2015 CGA Players of the Year

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (January 4, 2016) -- Four first-timers and two previous winners have been named 2015 Richard S. Tufts Players of the Year by the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA).  The award was created in 1997.

The six winners are: Scott Harvey of Greensboro, N.C. (Men), Lori Beth Adams of Burlington, NC (Women), Gary Robinson of Fayetteville, NC (Senior Men), Pat Brogden of Garner, NC (Senior Women), Christian Salzer of Sumter, SC (Junior Boys) and Ashley Czarnecki of Greenville, SC (Junior Girls).

The Richard S. Tufts Awards were established to honor Carolinas amateur golfers who had exceptional individual tournament performances over the preceding year. Tufts served on the CGA Executive Committee from 1926 to 1964 and served as President from 1931 through 1933. The awards are given to the number one golfer based on the CGA amateur rankings at the end of the calendar year in each of six categories: Men, Women, Senior Men, Senior Women, Junior Boys and Junior Girls.

The Junior Boys and Junior Girls awards are based on a series of 18 junior tournaments run by ten associations that are the grassroots of junior golf in the Carolinas.  Participating Carolinas associations and tournaments are the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA), Carolinas PGA (CPGA), Trusted Choice Big I Junior Classics, South Carolina Golf Association (SCGA), Women's South Carolina Golf Association (WSCGA), South Carolina Junior Golf Association (SCJGA), Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA), Carolinas-Georgia Junior Championship and the Joe Cheves Junior Invitational.

Award winners will be honored during Carolinas Golf Night and the CGA Annual Meeting at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, SC on Friday, February 19, 2016.

Eight Carolinas Men's Players of the Year are current or former PGA Tour members while five Carolinas Women's Players of the Year have competed on the LPGA tour. Notable past Tufts award winners include: Jonathan Byrd (1999, PGA Tour), Beth Bauer (1999, LPGA), D.J. Trahan (2000-2002, PGA Tour), Marcy Newton Hart (2000, LPGA), Brandi Jackson (2002, LPGA), Bill Haas (2003, PGA Tour), Webb Simpson (2006, PGA Tour), Dustin Johnson (2007, PGA Tour), Cydney Clanton (2009-10, LPGA), Mark Anderson (2009, PGA Tour) and Austin Ernst (2011, LPGA).

 

2015 Richard S. Tufts Award Winners
 

Men

Scott Harvey of Greensboro, NC claimed his record fifth consecutive Carolinas Men's Player of the Year award. Building on a 2014 season in which he won the U.S. Mid-Amateur and Cardinal Amateur, the 37-year-old property manager had an even more memorable 2015 golf year.

His win at the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur earned him an invitation to the 2015 Masters. He and partner Todd Mitchell of Illinois reached the semifinals of the 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at The Olympic Club. Harvey won the 2015 South American Amateur in Lima, Peru, by two strokes and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Japan Amateur. He won the 2015 Carolinas Club Championship with Eric Ferguson of Sedgefield Country Club. Defending his title at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, he earned co-medalist honors and advanced to the match play Round of 32. His year was highlighted when he competed on the 2015 USA Walker Cup squad at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England.

Harvey currently is the 172nd ranked men’s amateur player in the world according to the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He will defend his South American Amateur title January 21-24 at Lima Golf Club in Lima, Peru.

Women

Lori Beth Adams of Burlington, NC won the Carolinas Women's Player of the Year honor for the first time. In 2015, the 23-year-old University of Wilmington graduate qualified for the U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, PA. Adams finished third at the Carolinas Women's Amateur and Sally Women's Amateur. She also advanced to the quarterfinals in the North & South Women's Amateur, finished T-4 at the Harder Hall Women's Invitational and sixth at the Women's Eastern Amateur.

In August, Adams made a run at Qualifying School and missed the cut by three strokes. She was granted status on the Symetra Tour (LPGA Futures Tour).

 

Senior Men

Gary Robinson of Fayetteville, NC claimed his first Carolinas Senior Men’s Player of the Year award. Robinson was able to hold-off seven-time Carolinas Senior Men's Player of the Year Paul Simson by 18 points.

Robinson, a five-time CGA champion, accumulated points in fifteen events. He won the 2015 Dave King Senior Invitational, Durham Senior Amateur, Eagle Point Senior Amateur, and North Carolina Senior Four-Ball with partner Keith Waters.

Teamed again with Waters, Robinson finished runner-up in the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball. He earned runner-up honors at the CPGA Senior Amateur, National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame Golf Tournament, and Carolinas Parent-Child Championship with his daughter, Lauren.

 

Senior Women

Pat Brogden of Garner, NC takes home her fourth Carolinas Senior Women's Player of the Year honor. Her points for the 2015 season came from two victories and a runner-up finish.

The 61-year-old won her fifth Carolinas Women's Senior title, giving her ten all-time CGA victories. Brogden also defended her title at the Women's Eastern Senior Championship

Brogden finished in second place at the 2015 North & South Women's Senior Amateur.

 

 
Junior Boys

Christian Salzer, a 17-year-old high school senior at Sumter High School.

2015 golf resume:

- Won the CGA Jimmy Anderson, SCGA Junior, and placed first at Big I Sectional Qualifying.

- Runner-up at the Carolinas Junior Championship and Jimmy Self Invitational.

- Top 5 finishes at U.S. Junior qualifying, SCJGA Cheraw Fall Challenge and Players Championship.

- Represented the United States at the 2015 Can - Am Championship and currently holds the school record at Sumter High School for the lowest scoring average.

Salzer has committed to play collegiate golf at NC State. "I went to see Christian play at the Carolinas PGA a summer ago," NC State head coach Richard Sykes said. "I saw his name a few times and I just knew that I had to see this kid play. He doesn't have any weaknesses and proved to be one of the best players out there. I stayed in touch, kept watching, and he just kept getting better and continues to win."
 

 Junior Girls

Ashley Czarnecki, a 17-year-old senior at Mauldin High School.

2015 golf resume:

- Won the WSCGA Junior, SC Junior Match Play, Upstate Junior Classic, Cobbs Glen Junior, and the George Holliday Memorial.

- Runner-up honors at the Carolinas Junior Championship, SCJGA Players Championship, and Class 4A Championship.

- Top 5 finishes at U.S. Junior Qualifying, Carolinas-Georgia Jr., Blade Junior Golf Classic, and Twin States.

- Czarnecki is also the recipient of SCJGA Player of the Year honors for 2015.

“I’m super proud,” Czarnecki said. “This is kind of a symbol of how all my hard work has paid off. I worked my butt off. I was proud that as much effort and hard work I put into it, I was able to hold on, not get burned out and enjoy playing.”

Czarnecki credits much of her success to her work with instructor Kevin Britt. She began taking lessons from the Columbia instructor in the summer of 2014. In the past year, she estimated she improved her distance off the tee from 200 to 230 yards and added at least one club in distance with her irons.

Though Czarnecki has had college offers, she’s looking forward to taking some time to concentrate on finding the right school. While enrolled in advanced placement and honors classes at Mauldin, Czarnecki has a 4.4 grade-point average. She’s going to participate in a few junior golf events over the winter and in the spring, giving college coaches opportunities to see her play.

 

Richard S. Tufts Players of the Year Award Winners

Men

1997 - Cliff Cunningham, Monroe, NC

1998 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

1999 - Jonathan Byrd, Elgin, SC

2000 - D.J. Trahan, Inman, SC

2001 - D.J. Trahan, Inman, SC

2002 - D.J. Trahan, Inman, SC

2003 - Bill Haas, Greer, SC

2004 - Todd White, Moore, SC

2005 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2006 - Webb Simpson, Raleigh, NC

2007 - Dustin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, SC

2008 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2009 - Mark Anderson, Beaufort, SC

2010 - David Chung, Fayetteville, NC

2011 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC

2012 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC

2013 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC

2014 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC

2015 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC

 

Senior Men

2001 - Robert Kulp, Winston-Salem, NC

2002 - Cliff Cunningham, Monroe, NC

2003 - Robert Kulp, Winston-Salem, NC

2004 - Robert Kulp, Winston-Salem, NC

2005 - David Strawn, Charlotte, NC

2006 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2007 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2008 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2009 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2010 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2011 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2012 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

2013 - Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, SC

2014 - Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, SC

2015 - Gary Robinson, Fayetteville, NC 

 

Women

1997 - Brenda Corrie Kuehn, Fletcher, NC

1998 - Brenda Corrie Kuehn, Fletcher, NC

1999 - Beth Bauer, Cramer Mountain, NC

2000 - Marcy Newton Hart, High Point, NC

2001 - Brenda Corrie Kuehn, Fletcher, NC

2002 - Brandi Jackson, Belton, SC

2003 - Amber Marsh Elliott, Jamestown, NC

2004 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2005 - Maggie Simons, Raleigh, NC

2006 - Adrienne Millican, Fuquay-Varina, NC

2007 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2008 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2009 - Cydney Clanton, Concord, NC

2010 - Cydney Clanton, Concord, NC

2011 - Austin Ernst, Seneca, SC

2012 - Dawn Woodard, Greer, SC

2013 - Dawn Woodard, Greer, SC

2014 - Dawn Woodard, Greer, SC 

2015 - Lori Beth Adams, Burlington, NC

 

Senior Women

2001 - Karen Ferree, Hilton Head Island, SC

2002 - Karen Ferree, Hilton Head Island, SC

2003 - Karen Ferree, Hilton Head Island, SC

2004 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2005 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2006 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2007 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2008 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2009 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2010 - Patty Moore, Charlotte, NC

2011 - Pat Brogden, Garner, NC

2012 - Pat Brogden, Garner, NC

2013 - Ashley Rose, North Augusta, SC

2014 - Pat Brogden, Garner, NC

2015 - Pat Brogden, Garner, NC

 

Junior Boys

2003 - Vince Hatfield, Greenwood, SC

2004 - Brad Dilen, Cary, NC

2005 - David Chung, Fayetteville, NC

2006 - McCuen Elmore, Cheraw, SC

2007 - Ben Kohles, Cary, NC

2008 - Mark Joye, Columbia, SC

2009 - Andy Knox, Cary, NC

2010 - Cody Proveaux, Leesville, SC

2011 - Carson Young, Pendleton, SC

2012 - Keenan Huskey, Greenville, SC

2013 - Tim Conover, Holly Springs, NC

2014 - Eric Bae, Pinehurst, NC

2015 - Christian Salzer, Sumter, SC

 

Junior Girls

2003 - Mallory Hetzel, Summerfield, SC

2004 - Emily Street, Forest City, NC

2005 - Amber Littman, Stoney Creek, NC

2006 - Rachel Uremovich, Hilton Head Island, SC

2007 - Haley Stephens, Greer, SC

2008 - Haley Stephens, Greer, SC

2009 - McKenzie Talbert, North Augusta, SC

2010 - McKenzie Talbert, North Augusta, SC

2011 - McKenzie Talbert, North Augusta, SC

2012 - Kelli Murphy, Elgin, SC

2013 - Reona Hirai, Summerville, SC

2014 - Jessica Spicer, Bahama, NC

2015 - Ashley Czarnecki, Greenville, SC