Ryan Pongrac Of Eagle Oaks Earns Ijga Scholarship
Ryan Pongrac of Freehold, who plays out of Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club in Farmingdale, has accepted a scholarship to join the International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) in Hilton Head Island, S.C., for his ninth-grade year.
Wayne Warms, head professional and instructor at the Eagle Oaks, has been Pongrac’s golf coach for more than four years. Warms describes Pongrac as a model young man and the type of golfer he loves to coach.
“He’s the whole package. He has great parents, great support and the perfect environment for this kind of success. I’m going to miss him, he’s really a great kid,” said Warms.
The current International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) member began playing on the IJGT’s Discovery Tour for beginner-level junior golfers before advancing to compete in the Boys 14 & Under Division. As a student at the IJGA, Pongrac ,14, will continue to play in IJGT events while also pursuing both academic and golf-centered instruction on a daily basis.
In addition to the IJGT national tournament events, Pongrac has played in nationally-recognized competitions including the Canadian Junior Golf Association’s Junior World Challenge and NJPGA Junior Golf events.
Pongrac began playing on the IJGT’s Discovery Tour in an effort to gain experience for competitive golf events and managed two first-place finishes and two top five finishes in his four tournaments with the Discovery Tour.
His standout performances led to an offer to join the IJGA’s “Train Like a Pro” program. The weeklong program provides juniors with the opportunity to experience the IJGA and allowed Pongrac to train with Director of Instruction, Kevin Smeltz, while also working with mental and fitness trainers that work regularly with IJGA students.
Playing in the Boys 14 & Under Division in the 2013-2014 season, he has placed in the top-10 in all four events played, including a recent first-place victory at the Metropolitan Junior at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township.
Impressed by Pongrac’s golf skill and academic record, the IJGA staff encouraged the Pongrac family to visit the IJGA and Heritage Academy, the academic institution for IJGA students. Thereafter, the IJGA extended a scholarship offer following the family’s visit.
“The IJGA proved to have the focus on both challenging golf and strong academics that we desired. The opportunity then presented itself and we are very happy for Ryan, this is what he is passionate about,” said Robert Pongrac, Ryan’s dad.
Pongrac will join more than 100 junior golfers in the fall as he begins his ninth-grade year. Once Pongrac turns 15, he will move up into the Boys 15-19 Division where he will compete with the oldest group of male athletes, many of which are college-bound student-athletes.
Current Northeast Regional Director at the IJGT, Zachary Pennington, has hosted each of the tournaments Pongrac has participated in and states, “He puts in the effort necessary and his passion for the game is clear.”
Pongrac will begin with the IJGA in the coming fall for the 2014-2015 academic year as a high-school freshman.
