Rylee Lord has a giving spirit and is now ready to begin her next life journey as a freshman at Southern Utah University where she will major in the Animal Sciences with a goal of becoming a veterinarian post college. Lord received the 2024 Charlie Teel SNJGA scholarship after playing in the SNJGA and at Las Vegas High. –By Brian Hurlburt, Las Vegas Golf Insider

“I was beyond excited and so grateful to receive the scholarship,” Lord said in early August, a couple weeks before heading to Cedar City. “It means a lot to me and my family, and I thank the SNJGA and the committee.”

Charlie Teel was a Las Vegas golf legend and is commonly referred to as the Father of Southern Nevada golf. He was a terrific player and the longtime golf professional at what is now Las Vegas National. Upon his passing, he left a generous financial gift to junior golf and his legacy is remembered each year. Also receiving a Teel Scholarship in 2024 were Savannah Sampson, Ariya Soldwisch and Mizara Norton.

Lord loved her time with the SNJGA and at Las Vegas High. Overall, golf is a sport that means a lot to her.

“It’s a challenging game and I really enjoy that part of it and staying motivated to keep playing,” Lord said. “Golf brings so much joy and excitement to my life. I had so much fun playing junior golf and high school golf.”

Lord hopes to practice with the Southern Utah University women’s golf team, but does not have a roster spot yet. She will use her Las Vegas junior experiences to drive her to make the team.

“The SNJGA was very helpful and it really helped my game to play in the tournaments and they were also very encouraging to me to keep playing golf,” Lord said. “And my high school coach, Michelle Bryk, was like a second mom to me. I loved playing high school golf. Also getting more people to join the team was rewarding.”

Lord has always loved animals and plans to become a vet in the future. She has two dogs, River and Bugsy, plus a guinea pig and a turtle. She will take her impressive 4.557 GPA with her to SUU as she prepares for her career.

“I have always been very interested in animals and it will be fun and interesting to learn more in college,” Lord said. “I am excited for what is to come and I hope the future is everything I expect it will be.”