Scholarship History
In 1985, the Arkansas State Golf Association (ASGA) established a scholarship fund to assist deserving male and female Arkansas High School Graduates to attend colleges and universities in Arkansas.
From the 1985 Arkansas Golfer magazine: “Golf proficiency is not a requirement; however, to be considered for assistance a young person should be associated with golf and receive a letter of recommendation from an ASGA member or member organization. Scholarships will be in the form of one year, $1,000 grants with renewals possible.”
Five young men were awarded the initial scholarships: J.R. Andrews, a 1985 graduate of Arkadelphia High School and student at Hendrix College in Conway majoring in Accounting and Pre-Law; Steven Durand, 1983 Valedictorian of Arkadelphia High School, majoring in Accounting & Pre-Law at Henderson State University; Petey King, 1984 graduate of Catholic High School in Little Rock, majoring in Finance and Real Estate at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Joe Mowery, 1983 graduate of Piggott High School, majoring in Business and Pre-Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; and Duane Poorman, 1985 graduate of Newport High School, majoring in Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
“We really couldn’t blow our own horn and publicize the scholarship program at first like we wanted to,” said Charles “Monk” Wade, ASGA Executive Director 1975-1990. “We didn’t have much money to distribute and all the money we raised was through private donations.”
The criteria changed through the years, with scholarships becoming $1,000 per semester and could be awarded up to eight semesters if the student maintained full-time status with a class load of at least 12 hours per semester, maintained at least a 2.75 grade point average and sent transcripts each semester to the ASGA office.
While the program has grown significantly over the past 25 years, one thing has not changed: money raised for scholarships comes from donations by individuals and corporations. Originally, all recipients attended college in Arkansas – now expanded to Professional Golf Management (PGM) Degrees and those studying Turf Grass Science in all parts of the United States.
Recently, memorial scholarships have been established in the name of Pete Fleming, a former PGA Professional and 2007 Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame Inductee and Richard McCauley, a former state junior and state amateur champion.
Since 1985, more than $500,000 has been awarded to 140+ recipients. There are currently 10 students receiving the ASGA Scholarship for the 2022-2023 school year. To see a full list of ASGA Scholarship recipients, click here.
Scholarship applications can be obtained here.
Tax deductible donations can be made to the scholarship fund online or by mail. Click here to learn more.
