The McConnell Golf Junior Scholarship is an innovative program designed to offer instruction, practice and playing opportunities to young golfers that may not have the financial means to practice at first-class facilities. Certain criteria needs to be met, including level of talent, need and commitment to the sport – as well as his proven dedication and value to the future of golf.
The program has been producing some top young talent – and winning performances in 2013.
Competing in the Web.com’s Rex Hospital Open field for the second year in a row this summer was McConnell Golf Scholar, Carter Jenkins, a 2010 Raleigh County Club recipient, who will be attending UNC-Greensboro in the fall. Carrying Jenkins’ bag at the Rex was fellow McConnell Golf Scholar Grayson Murray, who enjoyed plenty of heroics himself, qualifying for the U.S. Open at famed Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia. Murray also reached the semifinals of the 2013 North-South Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. And Jenkins recently won the 99th Carolinas Amateur Championship on the famed Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
In 2008, Murray was selected as one of five original McConnell Golf Junior Scholarship recipients. Another recipient Ryan Nagy, a senior at UNC-Wilmington, advanced to match play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and was a member of the Colonial Athletic Association championship team.
Drew Johnson, a Sedgefield McConnell Golf Scholar headed to Virginia Tech, shot 64 to win the Piedmont Conference Championship and earned the conference stroke title for third straight year.
“Our company is committed to amateur and junior golf,” said McConnell Golf Founder and CEO John McConnell. “Some of the best junior golfers do not have access to practice facilities and good courses. Our goal is to provide this access and supervision in hopes of helping these talented young players advance to the next level of play, and possibly allow them to elevate to the point where golf can become a means of helping them receive financial assistance for higher education and even play beyond the collegiate level.”
