Another record smashed!
Our generous supporters outdid themselves again. The 14th annual COPi Cup Invitational Pro-Am presented by Legistics, Inc. raised a record $319,008 for the SCGA Junior Golf Foundation’s scholarship fund. That boost will allow the Foundation to expand its funding for 2026-2027, pursue further partnership for educational opportunities for Foundation Scholars and SCGA Juniors, and invest in the COPi Cup Endowment. To date, we’ve raised $2.5 million for post-secondary scholarships. As usual, things began with a Saturday reception, this time welcoming our players with a stunning sunset as founder Phil Frengs set the tone, explained the rules of the tournament, and confirmed the founding principles of the event — Competition, Cameraderie and Charity. A gorgeous day of challenging golf at Spyglass culminated in our always-fun fundraising dinner on Sunday night. We spun our now-famous Divot Disk for thousands of dollars of prizes, all of which were donated by our generous pros and their sponsors. Our annual Bogey Award (a 500-piece puzzle) went to one of our youngest players, Kyle Forsyth, whose short acceptance speech was worthy of an Oscar on its own. Next day we played at the incredible Pebble Beach Golf Links with the most famous finishing hole in golf. The 18th is an unforgettable par-5 that sweeps around spectacular Stillwater Cove, testing players off the tee with ocean left, a Cypress tree in the fairway, and out-of-bounds right. From our perch in the Library, we watched defending champion pro Marcus De La Rosa, PGA, win the individual tournament for the sixth time in a row, at 3 under par. De La Rosa led his Santa Ana CC crew of amateur players Cal Culmer, Rick Glasser and Steve Levisee to win the team title at an impressive 26-under par. “The COPi Cup is always great but setting a new fundraising record this year is truly remarkable,” said SCGA Junior Golf Foundation Executive Director Kevin Gigax. “Our supporters continue to invest generously towards our mission and their partnership will change the lives of future scholars.” The Foundation’s 2025 Mimi Frengs Scholar and longtime SCGA Junior participant Dallas Vega was featured in an remarkable video that was shown at the event. Special thanks to matching partners Phil Frengs and Legistics, Inc.; Bob Baker; Cumberland Holdings; Suzanne Kelley; John & Sarah Kobara; Stephanie Lue; Steve Waszak and Alexis Willingham for their unwavering support. Thanks to our board members, both past and present: Kevin Beggs, Scott Chernoff, Jeff Delarme, Phil Frengs, Jim Jandro, Stephanie Lue and Steve Waszak, all of whom played in the tournament. Read more, with scoring results and access to lots of photos on our 2026 Tournament page!
As featured on Fox LA
Our founder Phil was interviewed on Fox LA News. Happily, lots of folks got to find out about Racing to End Alzheimer’s, and a bunch of them added names! We’re grateful to anchors Marla Tellez and Elex Michaelson (who added his grandmother Vivan to our car) for their interest and willingness to share what we’re up to with their viewers. Here’s the whole interview. (If you don’t see a video embedded right below, go to this link on the KTTV site.)
Pre-Grand Prix
Just before the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach — the “200 MPH Beach Party” — we held our own little hometown party. It was a joyful celebration of racing, and of our donors’ generosity, at the Palos Verdes Golf Club. We brought the drinks and the gratitude, and MDK Motorsports brought our actual Porsche 992 GT3 Club racecar, covered with the names of our donors’ loved ones. Key players from the MDK Motorsports racing team arrived as well: owners Megan and Mark Kvamme; team principal Will Bamber who’s newly married to team and driver manager Sarah Serle; driver and coach Trenton Estep; and logistics support and CDL driver Conner Burke. Undaunted by drizzle As the Southern California skies turned cloudy and a mist began to dampen the outdoor gathering, we all trooped inside to a delicious dinner and lively conversation, over which our founder Phil Frengs happily presided. Many of our guests renewed their generous support, adding their loved one’s name to the #43 for the rest of the 2023 season. But the capper of the evening was an utterly unexpected pledge from Meg and Mark: a generous $10,000 matching fund for Racing to End Alzheimer’s! What a fulfilling way to finish off a delightful evening.
The COPi Cup shatters its own record again!
Yes, it’s true. The 11th annual COPi Cup raised more money in a single evening than in any previous year: $272,250. A generous donor added $500 after Phil signed the Big Check! Funds support scholarships for young golfers who have shown exceptional leadership skills and commitment to helping other kids learn to enjoy this sport we all love. Some of our recipients are the first in their families to attend college. And with higher education becoming less and less affordable, the SCGA Junior Foundation helps open doors to a bright future. Our players’ generosity has helped provide educational funding for over 60 scholars to date, with more on the horizon. So far, the Foundation has awarded over $1.6 million in scholarships. All thanks to the generosity of people like our COPi Cup players. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And congratulations to our winning pro and team! To read about them, go to 2023 under Past Tournaments on copicup.com.
January 2023: Dignity
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A.A. Milne Featured frontline hero: Petra Carne, Respiratory Therapist The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.
December 2022: Hope
This month, in keeping with the spirit of the holidays, we offer a special page from our 2022 calendar: In the face of crisis, hope. The people who have risen to the challenge of our times are an inspiration not just to those of us who have benefited from their courage and resilience, but also to the generations who will follow in their footsteps. Featured frontline hero: Juniper Dohse, Future Doctor The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.
December 2022: Perseverance
“Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.” — Albert Camus Featured frontline hero: Chris Fennell, Firefighter, Battalion Chief The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.
November 2022: Selflessness
“From caring comes courage.” — Laozi Featured frontline hero: Alyssa Chauncey, Registered Nurse The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.
October 2022: Toughness
“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” — Bob Marley Featured frontline hero: Katrina Harberts, ICU Nurse The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.
September 2022: Resolve
“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.” — Rosa Parks Featured frontline hero: Lyndie Saville, ICU Nurse The Humanity of Tintype “Tintypes won’t fade for hundreds of years; they will outlast most other mainstream forms of photography. In the distant future, I want people to look into the eyes of these workers and find their courage as well as their struggle. I want people to see the resilience we generated in the face of this virus.” – Eric Retterbush Each of Eric Retterbush’s tintype portraits is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Evocative of another era, they are an ode to the beauty that comes from focusing with great deliberation on subjects worthy of a closer look, a singular vision, an enduring tribute. Tintype is an exacting medium – temperamental and time-consuming. Virtually a lost art, the process required to produce a single image requires exceptional skill and patience, as well as a modicum of plain old-fashioned luck. When all of the elements come together in just the right way, the results are astonishingly detailed, hauntingly intimate and uniquely capable of capturing an ephemeral moment in time for generations to come.