone loves dogs. And when you combine the two, great things happen.” Balionis further added.

Puppies and golf are going strong, and so is Balionis’ love for animals. Hope that her number 1 fan, Steve, gets more moments to cheer her on!