For four years North Montgomery’s Neal Jeffery found success on the links with many top finishes. The recent North Montgomery graduate can now add 2025 Journal Review Golfer of the Year to his list of accomplishments.
Jeffery could be considered a late bloomer since he did not take golf seriously until his eighth-grade year. He played occasionally with his father, Travis Jeffery, and played on his middle school team to have a something to do.
“I played at the middle school hoping it would be fun,” Jeffery said. “I started realizing it was something I really enjoyed.”
Jeffery then started to play daily at Rocky Ridge Golf Club. His mother, Hillary Jeffery, worked at the course and he would hitch a ride with her and play while she worked her shift.
Golfing all summer eventually turned into his friends joining Jeffery on the course.
“We would play nearly every day,” he said. “My friend Kelby Harwood moved to Rocky Ridge and some of our friends would join us to play. It really helped me a lot.”
As he developed his golf skills, Jeffery looked to his dad as well as Rocky Ridge Superintendent Nick Johnson for their guidance.
While in high school Jeffery consistently placed in the top three spots in big tournaments and added many medalist titles. As Jeffery got better, so did the Charger team.
North Montgomery placed in the top three at the last three Sagamore Athletic Conference meets. Jeffery placed second and third in the conference his junior and senior year, respectively.
The Chargers also finished third at the sectional during Jeffery’s junior and senior seasons, resulting in the opportunity to play in the highly competitive Lafayette Regional.
To have a good senior season, Jeffery knew the team needed to improve, so he started recruiting his friends to play.
“I convinced my friends Kelby Harwood, Beckett Martin and Connor Koopman to play and that really helped our team,” Jeffery said. “We also had a couple of guys returning and we had a move-in that helped us this season. It was fun playing with these guys.”
North Montgomery Coach Robert Ryker appreciated his top player for his contributions to the team and respected his attitude.
“Coaching Neal over the past four years has been a wild ride in the best way,” Ryker said. “He is loud, confident and completely unapologetic about his love for competing. That energy is what made him a strong leader. Our players looked up to him because he brought passion and high expectations every time he stepped on the course.”
“(Neal’s) confidence wasn’t just talk,” Ryker said. “He worked hard, stayed focused and consistently delivered when it mattered.”
When college coaches started contacting Jeffery in the middle of his junior year, he saw the possibility of having college paid for.
Before the season began, Jeffery decided to accept an offer from NAIA Division 1 St. Mary of the Woods.
“Making my college decision before my senior season worked out,” Jeffery said. “It took pressure off from deciding where I wanted to go but also allowed me to focus on my last high school season.”
To prepare for the upcoming college season, Jeffery has been busy playing daily at Rocky Ridge and other courses in Indiana. He also is playing on other courses in other states while vacationing.
Jeffery is appreciative of his family, especially the support he has received from younger brother Nolan. They all are his loudest cheerleaders. He also expressed his gratitude for coach Ryker, assistant coach Scott Yeager, and Johnson. Lastly, he thanked his friends for coming out to play this past season.
