RYAN YODER AND MOLLY McGREAL AWARDED $10,000 NOPGA SECTION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
A pair of highly-motivated and successful junior golfers with diverse backgrounds were awarded $10,000 college scholarships on Monday by the Northern Ohio Professional Golfers Association Foundation.
Ryan Yoder of Amherst and Molly McGreal of Independence received their scholarships during ceremonies at Club Walden on the night before the first round of the 41st Kenny Novak Junior Tour Championship.
Yoder, 18, will begin his college career this fall at Malone University in Canton after graduating with athletic and academic honors from Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst. He plans on majoring in business.
McGreal, 18, will begin her college career this fall at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., after graduating with athletic and academic honors from Independence High School. She plans on majoring in nursing.
This is the fourth year that the Northern Ohio PGA Section Foundation has awarded two local students with scholarships to assist with their college education. The scholarships will be presented in $2,500 annual increments over the course of four years.
Recipients are selected based on community service, academic standing, character and demonstrated financial need. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.0 is required.
The NOPGA Foundation has awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships in the last four years alone.
Both McGreal and Yoder have been long-time participants in the NOPGA Junior tournament program, and both are set to play in the 36-hole Kenny Novak Junior Tour Championship on Tuesday and Wednesday (July 30-31) at Club Walden.
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,” said McGreal. “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.”
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,” said Yoder. “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.”
Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 were also awarded to Brooklyn Brown (Ohio State University) and Ethan Kasler (Cedarville University).
Kenny Novak Pro-Junior-3 Am Scholarship Day Results:
Twenty-five teams of fivesomes — made up of a Northern Ohio PGA professional, a junior under age 19, and three amateurs — participated in the fundraiser at Club Walden. Due to inclement weather, the event was shortened to twelve holes. The results of the top three teams are below, with the tie broken by the USGA recommended method:
1. Jennifer Creech, The Golf Dome, Annette Branscom, Gina Harmon, Natalie Liberatore, Halle Ellis, $750.00, *8-27-35 -12
1. Mitch Camp, Windmill Golf Center, Michael Balog, Matt Mehallis, Michael Mehallis, Fletcher Clark, $500.00, *22-15-37 -12
1. Alec Adcock, Club Walden, Luke Liberatore, Nick Liberatore, Carl Branscom, Kyle Smith, $250.00, *18-19-37 -12
