Last month the CGA awarded its 5th Michael Ray Lee medal to CGA Match Play Champion, Colin Prater. The Medal is awarded to the winner of the CGA Match Play Champion in memory of Michael Ray Lee, the 2011 CGA Match Play Champion.
Following their son’s passing in 2020 from complications of COVID-19, John and Amy Lee embarked on a mission to turn their loss into lasting impact. And boy have they!
Leaning on the power of community, the Michael Ray Lee Foundation was formed with the mission of “Utilizing the game of golf to positively impact lives through charitable giving with emphasis on scholarship and junior golf.” Five years, and one-million dollars later, the MRL Foundation has lifted the lives of a growing number of young people—all in the name and memory of a remarkable young person.
From the MRL Foundation webpage:
“Michael was born in Denver, CO on April 28th, 1992 and was raised in Greeley, CO where he graduated from Greeley Central High School in 2010. He then attended the Colorado School of Mines and graduated with a professional degree in Petroleum Engineering in December 2014.
Michael excelled not only in the classroom but on the golf course, and was proudly awarded the "President's Senior Scholar Athlete Award" from the Colorado School of Mines upon graduation. At Mines, Michael was an All-American, four-time Ping All-Region Honoree, two-time RMAC Player of the Year, and two-year Captain for the Orediggers. His greatest collegiate win was the Golfweek Division II Preview in 2012 that hosted the top Division II golfers in the country. On February 1st of 2013, Michael was the 38th ranked college golfer in the country including Division I, II, and III per Golfstat.
His biggest victory on the Colorado state amateur level came at the 2011 CGA Match Play, where he rallied to defeat former CGA Amateur champion Jonathan Marsico in the 36-hole final at Bear Creek Golf Club to become the 111th Colorado Golf Association Match Play Champion.
After graduation, Michael went to work for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation as a "Production Engineer". As with every endeavor, Michael wanted to excel at his work and was considered one of the bright rising stars in the industry, covering multiple disciplines.
Michael met the love of his life, Morgan, in 2015. They bought a house in Denver that was built in 1899 with dreams of making it their home. Being the engineer, Michael gutted the house, and through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears the most beautiful home was constructed. Michael and Morgan planned to have a big wedding on 6/20/20 but due to COVID they chose to postpone it a year. Although the big celebration was delayed, they decided they still wanted to be married. They did so in a small civil ceremony on 6/22/20. Unfortunately, Mike passed away on their 6-month anniversary. Our hearts are broken - so many proud moments, so much to look forward to, was taken too soon. He was the best husband, son, brother, grandson, friend and co-worker.”
The Michael Ray Lee Medal will be awarded for a total of 10 years from 2021 to 2030. While the medal will not be a permanent marker of Michael’s legacy, the work and success of the MRL Foundation will live on forever through those benefiting from its work.
At the MRL Foundation Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament, Michael’s brother, Joe, acts as the emcee. His honesty and earnest love of his brother more than makes up for his sometimes “choppy” speaking skills. Speaking on behalf of the family, Joe always remarks on how astounded he is at what the Foundation has accomplished. Little did they know how powerful a community can be when people work together toward a common good.
