Five student-athletes awarded $5,000 scholarships to pursue higher education and leadership in golf and beyond

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 12, 2024– The LPGA Foundation is proud to announce the next class of Leadership Academy Scholars, recognizing five exceptional young women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, academic achievement, and athletic excellence. Each scholar will receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their college education, continuing the Foundation’s commitment to fostering the next generation of female leaders.

The LPGA Leadership Academy Scholarship is designed to inspire, cultivate, and support young women from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of higher education and future leadership roles. The scholarship recipients were selected from participants in the LPGA Leadership Academy, a program that empowers young women by providing tools to help them thrive both on and off the golf course.

Meet the 2024 LPGA Leadership Academy Scholars:

Olivia Cutting is graduating high school from Notre Dame Academy in Massachusetts, where she serves as the Girls Varsity Golf Captain helping to lead her team to an undefeated 2022 season to become District Champions.

Notable accomplishments include being named the 2022 USA Today Central MA Golfer of the Year, competed as an Individual at the 2023 State High School Championship, and won numerous golf events
Serves as a Girls Golf eLeader, volunteer Assistant Golf Coach at Haven Country Club, and Coach for the Lady Sparks Ice Hockey Clinic
Learned to boost her confidence with a power pose after graduating from the USGA LPGA Leadership Academy in New Jersey
Will play Division One golf at Merrimack College
Plans to double major in Business Administration/Accounting and Psychology, earn a graduate degree in Criminology, and one day work in law enforcement

Kennedy Watts is graduating from Cass Technical High School in Detroit Michigan, where she also serves as the Girls Golf Team Captain helping her team become Regional Contenders three years in a row.

Competed at the 2021 State Tournament and received All-City recognition
Member of the Delta Gems, the National Honor Society, and the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program at her school
Involved with the First Tee and serves as a Girls Golf eLeader mentoring young girls in the game
Learned the importance of strategy, patience, determination, and hard work after completing the DOW LPGA Leadership Academy in Michigan
Plans to pursue a degree in Architecture with a minor in Chinese at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Aspires to impact society by developing unique structures around the world

Leah Rafii is graduating from James W Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia where she is the Varsity Girl's Golf Captain. After having just started playing the game in 2021, she helped lead her team to the State Championships in 2023.

Serves as Vice President of the Latin Honors Society, volunteers as an Assistant Golf Coach with First Tee, and tutors her peers
Interned with Infinite Technologies Inc., a golf app developer
Learned her leadership style was defined by her keen ability to drive people to work together during the ACER LPGA Leadership Academy in Los Angeles
Plans to study International Business with a minor in German at the University of South Carolina
Her long-term goal is to work for the PGA to grow the game of golf all over the world

Sydney Raines is graduating from Oakland Technical High School in Oakland, California where she is a multisport athlete who competes in Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, and Golf.

Serves as Student Government Association Executive Treasurer, Yearbook Assistant Editor, and the All Tied Up Student Ambassador
Member of the Girls Varsity Golf Team, caddies for Youth On Course, and mentors young girls as a Girls Golf eLeader
Conquered her limiting beliefs and transformed them into an empowering growth mindset at the ACER LPGA Leadership Academy in Seattle
Plans to study Professional Golf Management at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with hopes to one day work in the industry and give back to the game that has given her so much

Jayda Sidney is graduating from Odyssey Charter High School in Las Vegas, Nevada where she played high school golf for Sierra Vista for the last four years helping lead her team to Regional and State Qualifiers for three years.

Made the 1st Team All-League, was to the Nevada All-State Academic Team, and was named a Scholar Athlete for three consecutive years
Discovered a newfound joy in journaling at the LPGA Leadership Academy in Frisco, Texas which helped her overcome obstacles and regain her focus in golf and life
Will play collegiate golf at Ottawa University while pursuing a degree in Psychology
Hopes to become a Forensic Psychologist and one day compete on the LPGA Tour

In 2025, LPGA Leadership Academies will celebrate its tenth year transforming teenage girls into confident, influential, and impactful future leaders. Over 1,000 girls have graduated from the program since its inception.

The LPGA Foundation is committed to using its platform to empower and inspire the next generation of female leaders, on and off the golf course. Through initiatives like the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program, LPGA Leadership Academies, and scholarships, the Foundation works to make golf more accessible, inclusive, and diverse, ensuring that every girl and woman has the opportunity to succeed.

The LPGA Foundation Honors the Next Class of Leadership Academy Scholars

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