WVGA names Player of the Year and other top players

Honorees at the 2021 Player of the Year event were, from left:
• Girl’s Junior Player of the Year, Kerri-Anne Cooke of Oceana
• Women’s Senior Co-Player of the Year, Karen Rainey of Daniels
• Junior Player of the Year, Argyle Downs of Charles Town
• WVGA Certificate of Merit recipient, Jack Richards of Scott Depot
• 2021 Player of the Year, Chris Williams of Morgantown
• Women’s Senior Co-Player of the Year, Lisa Younis of Shepherdstown
• Women’s Player of the Year, Cathleen Wong of Parkersburg

The West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA) celebrated West Virginia’s outstanding golfers on Nov. 12 at the Parkersburg Country Club.

Chris Williams of Morgantown was named the 2021 Player of the Year.  He was the 2021 Mid-Amateur Champion, Four-Ball Champion and Two Person Scramble Champion (both with Cam Roan) and a member of both the West Virginia/Virginia Team Matches and the Captains Putter Team Matches.  Williams said, “It was a great year and I’ve got to give a shout-out to my four-ball and scramble partner, Cam Roam. I’m honored to be the Player of the Year.”

Connor Ingels of New Haven received the 2021 Larry Martin Sportsman of the Year Award.  This award is named after Larry Martin, known as “The Old Pro”, who founded the West Virginia Golf Association’s (WVGA) Junior Tour 37 years ago.  Award eligibility is open to a boy or girl 18 and under who is a member of the 2021 Callaway Junior Tour, demonstrates good sportsmanship on and off the golf course, embodies what it means to be a “good sport” and shows class at every golf course and demonstrates what it means to be a member of the Junior Tour.

The Senior Player of the Year was Pat Carter of Huntington.  He was the 2021 Senior Open Champion, runner up at the 2021 WV Mid-Amateur, Low Senior at both the WV Amateur and WV Open, and member of both the WV/VA Team Matches and Captains Putter Matches.

The 2021 Women’s Player of the Year was Cathleen Wong of Parkersburg.  “This recognition is an honor and I’m really happy,” Wong said.  She was the 98^th WV Women’s Amateur Champion and, with Ben Palmer, was runner up at the 2021 Mixed Championship.

The Women’s Senior Player of the Year were Lisa Younis of Shepherdstown and Karen Rainey of Daniels.  Younis won the 2021 WV Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, while Rainey was runner up at the Women’s Senior Amateur Championship and winner of the WV Amateur Tour at Glade Springs.  Younis said, “I want to give special thanks to the WVGA and all they do to promote women’s golf in West Virginia,” while Rainey added, “I love golf and enjoy being around all of the other ladies. I’m so happy to be co-player of the year with Lisa.”

Argyle Downs of Charles Town was the 2021 Junior Player of the Year.  He won the 2021 WV Junior Amateur Championship, was runner up in the Junior Match Play Championship, qualified for both the West Virginia Amateur and the West Virginia Open and won the Callaway Junior Tour event at Locust Hill County Club.  Downs said, “I want to thank the First Tee of West Virginia, Coach Wayne Clark and Locust Hill Golf Club for supporting me.”

The Girl’s Junior Player of the Year was Kerri-Anne Cooke of Oceana.  She won the 2021 WV Junior Amateur Championship, is the Girl’s 15-18 Callaway Junior Tour Player of the Year, won five Low Round of the Day awards on the Callaway Junior Tour, took 6^th place at the WV Women’s Amateur and was a member of the North-South Junior Matches.  “Thanks so much to my parents for driving all over the state,” Cook said, adding, “Thank you to the WVGA for all of the events they put on. I’m honored.”

In addition, Jack Richards of Scott Depot received the first-ever WVGA Certificate of Merit in recognition of his record of playing in every Senior Series event for the past 23 years.

The 2021 Callaway Junior Tour Players of the Year were:

• Boys 12 and under: McCartney Hinkle of Princeton;
• Boys 13-14: Jack Michael of Huntington;
• Boys 15-16: Jackson Woodburn of Scott Depot;
• Boys 17-18: Bryson Beaver of Elkview;
• Girls 10-14: McKenzie Armstrong of Belmont; and
• Girls 15-18: Kerri-Anne Cook of Oceana.

The 2021 Amateur Tour Players of the Year were:

• Player of the Year: Cam Roan of Huntington;
• Women’s Player: Kathy Chesley of Charleston;
• Men’s Player: Dean Daniels of McHenry, MD.

The 2021 Senior Series Players of the Year were:

• Senior (50-59): Mike Koreski of Parkersburg;
• Silver (60-69): John Duty of Hurricane; and
• Gold (70+): Ralph Wright of Clendenin.

The 2021 West Virginia Golf Association Champions were:

• Two-Person Scramble: Cam Roam/Chris Williams
• Mid Amateur:  Chris Williams
• Senior Open:  Pat Carter
• Junior Match Play: Boys- Ryan Bilby |  Girls- Molly Mclean
• Four Ball: Cam Roam/Chris Williams
• WV Open: David Bradshaw
• Women’s Amateur: Cathleen Wong
• Women’s Senior Amateur: Lisa Younis
• Junior Amateur: Boys- Argyle Downes | Girls- Kerri-Anne Cook
• WV Amateur: Philip Reale
• Parent/Child: Tony Bryant/Jared Bryant
• Senior Amateur: Tim Mount
• Senior Four Ball: Chris Christian/Mike Koreski
• Mixed: Cory Bruzda/Susan Glasby
• Club Team: Sleepy Hollow Golf Club
• Women’s Intra State: Mingo Bottom

WVGA Executive Director Brad Ullman closed the evening by saying, “We would like to congratulate all of our winners this evening.  This is a great group of golfers and sportspeople.  We’d also like to thank our partners for their continuing and invaluable support this year including Tri-State Roofing & Sheet Metal, Little General Stores, Astorg Auto, Kalaskey Orthodontics, WVU Medicine and Pikewood Energy.”

For more information, please visit wvga.org.