In the summer of 2003, 15-year-old Morgan Pressel was riding the kind of momentum junior golfers always dream about. She’s already made a record as the youngest golfer to qualify for the US Women’s Open at 12 years old and was ready to take off for the Junior Solheim Cup in Sweden. For the young teen, it was the pinnacle: a chance to play in one of the most prestigious team events in women’s golf, and to represent her country in red, white, and blue. She’d prepared pink ribbons and team keepsakes with lots of love, which she was looking forward to giving to her teammates. But her rush was short-lived.

Just hours before her departure, Pressel’s mother, Kathy, who was battling cancer for four long years, passed away. “I was obviously in such a mental state, but I just wanted to go. I wanted to sleep, I wanted to play, I wanted to escape my reality,” Pressel recalled on a recent episode of Golf’s Next GEN. The next day, she called off her trip and FedExed the keepsakes to her teammates.

That was the moment that eventually led to the Morgan Pressel Foundation in 2008. This South-Florida-based charity has been running successfully for the last 18 years. “My mother was treated here (South Florida)… Our hope is to help other young families, especially those who get that dreaded diagnosis of breast cancer, and how do we help them catch it… a big mission of ours is early detection.” Her foundation operates a mobile ‘mammo van’ that brings breast cancer screening into communities, along with a nurse navigator program in partnership with MedStar Georgetown. Another ‘mammo van’ is set to be launched this week. “I’m really excited for the reveal of ads, we’re going to have two mamma vans on the street.“

Pressel’s charity has become one of golf’s most visible philanthropic efforts, helping not just the needy but her peers as well. She turned her grief into running a very successful endeavour. After the death of her mother, Pressel’s performance intensified and reached new heights. In 2005, she won the US Women’s Amateur Championship, and in the same year was named the AJGA Player of the Year. It was after her second LPGA Tour victory at the Kapalua LPGA Classic in 2008, when she started her foundation.

“We’ve been really fundraising to save lives and try to make a difference in the lives of those battling breast cancer.”

And she doesn’t stop here – as she’s working to make sure the next generation knows exactly how to start bringing a change.

Morgan Pressel’s guide to young golfers

Pressel’s mantra for making an impact is simple: Passion. Step one is, you know, the desire to want to do something. For her, that drive took shape while her mother was still fighting against cancer. Even amid hospital visits and uncertainty, she knew she wanted to act. “I certainly would say that I was fortunate to—my grandfather was very involved as well when we first kind of started,” she shared at the Golf’s Next GEN podcast.

Her advice to juniors is to lean into the strengths they already have. For her, it was golf. “What do all athletes do when they want to raise money if they have a golf tournament? So we kind of—we already know the ropes there.” She encourages young players to treat their sport as a built-in platform, then find others to support their cause. Pressel wants the next generation to see that making a difference isn’t reserved for later in life – the best time to start is now.

Adding another layer to her influence, Pressel has recently been named the 2026 U.S. PING Junior Solheim Cup Captain, making her the first former Junior Solheim Cup participant to assume the role. It’s a full-circle moment: from inspiring young golfers to now captaining the very team where her journey began, Morgan Pressel’s story proves that passion and purpose can leave a lasting mark—both on and off the course.