FORTY YEARS have passed since the first VSGA-VIP Scholarship Award Foundation grants were awarded in 1984 . As a nod to the program ’ s growth over those four decades , 40 high-school students ( plus four graduate students in the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Program ) earned scholarship grants on May 20th at VSGA Scholarship Day at Lakeside Park Club in Richmond .

The VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation is a separate non-profit entity that operates under the overall VSGA umbrella . And if you ’ ve purchased a VSGA-VIP Golf Card any time in the last 40 years , you ’ ve played a key role in helping to fund scholarships for worthy Virginia highschool seniors with an interest in golf as they pursue their long-term academic goals at colleges and universities .

The Foundation handed out six named awards , along with the newly created Military Scholarship . “ This new award is indicative of how our VSGA-VIP Scholarship program continues to grow from its humble start 40 years ago to impact Virginia golfers and their families across the Commonwealth ,” Foundation president Joan Gardner said .

A rundown of the named and military scholarship winners : 1 . Nate Faulkner - Roanoke / Cave Spring HS Faulkner , who will play at Davidson College , earned the C . Dan Keffer Award that goes to the top overall male recipient . Faulkner is an accomplished junior player who was the low junior at the 2023 Kenridge Invitational , was a semifinalist at the 2023 VSGA Junior Match Play Championship and placed second at the 2023 VHSL Class 3 Championship . He also works as a caddie at Ballyhack Golf Club .

2 . Katie Vu - Fairfax Station / Robinson HS Vu , who will play at the University of North Carolina , earned the Spencer-Wilkinson Award that goes to the top overall female recipient . Captain of Robinson ’ s golf team , Vu maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout all four years of high school . She won the 2023 VHSL Girls ’ Open Championship and has five top-10 finishes in AJGA events .

3 . Felicity Chen - Reston / South Lakes HS Chen , who will attend William & Mary , earned the David A . King Award , intended for the top academic performer from

each year ’ s applicant pool . She earned several academic honors , including the 2023 Smithsonian Science Education Center ’ s Sustainable Communities Global Action Research Award and the 2023 VHSL Award of Excellence .

4 . Emma McGowan Chesapeake / Oscar Smith HS McGowan , who will attend the University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar , earned the Red Speigle Award , which goes to a top applicant from the Tidewater area . McGowan ranked first in her class at Oscar Smith , was a threeyear captain for the golf team , and played cello in the school ’ s band and orchestra .

5 . Meg Lavinder Mechanicsville / Mechanicsville HS Lavinder , who will play at Trinity College , earned the Richard Smith Award , named after the VSGA ’ s longtime director of competitions and supporter of junior golf . Lavinder has been heavily involved in First Tee – Greater Richmond , earning national playing and leadership opportunities . She was editor-in-chief of her school ’ s student newspaper as a senior .

KATE BENICASE