Q&A with this month’s #PlattProfile, Ryan Morgan.
Morgan speaks about advice given to him on the course that he applies to all aspects of his life.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)
Q: How old are you?
A: I am 20 years old.
Q: What school are you currently attending?
A: La Salle University.
Q: When do you graduate?
A: I graduate in 2024.
Q: What is your major?
A: I am doing a major in accounting and a minor in finance.
Q: How did you decide on that major/minor?
A: I decided on them because my sister was an accounting major and she would show me what she was doing in class and it intrigued me. So, I went the same route as her and since I liked the freshman classes I was taking I stuck with it.
Q: Do you participate in activities in school? Clubs?
A: I do actually! I am doing club soccer this year and intramural sports.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: I like to fish, I like going to the gym, and I like to golf. I’ve been golfing a lot this summer.
Q: What golf club do you caddie for?
A: Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
Q: How long have you been caddying?
A: I have been caddying there since my 8th-grade summer so this is my 6th year.
Q: How did you start caddying?
A: My friend actually worked there and he was a J. Wood Platt scholar, too. He put me in contact with the Caddie Manager and that is how I got to where I am. Our caddie master, Adam, does a lot for our program at HVCC. He has helped me out in numerous ways to excel on and off the golf course over the last few years. I have watched our caddy program flourish over the last six years and Adam is the reason that has occurred. He has trained the younger caddies and me so that we can be successful when we do our job.
Q: What is your favorite thing about caddying?
A: My favorite thing about caddying is the people you meet when you go out. You meet a bunch of different people and you see how they got to where they are today. You see there is no set path to being successful in life, everyone does it differently. It is kind of cool to see that, especially at Huntingdon Valley with all of their amazing members.
Q: How did you hear about J. Wood Platt?
A: I heard about JWP through a family friend. He brought it up to me and I really didn’t think much of it because I was already on a scholarship for soccer at Holy Family. But once I transferred over to La Salle I applied for J. Wood Platt with the help of the JWP staff. I received it, thankfully, and the rest is history from there.
Q: What are your long-term goals? Think 5 to 10 years
A: My long term goals in the future are to obtain my CPA license and find a stable job that I enjoy. In the future, I would also like to get better with my time management skills. I would also like to find a way to give back to Platt because they have helped me get through college.
Q: What is something that happened to you while caddying that you will never forget?
A: One thing that happened while caddying that I will never forget happened in one of my first loops as a caddy. It was my first-time double-bagging and the member could see that I was struggling. He said to me, “I know this is your first time and it seems difficult now, but the more you caddy the easier it will become.” I have taken this phrase into my everyday life because it holds true to every new task I encounter. The more I do something the better I will become.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self as a caddie or a new caddie just starting?
A: New advice I would give to a caddy is to not be afraid to make a mistake on the golf course. Nobody is perfect and making mistakes is a part of being a caddy. The only problem is if you make the same mistake twice. You need to be able to learn from your mistake and progress as a caddy and individual.
Q: How has J. Wood Platt changed your life?
A: J. Wood Platt has changed my life because it has relieved the financial burden of paying for college immensely. Platt has also changed my life thanks to the mentor program that has been set up. You can meet and network with people from all over with the program. On top of the mentor program, Platt offers different events including the EMPOWER Scholar Leadership Summit that I attended a few weeks ago. During this summit, we were able to interact with Platt alumni and keynote speaker Kevin Negandhi from ESPN. The keynote speaker provided excellent advice on how to find yourself and the right path for you. This program gives the Platt Scholars valuable advice that will last a lifetime. Without Platt I would not be where I am today.
J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust
The Trust’s mission, which has remained constant since its inception in 1958, is to financially aid deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust was created by GAP through the efforts of then President Walter A. Schmidt; Leo Fraser, President of the local section of Professional Golfers Association of America; and Albert Keeping, Golf Professional at Gulph Mills Golf Club. It was named in honor of Philadelphia’s premier golfer of the era, J. Wood Platt. Not only was Mr. Platt an accomplished player, but he was also the Trust’s co-founder and first contributor.
