Join the MGA
MGA Play Days
Member Benefits
Staff Contacts
News
Awards
My MGA App
The Met Golfer
Schedules
Recent Results
Results Archive
Info Policy & Procedures
Pairings & Starting Times
Volunteer Portal
Photo Galleries
Post a Score
World Handicap System
Rules Resources
Amateur Status
Join the MGA
MGA Play Days
Member Benefits
Staff Contacts
News
Awards
My MGA App
The Met Golfer
Schedules
Recent Results
Results Archive
Info Policy & Procedures
Pairings & Starting Times
Volunteer Portal
Photo Galleries
Post a Score
World Handicap System
Rules Resources
Amateur Status
The Farrell – Stanwich
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 19, 2025) – The MGA Foundation is proud to announce that five students from the Met Area have been named GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholars: Marisol Holguin, Arun Lakhihal, Natalie Moody, Edward Ricottone, and Derek Young.
This new class of GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship recipients joins five other scholars, awarded in 2024, who are currently attending colleges and universities across the country. The GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship was introduced in 2024 to advance educational opportunities through need-based college scholarships to students who have displayed exceptional commitment to working in service to golf in the Met Area. The scholarship offers an affordable pathway to pursue a career in the game of golf.
“The MGA Foundation is pleased to award the second class of GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholars,” said Johanna Gavin, the Director of the MGA Foundation. “While the scholars have diverse backgrounds and experiences, they share a work ethic developed by their time working in golf—that has translated to the classroom, extracurriculars, and their personal lives. They are achievers, leaders, and future stewards of the game. We are proud to support them through their academic careers.”
For students to qualify for the GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship, they must demonstrate a financial need, experience working in service to golf at an MGA member club, a commitment to pursue a career in or future with the game of golf, and exceptional academic and leadership qualities. 
Marisol Holguin, a freshman at the University at Buffalo, worked in the golf shop at Metropolis Country Club, the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association (WMGA), and the MGA. At the WMGA, Marisol assisted with tournament administration and website management. Holguin was an honor roll student at White Plains High School.
Arun Lakhihal graduated from John P. Stevens High School in Edison, N.J., where he was an AP Scholar and a member of the varsity golf team. Arun has been involved with First Tee – Metropolitan New York since 2021, where is has worked as a coach. He also founded LuckyFinanceTips, a TikTok channel focused on helping teens with personal financial literacy. This fall, he is a freshman at Rutgers University.
Natalie Moody is in her final year as an undergrad at Hofstra University on Long Island. Natalie has worked as a caddie and instructor at Hempstead Golf and Country Club since 2024, and was a camp counselor at Peninsula Golf Course and Sumpwams Creek Golf Course during the summers from 2020 to 2024. Natalie was the captain of the high school golf team at Massapequa High School and plays for Hofstra’s golf team.
Edward Ricottone is a freshman at Penn State University – Brandywine this fall. He worked at the Golf Club at Middle Bay for the last four years, where he assisted on the range, helped stage for events, cleaned clubs and carts, and performed other tasks at the Long Island club. Edward attended Oceanside High School, where he earned National Honor Society accolades and was a member of the varsity golf team. He intends to play golf on the PSU-Brandywine team this season.
Derek Young is a freshman at Hofstra this fall. He has caddied at Garden City Golf Club since 2022 and has volunteered with First Tee in East Meadow since 2020. He has also worked at Padavan Prellar Fields in Queens, performing field maintenance since 2024. Young graduated from Francis Lewis High School in Queens, where he was a member of the varsity baseball team and a yearbook photographer.
The GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship is administered by the MGA Foundation, the charitable vehicle to grow the game in the Met Area. The MGA Foundation supports the MGA’s mission to champion, invest, and advance the game of golf and its future for the Met Area golf community. This scholarship celebrates GOLFWORKS interns and others who work at clubs and courses throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and will support young men and women as they look to further their education and explore careers in the golf industry. For more information on the GOLFWORKS Graduate Scholarship, contact Johanna Gavin, Director of the MGA Foundation, at jgavin@mgagolf.org
To learn more about how to become a GOLFWORKS intern or how to support the program, contact Lou Cutolo at lcutolo@mgagolf.com.
49 Knollwood Road,
Elmsford, NY 10523
Phone: (914) 347-4653
Overview
Join the MGA
MGA Play Days
Member Benefits
Member Club Services
Privacy Policy
Designed by Goodpep.