Web-posted Friday, December 8, 2006 - By Aaron Phillips - aaron.phillips@amarillo.com

Palmer speaks at luncheon

The Children's Learning Centers held their annual fundraising Poinsettia Luncheon on Thursday in the Amarillo Civic Center Heritage Room.
Amarillo native and professional golfer Ryan Palmer was the guest speaker for this year's luncheon.
"(We chose Palmer) mainly because he does a lot of work with children in the community," said Steve Burton, CLC executive director.
During the luncheon, Palmer shared his story about the road to playing professional golf and the reasons he started the Ryan Palmer Foundation in 2004.
"The thing I've cherished most, even on the road, is getting to work with kids," Palmer said.
The foundation aims to teach children etiquette, athleticism and achievement through golf, whatever path they may follow.
"We're not only going to focus on golf," Palmer said.
Palmer ended his speech with a short round of question and answer.
A group of 4-year-olds from the CLC joined Chuck Alexander and Fred Byers in singing several holiday songs following the speech.
CLC board member Prenis Williams emceed the event and the Rev. Georgia King led the invocation.
After the luncheon, the more than 300 attendees had the opportunity to purchase poinsettias.
The luncheon is the main fundraiser for the CLC, Burton said. Each year a different center in the CLC receives the funds to put toward improvements.
This year the Pavillard Center will purchase things such as playground equipment, toys, furniture and anything else deemed beneficial for the children, Burton said.
The center hoped to raise $30,000 with the event, Burton said.

Giving the Gift

Ryan Palmer and the Ryan Palmer Foundation presented the West Texas A&M University golf program a $5,000 gift for the second year in a row.
The money again will help ensure that the golf student-athletes at WT be competitive in Division II and the Lone Star Conference. The money will be used to help fund scholarships for the men's and women's golf teams at WT.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pride of the Panhandle Golf Club

The Ryan Palmer Foundation is honored to be a part of The Pride of the Panhandle Golf Club and their Summer Golf for Juniors Program, designed for children ages 7 to 18. In September of 2005, the Ryan Palmer Foundation donated $1000.00 to the program, in an effort to provide equipment for the golfers and to help with their summer clinic expenses.
The Amarillo based organization is lead by Prentice Williams and Lorenzo Person. According to Williams, the goal of the program is to educate young golfers on the skills and history of the game, as well as etiquette, ethics and the fundamentals necessary to make golf enjoyable.
"It's as important to teach them the rules and etiquette as it is to teach them the sport itself," Williams said. "They need to know why you must always repair your divots and things like that. I have some experience in this, and I knew we needed to put together a curriculum and have some set guidelines."
The Ryan Palmer Foundation Invited Prentice Williams, and the members of his program, as special guest during the 2 nd Annual Ryan Palmer Foundation Golf Tournament, held at Tascosa Country Club in Amarillo, TX.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

West Texas A&M University golf program

The West Texas A&M University golf program received a gift of $5,000 from the Ryan Palmer Foundation on Thursday.
That money will help fund scholarships for the men's and women's golf programs at the school, according to athletic director Ed Harris.
''A major focus of the (Ryan Palmer) Foundation is to help the community and helping kids achieve their dreams,'' Palmer said. ''Hopefully it will help develop and produce future PGA and LPGA players.''
WT men's golf coach Jeremy Hodges, women's coach Meredith Easley and other school officials were on hand to accept the gift.
''When trying to build a solid program like we are at WT it is important to have the support of people like Ryan and his Foundation,'' Hodges said. ''Ryan lives the dream of the Foundation every day by playing golf and this endowment will establish an opportunity for WT golfers to reach and live that dream too.''
''One of the things that makes golf exciting is the rapport that is built within the team and community,'' Easley said. ''This endowment will build a solid relationship between WT golf and the Ryan Palmer Foundation and will allow talent in the local area to compete on a national level.''
Palmer, a former Amarillo High and Texas A&M University standout, is in his third year on the PGA Tour.
He is 19th on the money list and has two top-10 finishes including a tie for second at the FBR Open at Phoenix.
After missing the cut in the Sony Open at Hawaii in January Palmer made the cut in five consecutive events before taking this week off. He is scheduled to leave for Florida early next week as he attempts to earn a berth in The Masters in April.
The Ryan Palmer Foundation was founded in 2004 and is a Texas non-profit corporation. The foundation has implemented its funding mission including youth clinics, special community programs, scholarship programs, educational programs and benevolence to local youth and organizations in need.
The Foundation's mission is to promote community involvement with a constant focus on the health and education of today's young people and their opportunity to succeed.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryan Palmer Foundation Supports NTPGA Junior Golf Foundation

Wylie, Texas – The Northern Texas PGA (NTPGA) is pleased to announce that Ryan Palmer, current PGA TOUR member and former NTPGA Junior Tour standout, and the Ryan Palmer Foundation have committed to generously support the 2005 NTPGA Junior Golf Foundation in the West Texas area.
The Ryan Palmer Foundation Junior Series will be conducted this summer in Amarillo at Ross Rogers Golf Course on June 2, Tascosa Country Club on June 6, La Paloma Golf Club on July 5 and Comanche Trail Golf Course on July 6. Also included in the 2005 program initiatives will be the 36-hole Ryan Palmer Foundation West Texas Area Championship set to be conducted at Hogan Park Golf Course on July 19-20 in Midland . In addition, the Ryan Palmer Foundation has committed to provide financial support for youth interested in participating in the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation events and activities that cannot afford membership and tournament fees. If you know of a child that needs assistance, please contact your local PGA professional at an area golf course or country club.
The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation and its 825 PGA professionals are committed to the mission of introducing the game of golf to children of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, providing instruction and playing opportunities to boys and girls of various skill levels, administering a scholarship program, and serving as a clearinghouse for junior golf related activities.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Web-posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - www.amarillo.com

Letter: Being a class act is par for the course for Palmer

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RYAN PALMER: Yeah, that's true. To beat the No. 1 player in the world for a guy like me, obviously a rookie out here, and trying to just -- I kept my card a couple weeks ago, but trying to win for the first time and beating the No. 1 player in the world who was pretty much unstoppable the last few weeks was just awesome. I know I can play with the best now. That's awesome knowing I can go out and beat the best player in the world.