The Washington Golf Foundation has announced that Reese Isings of Puyallup, Wash., and Drake Lai of Sammamish, Wash., have been selected as the recipients of the inaugural Andrew Putnam Scholarship presented by TRUE linkswear.
Introduced in 2026, the annual scholarship – established by the Washington Golf Foundation in partnership with Tacoma native and PGA TOUR player Andrew Putnam – offers financial support to two standout junior golfers who have demonstrated strong character and community engagement in addition to both golf talent and financial need. Both Isings and Lai, through their academic and golf efforts, unequivocally fit the spirit of the award.
“We want to provide opportunity to those who show promise, and we want to assist in their growth as young people and as golfers, in developing character and skills,” Putnam says. “I benefited from an incredible junior golf program when I was growing up, and this scholarship is one way to provide others that same opportunity.”
Reese, 15, is a sophomore at Emerald Ridge High School. She can remember golf being part of her life for as long as she can remember, growing up watching her father play and eventually getting her own clubs at the age of seven. In the few years since she began to compete competitively, Reese has garnered seven top-10 finishes in WJGA events. At Emerald Ridge, she maintains a 4.0 GPA and was on the girls’ golf team that placed fourth in the 2025 WIAA 4A Girls’ State Golf Championship.
“Being selected for this scholarship means a lot to me,” Reese said of her honor. "It allows me more opportunities that I wouldn’t have had, which excites me and makes me feel like my goals are more achievable.”
Playing for Emerald Ridge, Reese has already found herself making lasting memories with those she sees on the course, whether at the nearby High Cedars Golf Club, Lake Spanaway Golf Course or elsewhere. Practice sessions and rounds are often marked by seeing the same faces, and she’s become tight with her teammates, too.
“Golf has taught me patience, perseverance, responsibility, determination, and more,” Reese said. “I look forward to extending my learning even more in the future.”
While she aims for a college career, Reese’s crosshairs are firmly on her current high school team. With another golf season on the way, she hopes to capture joy as good or better than last year’s state championship, a ride she already won’t forget.
“It made me so happy to see all of our hard work pay off and how excited we all were to play well,” she said of that day.
As she continues to navigate her academic and golf commitments, Reese is excited her scholarship will allow her to accrue additional experience, with her graduation still a couple years away.
“Playing in more tournaments would help me see how different people approach the game,” she said.
Eighth-grader Drake Lai is an achiever of a similar caliber. During his 2025 season, he won three WJGA events and recorded a tie for second in the WJGA State Championship. Inside the classroom, a GPA of 3.8 cannot deny his own academic merit.
“It’s a huge honor to be selected,” Drake said of the scholarship. “I will definitely cherish it for the rest of my life.”
Now 14 years old, Drake has been playing golf for nine years, also being introduced to the game by his dad. He played in his first tournament at age eight and has made plenty of memories since, not least of which was playing on Team Washington in the 2025 PGA Jr. League Championship.
“Golf keeps teaching me lessons about resilience, sportsmanship, and believing in myself,” Drake said of the game’s place in his world. “Every round feels like a new beginning and a chance to get better. That’s what I love most – no matter what happens, there’s always something to learn and another opportunity to grow.”
Drake was a member of Team Washington at the 2025 PGA Junior League Championship.
Still in middle school, Drake has already taken a few high school classes and has his mind on a college golf career further down the road. But prior to that long-term goal, he has current aspirations of making the U.S. National Development Program for Team Washington and playing in the U.S. Junior Amateur, as well as maintaining his high grades in the classroom.
The Putnam scholarship will work in a way Drake hopes is threefold – allowing him to play in more national tournaments, upgrade his equipment, and take more lessons. Above all, the honor allows the Lai family to continue to lend much-needed assistance to Drake’s grandmother, who is battling cancer.
Drake has also volunteered for First Tee – Greater Seattle for several years, demonstrating a remarkable sense of community engagement and mentorship to other junior golfers.
Such character, as well as that of Reese, is just what the Andrew Putnam Scholarship hopes to honor and keep developing.
“In partnership with PGA TOUR professional Andrew Putnam, we are thrilled to present the inaugural Andrew Putnam Scholarship presented by TRUE linkswear, from WA Golf and the Washington Golf Foundation,” said Matt Brown, director of development and donor engagement at the Foundation. “The two recipients this year – Drake and Reese – embody the same grit, humility, and dedication that Andrew brings to the tour. We are proud to support their journey as they take these next steps toward their future.”
The Andrew Putnam Scholarship presented by TRUE linkswear is one of three new programs that works in conjunction with WA Golf Youth on Course, a program supported by the Washington Golf Foundation, which provides golfers aged 6-18 with access to play for only $5 per round at 94 participating courses in Washington and Northern Idaho, as well as thousands more across the U.S., Canada and Australia. The program, which has over 15,000 young members throughout WA Golf territory, also simply provides an opportunity to develop a lifelong love for the game of golf.
Established in November 2022, the Washington Golf Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports a number of programs in the area.
Click here to support the initiatives of the Washington Golf Foundation.
