Scholar Spotlight: Madison Morgan of Broad Run Golfer’s Club

By John T. Iswalt

Since high school, Maddie Morgan has been a fervent supporter of Penn State University’s THON.

THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, is dedicated to supporting childhood cancer patients and their families annually through a variety of activities and donor initiatives. For PSU students, THON programming is as familiar as a frozen scoop from the famed Berkey Creamery.

Morgan, now a Happy Valley girl herself, remains invested in the program as a student leader and team member. Responsible for providing financial and developmental support for this supporter is the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust.

“Platt is a community that’s meant a lot to me over the past two years,” Morgan, 19, of Honeybrook, Pa., said. “Knowing that people are there to support you, no matter what you’re there for, whether you’re talking to other caddies or you’re talking to alumni or the Platt Staff, they’ve always been there to support me. The community is so strong.”

She also finds community within Platt’s network of female scholars and supporters.  

“I think the women’s side of it is super powerful. There’s one scholar (Anabelle McGowan) that I met at our first event together and we’ve gone to every single event [since],” Morgan, a sophomore marketing student, said. “She plays golf at Millersville University, and she’s been super fun to have a relationship with. She’s a friend now that I never had in the golf world, especially as a girl. It’s awesome. Along with her, there are so many other girls that I’ve been able to meet and connect with. ” 

The Trust contributes to Morgan’s professional development through its EMPOWER program. These non-financial opportunities for scholar support manifest in résumé workshops, leadership training, mentorship opportunities, service projects and more. 

“The EMPOWER program has allowed the Trust to connect with scholars in more meaningful ways,” Platt Director of Education Andrew Downs said. “Maddie is the perfect example of this. If we have an event, she is usually there early and with a smile on her face. It is remarkable how well the scholars get to know and interact with each other.”

Morgan works at Broad Run Golfer’s Club where her dad, Tom, has served as the head golf professional since 2017. Her responsibilities as an outside services staff member include starting, cleaning clubs, greeting customers and managing the club’s golf cart fleet. 

“He’s the best boss. [Since] that initial conversation when I was 15 [and] getting my working papers, I was super excited for it because we’ve been talking about [working together] all growing up,” Morgan, a 2023 graduate of Twin Valley High School, said. 

Morgan values her experience engaging with customers and enhancing the member and guest experience at the semi-private facility. 

“I think all customer service jobs are super important as a stepping stone when you’re growing up,” Morgan said. “I’ve learned so much from it that it’s definitely influenced my career and what I want to do with my life in general.”

Morgan has cultivated many relationships at Broad Run. One that has left a lasting imprint on her is with four-year member Gwen Black. 

“She plays in our Monday night league. It’s a ladies league and all the ladies there are awesome,” Morgan said. “She worked [in] human resources at Vanguard, so she had that super professional background that I really admired growing up through high school and even throughout college. I use her as an icon, and I admire her.” 

“She’s just a delightful human being. She’s always positive, she’s smart, she’s fun, [and] she’s funny,” Black, 66, of West Chester, Pa., said. “It’s easy to want to introduce her to people. She just fits in any group [or] any organization, and takes her studies and her career very seriously, but has fun along the way.”   

Since 2023, Platt has offered non-caddie scholars financial and professional assistance through its Service to Golf program. Eligible applicants must work in the bag room, driving range, cart management or pro shop at a GAP Member Clubs. Morgan was a part of the initiative’s inaugural scholarship class. 

“As outside bag staff, we’re the first faces [customers] see when they come to the club and the last ones they see as they leave. We want to make sure they’re having a positive experience,” Morgan said. “We can’t necessarily control pace of play or things that happen on the golf course, but we’re there to help if they have any questions, comments, or concerns.” 

An email from Downs caught Morgan’s attention and encouraged her to apply.

“There’s no other scholars at Broad Run as of now,” Morgan said. “This past summer people have applied, so I think that’s still going on, but I was the first one.” 

Morgan’s aforementioned support of PSU’s THON has increased exponentially since arriving on campus. According to THON.org, more than 16,500 student volunteers dedicate an average of 15 hours per week to THON related events and activities throughout the year. Each year culminates with a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon taking place at the end of February. The 2025 edition took place Feb. 21-23. Donations benefit Four Diamonds, a nationally-renowned organization whose mission is to support childhood cancer patients and their families.

The student-run organization operates like any other large-scale philanthropic entity. An executive director delegates responsibilities to nearly 20 directors that oversee committees each staffed with captains and committee members. Last year, Morgan served as an operations committee member. This year, she served as a captain on the family relations committee. 

“For family relations, we facilitate the volunteer experience and families’ experiences at events,” Morgan said. “My specific responsibility is the Adopt-A-Family program, which is pairing Four Diamonds families with organizations at Penn State.

“It’s definitely a big time commitment, but it’s so rewarding and it’s definitely an honor to be a captain.”

An honor to support, and an honor to be supported.   

Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 288 Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.

The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created in 1958 and is the charitable arm of GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia). The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust’s mission is to financially aid and empower qualified caddies and those working in golf operations in the pursuit of higher education. Along with aiding caddies financially, J. Wood Platt’s EMPOWER program strengthens scholarship investment dollars by providing caddies with exceptional benefits and leadership training through access to the wide network of J. Wood Platt donors and alumni. To date, more than 3,700 young men and women have received $25 million in aid from the Trust.