Illinois PGA Foundation Announces Scholarship Honorees

Oct 17, 2019

GLENVIEW, Ill. – October 17, 2019 – The Illinois PGA Foundation has announced that Grace Owens of Hinsdale, Ill. is the 2019 Alice Meyer Brown Scholarship honoree and William Marshall of Elburn, Ill. is the 2019 Louis M. Brown Scholarship recipient.

The Alice Meyer Brown Scholarship is awarded to graduating Illinois high school women who have demonstrated commitment to excellence in the classroom, in the community and on the golf course. This scholarship was established in 1995 through a grant from the C. Louis Meyer Family Foundation. Named in memory of Alice Meyer Brown, an accomplished amateur golfer and local club champion, this scholarship seeks to encourage and promote the attainment of higher education for graduating high school women who have continued to demonstrate academic excellence in the classroom, while accomplishing outstanding achievements in golf.

Owens was a four-year member of the varsity girls’ golf team at Hinsdale Central High School, garnering three varsity letters and serving as team captain her senior year. Owens has excelled as much off the course as she has on the course. She is a Junior Board Member of the Freedom Golf Association, a member of Business Professionals of America, a National Honors Society Member and a four-time recipient of the Young Scholar Award. Owens is a freshman at Washington and Lee University, a member of the womens’ golf team and is pursuing a business major with math and computer science minors.
 
“Unlike many high school golfers, I haven’t been playing golf since I could walk,” said Owens. “It wasn’t until a few months before my freshman year that I picked up a club. Getting involved in golf turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Golf taught me that if you are passionate about something, you can overcome obstacles and move out of your comfort zone.”

The Louis M. Brown Scholarship seeks to encourage and promote the attainment of higher educational goals for high school men who have excelled in the game of golf, achieved academic excellence in the classroom and have demonstrated leadership in the community. Named after the family’s late patriarch, the Louis M. Brown Scholarship strives to perpetuate this goal and provide the means for outstanding student golfers to continue on the path to achieving their academic goals. This scholarship was created in 2009 with a gift from the C. Louis Meyer Family Foundation.

Marshall was a four-year member and team captain of the varsity mens’ golf team at Kaneland High School in Maple Park, Ill. He was named the team MVP three straight years and the 2017 Illinois Junior Golf Association Player of the Year. Golf was not the only sport Marshall played in his four years at Kaneland, he was a two-year member and team captain of the varsity mens’ basketball team as well. A highly regarded athlete, Marshall was also successful outside of sports. He was a Chicago Golf Club Honor Caddie, an Illinois State Scholar and a National Honor Society Member. Marshall is a freshman member of the University of Nebraska mens’ golf team and is majoring in applied mathematics. 
 
“For me, golf has been a place where I can push myself,” said Marshall. “I will never hit every single shot perfectly, but I will learn from every mistake, every misread putt and every errant tee shot. I’ve met some unbelievably talented and humble people, through golf, that I am lucky to call my friends. Golf has given me so much in such a short amount of time. I look forward to all the amazing places golf will take me and meeting more friends and wonderful people along the way.” 

About the Illinois PGA/Illinois PGA Foundation
The Illinois Section of the PGA of America is a professional organization serving the men and women golf professionals in northern and central Illinois who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf. The Illinois PGA is responsible for the administration of competitive golf tournaments, educational opportunities, support programs and growth of the game initiatives. With over 840 members and apprentices, the Illinois PGA is one of the 41 regional Sections that comprise the PGA of America. The Illinois PGA Foundation focuses its community efforts on promoting the goodwill and growth of the game with an emphasis on activities that benefit youth. Foundation initiatives include: GolfWorks Illinois, Youth-based Scholarship Funds and the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. For more information about the Illinois PGA and the Illinois PGA Foundation, please visit www.www.ipga.com and join us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
 

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CONTACT:
Kevin Quinn
Illinois PGA Communications
708.336.1294 mobile
kbquinn@pgahq.com