Cheryl and Jeff Madill’s son, Matt, began playing golf when he was a toddler with his Little Tykes plastic golf clubs, and his mom knew he had a special talent for the game. He had a natural swing. He began playing competitively when he was about 12 years old.
At Platte County High School he lettered varsity all four years. He qualified for state twice, and achieved two-time team conference championships. He was an Individual Conference Champ, three-time All District, two times he made it through Sectionals, and was awarded three times as team MVP. He went undefeated his senior season in matches as an individual and as a team member.
After he graduated in 2016, Matt continued golfing in college at Garden City Community College and at Park University. With all his accomplishments and love for golf, it seemed a rewarding and bright future was ahead.
But Matt passed away on Dec. 27, 2021 from leukemia. “He knew in advance of his pending death and had time to discuss his wishes with me and his high school coach, Trevor Short,” Cheryl said. “Matt wanted to give back to the high school and the sport he loved so much. He wanted to set up an annual scholarship to give to a boy/girl senior PCHS golfer to assist them with paying for their college, vocational school, or trade school.”
His wish was to assist both golf teams with the purchase of golf equipment and team wear and set up an indoor practice facility for them to use. Matt also wanted to help expose young children to the game of golf by offering a free youth summer golf camp.
“People immediately began sending donations to his future foundation the moment of his passing,” Cheryl, who is the sixth-grade social studies-geography teacher at Barry Middle School, said. “After Matt’s funeral on Jan. 7, I immediately began work with a lawyer to set up our nonprofit organization, The Matt Madill Memorial Golf Foundation, and it was licensed/certified by April.”
Money is raised for the foundation through an annual golf tournament, which includes a silent auction of donated items, a live auction, and a raffle. The inaugural tournament was July 23 at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville. There were 160 golfers playing on 40 teams.
“We had to turn teams away and we were filled up within 10 days after registration began in March,” Cheryl said. “It was a huge success and currently we have around $41,000 in funds.”
The next tournament is scheduled for July 22 and 23, 2023. “Since there were so many teams that couldn’t participate this year, we are expanding the tournament next summer to a two-day event with 72 teams,” Cheryl said.
Many well known celebrities have given donations to the foundation, including Ken Morrow, a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice USA Olympic Hockey Team that beat the former Soviet Union and was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the New York Islanders. All the major sports organizations in Kansas City donated items for auctions, including Doug Soetaert: Stanley Cup Winner and former coach of the KC Blades Hockey Team, and Gary Emmons: Former Captain of the Kansas City Blades Hockey Team.
The summer youth golf camp is slated for July 31 - Aug. 3, 2023, at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex. Boys and girls will be taught the basic fundamentals of golf in whole group and breakout sessions with instructors for free. Each evening of the camp will consist of three one-hour sessions with 20 golfers per session. Golf clubs for practice will be available through the course. A new set of clubs will be given to one lucky winner at the end of the camp.
While Cheryl loves golf, she said she’s never been good at it. She and Matt used to watch PGA events whenever they could. “We attended the PGA Championship when it was in St. Louis a few years ago and had the time of our lives seeing Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy play,” Cheryl said. “We also attended the Canadian Open as well. My husband, Jeff, has always been a good golfer. As a retired professional hockey player, he had a natural love and gift for the game of golf. Great hand/eye coordination.”
Matt loved the fact that golf could be both an individual and a team sport. Cheryl believes he got the best of both. He loved the challenges that the game presented and he knew that it is impossible to be perfect at it.
“He could always strive to be better at it, and every round of golf came with new and different obstacles,” Cheryl said. “Matt helped mentor a family of golfers (three sisters: Jessalyn, Kasydie, and Eden Shipp) as they began their high school golf careers at PCHS and into their college careers. He gave them advice, hit balls with them on occasion, checked up with them to see how they performed in tournaments, and even caddied for one of them in a summer tournament. The sisters spoke about Matt at the Inaugural tournament.”
The Madill’s treasured memories with Matt are the times he made them smile and laugh. “He had a goofy nature and always could put a smile on your face,” Cheryl said.
The Madill’s fondest memory was sharing Sunday football games, food, and family time together. They loved watching all sports together as a family, including NFL, PGA, NHL, NBA, MLB, and UFC.
The family’s goals include giving two scholarships per year (one boy, one girl) instead of just one, equipping an indoor practice facility for PCHS with a TrackMan simulator, establishing the youth summer golf camp, and equipping the teams with great gear and equipment.
Thanks to his parents, Matt’s dreams are coming true and more and more young golf lovers will receive scholarships and support. Cheryl said he would love to give the high school golfers the gear and equipment he would of dreamed of having back in his time at PCHS. And he would love being able to support and play a small part in helping other youth golfers pursue their own dreams of playing college golf or even someday making it on the tour.
“It comforts us greatly to fulfill our son’s dying wishes to give back to something that brought him so much happiness in his short 24 years,” Cheryl said. “He pleaded with me multiple times before passing, ‘Mom, you can’t sit around for three months after I die feeling sorry for yourself. You’ve got to get busy, you’ve got things to do and people to help!’ Matt’s dream became a reality on July 23 and we, as his parents, couldn’t be more happy for him and thankful to all those generous and supportive people who helped make it come true. The Lord truly has blessed us in our efforts to carry out Matt’s legacy.”