Michelle Wie has donated $50,000 to the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association, to be used for a travel scholarship fund.

"We are thrilled for our members for this opportunity," HSJGA president Mary Bea Porter-King said in a press release. "Michelle understands the burden on many families to pay for tournament and travel expenses, and wants to help other junior golfers in Hawai'i with financial needs to compete.

"The HSJGA was formed in 1998 to give all children in Hawai'i the same opportunities to play and compete as their counter-parts on the Mainland. This will really level the playing field for all junior golfers in Hawai'i."

Wie, the 16-year-old pro, is a former member of the HSJGA.

"The HSJGA was a valuable stepping stone for me and my development as a player," Wie said in the press release. "I was able to compete with other juniors all over the state, which allowed me a venue to meet new friends and challenge my game both mentally and physically.

"The HSJGA prepared me to qualify and play in my first national championship on the Mainland, the USGA Women's Amateur Public Links Championship when I was 10 years old.

"I believe for anyone to develop and mature as a player and a person, you need to regularly put yourself in unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations to test yourself and grow as a golfer and a person. I hope I can help other junior golfers in Hawai'i follow their dreams to be the best they can be."

The HSJGA conducts educational workshops annually for its 500-plus members statewide. It also holds tournaments and qualifiers around the state that enable more than 160 juniors to compete in national events on the Mainland each year.