After going winless since 2022, Patrick Cantlay came agonizingly close to ending his drought at the 2025 Tour Championship, only to settle for a T2 finish. Just days after that heartbreak, the eight-time PGA Tour winner has shifted his focus away from his own game and back to his roots. Cantlay is returning to the very course where he first learned the game, this time to inspire and support the next generation of golfers set to follow in his footsteps.

Patrick Cantlay is in Southern California to host the TTC Patrick Cantlay Foundation Series Finale at the Virginia Country Club, a course that laid the foundation for his decorated career. He took to his social media to announce his presence at the event that reflects both personal pride and professional purpose — “Hosting the @scpgajrtour TTC Patrick Cantlay Foundation Series Finale at Virginia Country Club, the course I grew up playing, is always special to me. It’s an honor to host the best junior golfers in Southern California every year. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for a lot of these juniors at the next level!” 

In 2019, Cantlay launched the Patrick Cantlay Foundation to give back to the junior golf community that shaped him. In partnership with the SCPGA, he introduced the “Patrick Cantlay Series” in 2021—now a key part of the Toyota Tour Cup, one of three tiers within the SCPGA Junior Tour. The series features four premier events, including the season-ending finale — the Toyota Tour Cup Patrick Cantlay Foundation Series Finale, and is designed to showcase top junior talent across Southern California, offering the kind of high-level competition and exposure that helped launch Cantlay’s own career.

Through his foundation, Patrick Cantlay wants to give young golfers a stage to grow and compete — reflective of his own path to success on the PGA Tour. A product of the SCPGA Junior Tour himself from 2002 to 2010, Cantlay understands how formative those early years can be. And the same commitment to growth and perseverance was on full display during Cantlay’s own 2025 season. He had five top-10 finishes this year, with his best finish at the 2025 Truist Championship. He entered the FedEx Cup playoffs ranked 19th because of his stellar performances throughout the season.

Although Cantlay barely secured his spot at the Tour Championship with a tied 30th finish at the BMW Championship, his heartbreaking runner-up finish at East Lake was a tough pill to swallow, given that he won the playoffs in 2021. After entering the final round tied for the lead at 16-under with Tommy Fleetwood, Cantlay stumbled—carding a bogey on the first and a disastrous four-putt double bogey on the second. Despite clawing his way back into contention throughout the round, he ultimately fell three shots short of Fleetwood, who claimed his first-ever PGA Tour victory.

Still, while the sting of that final round lingers, Cantlay’s return to his roots highlights what truly drives him as he redirects his focus towards the junior golfers of Southern California.

Patrick Cantlay’s efforts to grow Junior golf

Patrick Cantlay’s presence at Virginia Golf Club isn’t just symbolic — it’s deeply personal. It’s where he grew up, learned the game, and built the foundation for his career. Reflecting on that connection, Cantlay spoke of his partnership with SCPGA in 2022, where the Patrick Cantlay Series hosted eight total events within the Toyota Tour Cup schedule —“I am extremely grateful to be able to partner with the SCPGA to host the Patrick Cantlay Foundation Junior Golf Series. I have many wonderful memories playing junior golf. Having the best junior golfers in Southern California compete in the series finale on the course I grew up playing, Virginia Country Club, is truly an honor. I look forward to continuing to work with the SCPGA to promote junior golf and provide more playing opportunities for our talented juniors.” 

His efforts to give back to the community and use his platform to elevate junior golf reflect a larger purpose beyond the professional circuit. It’s an effort that has even received appreciation from his long-time coach, Jamie Mulligan, who said, “It is so wonderful to see him giving back to our thriving Southern California golf community.” For Patrick Cantlay, it’s about investing in the future of the sport—mentoring young athletes, expanding access to high-level competition, and ensuring the next generation has the same opportunities he once had.