JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (May 15, 2025) — The Missouri Golf Association is proud to announce the seven graduating seniors who have been awarded a Missouri Women’s Golf Education Association (MWGEA) scholarship this year.
Each spring, the MWGEA awards scholarships to high school seniors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to academics, leadership and golf. Among the seven scholarships given this year, two students were selected for special recognition: the Mary Jane Landreth Scholarship and the Susan Sheppard Scholarship. These awards honor the legacy of two women who played pivotal roles in the advancement of women’s golf in Missouri.
Mary Jane Landreth was a foundational figure in Missouri women’s golf. Her dedication to education and generous spirit led to the incorporation of the MWGEA as a nonprofit organization. With her friend Jane Kelly, she personally funded the launch of the scholarship program, ensuring it would remain solvent for generations to come. Today, her legacy continues through the annual Mary Jane Landreth Scholarship.
This year’s Mary Jane Landreth Scholarship recipient is Audrey Smith of Rolla, Missouri. A graduate of Rolla High School, Smith will attend Rockhurst University this fall to play collegiate golf and study marketing. Her goal is to work in marketing and public relations for major golf tours or corporations. She is a four-time MSHSAA state qualifier and has earned all-district and all-state honors. Smith has played in several Missouri Junior Tour events and has been involved in DECA, FBLA, National Honor Society, International Thespian Society and speech and debate. She has also volunteered with CASA of South Central Missouri and Ozark Actors Theatre.
Susan Shepherd was an accomplished investor, broadcaster and golfer who built a groundbreaking career in finance beginning at age 50. She became the first vice president of investments at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc. and remained an active MGA competitor for many years. Her leadership, passion for golf and “can-do” spirit continue to inspire the recipients of the scholarship named in her honor.
Kate Ryan of Columbia, Missouri, is this year’s Susan Shepherd Scholarship recipient. A graduate of Father Tolton Catholic High School, Ryan will attend Coastal Carolina University in the fall to pursue a degree in sports management while playing on the women’s golf team. A four-time all-state golfer, Ryan has competed in several MGA championships and represented Missouri in both the Junior Girls’ Four State and Southern Junior Cup matches. She is a National Honor Society member, student government executive council member and an active leader in faith-based service organizations. Her ultimate goal is to work for the PGA Tour.
In addition to these two named scholarships, five more outstanding young women have received MWGEA scholarships this year.
Maggie Bennett of Brookfield, Missouri, is a graduate of Brookfield R-III High School. She will attend the University of Missouri this fall, where she has been accepted into the Honors College to pursue a degree in nursing with a minor in Spanish. A three-time state qualifier and four-year varsity golfer, Bennett served as team captain from 2022 to 2025. She is a three-time academic all-state honoree and has competed in a handful of MGA events. Outside of golf, she is president of the National Honor Society and involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FBLA, varsity basketball and track, SkillsUSA, student council and her church’s youth group.
Flynn Hamilton of Jefferson City, Missouri, graduated from Helias Catholic High School and will attend the University of Missouri to study accounting. A four-year varsity golfer and National Honor Society member, Hamilton has played in more than 30 MGA tournaments. She received the Glory of Missouri Award for exemplifying the characteristics of law and volunteers with United Way and local Christian church camps. Hamilton is also active in the Medical Club, Growing with God Club and International Club, and hopes to intern for the MGA after her freshman year of college.
Reese Reinhardt of St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from Lindbergh High School and will attend Mississippi State University this fall. She will major in PGA golf management and minor in marketing, with plans to become a PGA professional. Reinhardt is a four-year varsity golfer and two-time all-state honoree. She has played in the MGA Junior Amateur Championship for five consecutive years, with a best finish of tied for fifth. She served as team captain for two years and has been active in DECA and the Lindbergh Schools Foundation Junior Board.
Olivia Thetford of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, graduated from Poplar Bluff High School and will attend the University of Central Missouri, where she will compete on the golf team while studying radiologic technology. As a freshman, Thetford played on the boys’ golf team due to the absence of a girls’ team, then helped establish the girls’ team her sophomore year. She became the first all-state girls’ golfer in Poplar Bluff history and has earned all-district and all-state honors. Thetford has played in several MGA events and has been active in FBLA, student council and her school’s pep club.
Sarah Trotman of Springfield, Missouri, graduated from Kickapoo High School and will attend the University of Tulsa. She plans to study psychology and pursue graduate school with hopes of working in clinical counseling. Trotman played varsity golf for four years, qualified for state three times and earned first-team all-conference and all-district honors for three straight seasons. She competed in the MGA Women’s Amateur Championship and participated in a wide range of extracurriculars including FBLA, student council, Rho Kappa Honor Society and the Chief Mentorship Program. She also volunteers with Southwest Kids in Action.
The Missouri Golf Association is proud of these seven scholarship recipients and looks forward to watching them continue to succeed on the course, in the classroom and beyond.
To learn more about the MWGEA and its scholarship program, or to view previous recipients, visit https://www.mogolf.org/tournaments/womens-tournaments/mwgea-scholarship/.
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ABOUT MGA: The Missouri Golf Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the best interests and true spirit of golf throughout the state of Missouri.
Founded in 1905 in St. Louis, the MGA was established to conduct the Missouri Amateur Championship, originally hosted by four founding clubs—St. Louis Country Club, Algonquin Golf Club, Glen Echo Country Club, and Normandie Golf Club. In 1909, the invite-only championship expanded to Kansas City’s Evanston Club, and by 1911, the MGA became formally organized under Bonner Miller, its first Secretary and Executive Director. Since then, the MGA has grown to provide a variety of competitive tournaments, junior programs, and resources that support golfers of all ages and skill levels, continuing its mission to grow and enhance the game across Missouri.
Media Contact:
Ella Fixsen
Director of Marketing, Media & Communications
efixsen@mogolf.org