The Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation Scholarships are $10,000 scholarships awarded to two high school seniors living in Northern Ohio to further their education. Since 2020, the Northern Ohio PGA has awarded almost $100,000 in scholarships to juniors at higher education institutions.
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of community service, academics, outstanding character and demonstrated financial need. Individuals who are permanent residents of Northern Ohio, past or current members of a golf organization (PGA Jr. League, Northern Ohio PGA Junior Tour, Ohio Girls Golf Foundation, etc.), hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, and plan to enroll as a full-time student at an accredited college or university in the United States, are eligible to apply.
This is the fourth year that the Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation is going to award two local students with a $10,000 scholarship to assist with their college education. The students selected to receive the $10,000 scholarship will receive it in $2,500 increments annually over the course of four years. In order to receive funding each year, additional paperwork including a copy of the student’s transcript must be submitted to the NOPGA Section Foundation to ensure the students are performing at an acceptable level.
In 2021, the NOPGA Section Foundation awarded the inaugural scholarships to Ben Ellis and Rachel DiDonato. In 2022, the scholarships were awarded for the second year to Sophia Rosa and Daniel Donegan. Ellis and DiDonato are in their junior years at Siena Heights University and Northern Kentucky University respectively, while Rosa and Donegan are in their sophomore years at Walsh University and Notre Dame University respectively. In 2023, Fletcher Clark and Halle Ellis were awarded scholarships; Clark is currently a freshman at Ohio State University while Ellis is attending Miami University (FL). Last year, Ryan Yoder and Molly McGreal were named the 2024 scholarship recipients and are attending Malone University and Mercyhurst University respectively.
The purpose of the NOPGA Section Foundation Scholarship is to encourage and promote the attainment of higher education goals among Northern Ohio students.
Eligible applicants must be high school seniors who are currently:
- A permanent resident of Northern Ohio
- A past or current member of a golf organization (NOPGA Junior Tour, Drive Chip & Putt, PGA Junior League, High School Golf Team, Ohio Girls Golf Foundation, etc.)
- Hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale)
- Plan to enroll as a full-time student at an accredited college or university in the United States
Along with the application, the applicant must submit the following information:
- A copy of his/her most recent transcript
- A personal statement
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Financial Information (Student Aid Report)
- Application Deadline: February 14, 2025
- Scholarship Finalists will be notified by April 15, 2025
- Scholarship Interview on Date TBD
- Scholarship Recipients notified by June 1, 2025
- Scholarship Recipients honored at Kenny Novak Scholarship Day on Date TBD
Molly McGreal
Independence, Ohio
McGreal was a four-year letter-winner in golf and swimming at Independence, but she also participated in track and field for the last two years. She was an honor roll student all four years and was inducted into the National Honor Society in 2023 and 2024.
A member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Miss McGreal served as class secretary during her freshman and sophomore years, was the junior class president and the student council vice president in 2024. She also sang in the school chorus and worked as a lifeguard, swimming instructor and baby-sitter.
“I am so honored to receive the NOPGA Foundation Scholarship, which will help me reach my goal of earning a nursing degree while playing collegiate golf at the Division 1 level. I am grateful for the improvements to my golf game, but even more grateful for the life skills that I have learned through playing on the junior tour and interacting with other players, PGA professionals, and coaches. Being awarded this scholarship has shown me that hard work pays off and that I can do anything that I put my mind to. Going forward, I hope to continue to be an ambassador for the game of golf and the NOPGA and to share my learnings with up-and-coming golfers.”
-Molly McGreal
Ryan Yoder
Amherst, Ohio
Yoder was Steele’s top player in each of his four years on the golf team, winning eight tournaments and setting numerous school records while earning all-Southwestern Conference honors and being named MVP in 2021. He also spent four years on the basketball team, serving as team captain his senior year, and played freshman baseball.
An honor roll student in seven semesters he was inducted into the National Honor Society in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He also was involved in coaching Amherst’s seventh and eighth graders in the city recreation basketball league and served as an assistant coach for the Amherst 13-and-under Youth Travel Baseball team. He volunteered in the non-profit Path and Green Organization, which distributed hygienic products throughout the community and was a group leader in the Grow Point Church youth program, GrowKids.
For the last six years he has given golf lessons to young students with his YoGolf Golf Lessons company founded his own landscaping business.
“Winning the NOPGA Scholarship means a lot to me. It shows that my hard work and dedication to the game of golf and my community have paid off. I am honored to be chosen for such a high award. This scholarship will allow me to continue my golf career at Malone University while receiving a college education. I look forward to further impacting the golf community, and this scholarship propels me toward that opportunity. I am forever grateful.”
-Ryan Yoder
For more information on the 2025 Scholarships or Scholarship Day, email Danielle Monas at dmonas@pgahq.com or call the Section Office at (216) 765-1214!
2025 Grant Requests
Grant Application Deadline is July 15, 2025 – You will be notified by August 15, 2025 if your grant was successfully awarded. The funds for grants will not, however, be delivered until after the Smucker’s Birdies & Charity event on September 15, 2025. See General Grant Information below for more information.
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Looking for Equipment for your Grant Program? You can reserve SNAG Equipment in advance for your program by calling the Section Office at (216) 765-1214!
1. In 2024, the average grant size given to a program or organization with a PGA or LPGA Professional was $5,000.00.
2. If you are applying for $1989.78 for SNAG Equipment, and were to be approved for the SNAG Equipment, you would be funded for the exact amount of the SNAG Equipment ($1989.78), and would be asked to submit receipts after your purchase for the foundation to reimburse.
3. The grant application must include a detailed budget and explanation of how the grant funds are to be used.
4. Grants will be limited to (1) per facility. Additional grant requests will be considered if there is funding available and if the additional request is for a different program targeting a different demographic or program goals.
5. We focus on providing grants to programs in need, and programs that align with our mission statement of helping junior golf, education, scholarships, and local charities.
6. Grant recipients will be asked to provide a follow-up report in the form of a Grant Summary Report outlining the results of the program and showing how the money was spent.
7. The deadline to submit a Grant Summary Report in 2025 is October 31, 2025. This is required to receive funding for the grant.
July 15th: Grant Application Closes
August 15th: Grant Applicants Notified with Approval/Denial of Grant Request
October 31st: Grant Summary Report due for all Grants
Click here to fill out 2025 grant application!
The Grant Summary Report will be filled out by the organization/individual that requested grant funding at the end of the program. The deadline for the 2024 Grant Summary Report is October 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
If the grant funding is approved, funding will not come until after the Grant Summary Report has been filled out. Your program will NOT receive funding for the grant if the Grant Summary Report is not filled out prior to October 31st. It must include all required information.