The West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA) celebrated West Virginia’s outstanding golfers in December at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane.
Davey Jude of Kermit was named the 2023 Men’s Player of the Year, his second consecutive year. He was the WV Tri-State PGA Classic champion, co-champion of the Four-Ball Match Play Championship, and was runner-up at both the WV Mid-Amateur and WV Amateur Championships. In addition, he qualified for the 2024 USGA Four-ball championship and represented Team WV in the WV vs. VA and Captain’s Putter Matches. “It’s an honor to be here back-to-back years, especially since it came down to the last tournament this year to win Player of the Year,” Jude said. “I’m happy to be able to play the WVGA tournaments and represent my hometown.”
Susan Glasby of Chesapeake, Ohio, was named the 2023 Women’s Player of the Year, her second consecutive honor. She won of the 100th WV Women’s Amateur Championship, the Ladies Scramble and won an Amateur Series event. She was the only female competitor in the WV Tri-State PGA Classic, finishing in the top 50 percent, and competed in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. “It’s nice to achieve this honor two years in a row. It means the first year wasn’t luck,” Glasby said.
The Men’s Senior Player of the Year, for the fifth time, was Pat Carter of Huntington. He was champion of the WV Senior Open, the Senior Four-Ball Championship, and the Four-Ball Match Play co-champion. He had top finishes in the WV Tri-State PGA Classic, the WV Senior Amateur and the WV Open Championship. In addition, Carter was a member of Captain’s Putter matches.
The Women’s Senior Player of the Year was Daneen Shears of Elizabeth. She was a top-six finisher in three Amateur Series events, top-15 finisher in the 100th WV Women’s Amateur Championship, Women’s Senior Amateur runner-up and represented WV at the Virginia’s vs. Carolina’s Women’s Team Matches. In addition, she is the Wirt County High School golf coach. “I am very shocked and thrilled that I am the Women’s Senior Player of the Year,” Shears said. “It’s a great honor and I’m thankful for my family’s support.”
Jack Michael of Huntington was the Boy’s Player of the Year. He was the WV Junior Amateur Champion, WV Amateur Championship Low Junior, WV Open Low Junior and WV Junior Match Play runner-up. In addition, he was a member of the North/South Junior Invitational, represented Team WV at the Junior Virginia’s vs. Carolina’s team matches and advanced to the final stage of U.S. Open Qualifying. “I am very honored to be the Boy’s Player of the Year,” Michael said. “I’d like to thank the WVGA for putting on such amazing events and enabling me to bring my game to the next level and represent myself very well country-wide and statewide.”
For the third consecutive year, the Girl’s Junior Player of the Year was Kerri-Anne Cooke of Oceana. She had seven Callaway Junior Tour wins and was the WV Junior Amateur Champion. She was the Ladies Scramble Championship runner-up, placed second in the WV Junior Match Play and finished in the top 10 at the 100th WV Women’s Amateur Championship. Cook was a member of the North/South Junior Invitational and was the first individual female champion at the WVSSAC High School State Golf Championship. “It’s really special just to be in this position and I appreciate everything the WVGA has done this year,” Cook said.
Anna Earl received the 2023 Larry Martin Sportsman of the Year Award from the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA), as voted on by her peers and Tour administrators. This award is named after Larry Martin, known as “The Old Pro”, who founded the West Virginia Golf Association’s (WVGA) Junior Tour 40 years ago. Award eligibility is open to a boy or girl 18 and under who is a member of the 2023 CJRT, 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. WVGA Tournament Manager – Youth Operations Lucas Ware said, “Anna Earl is the definition of a sportsman, and it was only fitting for her to win the award at Parkersburg Country Club, her home club and workplace, and, thanks to the late Larry Martin, the birthplace of the Junior Tour.”
The 2023 Callaway Junior Tour Players of the Year were:
- Boys 12 and under: Jude Walker of Elizabeth;
- Boys 13-14: Isaac Hayes of Hurricane;
- Boys 15-16: Stephen McDavid of Scott Depot;
- Boys 17-18: Caleb Young of Fairmont;
- Girls 10-14: Isabelle Studli of Fairfield, Pa.; and
- Girls 15-18: Kerri-Anne Cook of Oceana.
The Senior Series Players of the Year were:
- Senior Division: John Ridenour of Long Bottom, OH;
- Silver Division: Scott Perry of Lowell, OH; and
- Gold Division: Neil Christiansen of Parkersburg.
The 2023 WV Amateur Series presented by PSIMED Players of the Year were:
- Championship Division: Chuck Henderson of Vienna;
- Men’s Division: Bill Capelety of Farmington; and
- Women’s Division: Karen Rainey of Daniels.
WVGA Interim Executive Director Chris Slack said, “We would like to congratulate all 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, Pikewood Energy, United Bank, Merdeces Benz, Coca-Cola, PSIMED and Encova Insurance.”
For more information, please visit wvga.org.