Ryan Voois is having a summer to remember — and First Tee – Orange County is celebrating right along with him.
A First Tee Story
Long before he was racking up All-Big Ten honors and a 3.98 GPA in finance, Voois got his start in the game as a student and junior coach with First Tee – Orange County. The experience of giving back — coaching and mentoring younger kids in the program — left a lasting mark on him, and it’s part of exactly the kind of character and community impact the Byron Nelson Award is designed to recognize.
“Receiving the Byron Nelson Award is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes success not just on the golf course but in the classroom and the community as well,” Voois said. “Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have coaches, teammates, professors, donors, family members and friends who have invested in me and helped shape who I am.”
From College Champion to Cut-Maker
Voois closed out an outstanding senior season at Illinois, leading the team with a 70.31 stroke average (fourth-best single-season mark in program history), picking up his fifth top-10 finish of the year, and earning First Team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season. As the Byron Nelson Award winner, he’ll also receive an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in 2027 at TPC Craig Ranch.
He wasted little time turning that collegiate success into professional momentum. After making his PGA TOUR debut at the John Deere Classic just weeks after graduation, Voois carried that form into his first start on PGA TOUR Americas at the Osprey Valley Open at TPC Toronto’s Heathlands Course — and made the cut in his very first appearance on tour. Voois was in contention all week, sitting inside the top five through 36 holes and climbing into a share of second place after a third-round 66, before finishing strong to close out the tournament well inside the cut line.
It’s an early signal of what’s ahead for a player who has already shown he can perform on the biggest stages — and one more reason for First Tee – Orange County to be proud of one of its own.
