Twenty-five high school seniors and 35 college students are entering the school year with something special – a Quail MGA Scholarship. It’s an outstanding group. Registration is now open on Golf Genius for the 18th annual Scholars’ Cup tournament, November 6-7. By generously donating to enter the tournament, you will enable our current scholars to renew their awards and recognize qualified high school seniors from the class of 2027.

Two of the high school graduates, Alpha Wong and Vladyslava Tiurina, were featured in a KSBW report.

There are several students from farm worker families in the Salinas Valley who plan to study health, nursing or pre-med in college and then bring their skills back to their communities. A captain of his school’s football team created a study group to keep teammates eligible – “no study hall, no practice” was the motto. A recipient was captain of her golf team, a standard bearer at the Walker Cup matches and recipient of the most prestigious First Tee scholarship. Many of the students with golf credentials have fond memories of competing at Quail. The high school students come from ten high schools, the most diverse representation to date.

The college students who renewed their scholarships are all on track to earn degrees in four years. Their collective grade point average is about 3.5, impressive work at schools that include Stanford, Santa Clara, Penn, Princeton and many of the Cal and Cal State campuses.

The 2026 scholarship awards to first time recipients and high school and college renewals totaled $206,000. An annual grant was also made to support vocational and technical education at the Rancho Cielo Youth Campus in Salinas.

The 2026 Scholars’ Cup tournament will start with a pairings party and live auction on Friday. The Green Machine will be out to defend its title against the Bunker Busters in a two-player match-play scramble on Saturday. Trash talk, boasting, and remorsefulness are anticipated at the post round lunch. If you’re currently on a team, you’ll be hearing from your captain soon. If you’re new to the Scholars’ Cup, make your donation and you’ll get drafted.

In 2025 the Scholars’ Cup tournament raised $242,000. The 2026 goal is $300,000 and hopefully beyond. Donations are tax deductible and can be made throughout the year at the Community Foundation for Monterey County. Your support of enhancing educational opportunities for Monterey County students is not only appreciated but also changing lives. It’s For the Kids!