The Richard S. Tufts Awards were created in 1997 to honor the 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 top golfer based on the CGA amateur rankings at the end of the calendar year in seven categories: Girls', Boys', Women's, Men's, Senior Women's, Senior Men's and Super Senior Men's. The Senio Men's and Senior Women's categories were implemented in 2001, the Junior categories were established in 2003, and the Super Senior Men's award were created in 2017.
Nine Carolinas Men's Players of the Year are current or former PGA Tour members while eight 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), Austin Ernst (2011, LPGA), Katelyn Dambaugh (2016, LPGA), Anna Redding (2018, LPGA), Gina Kim (2019, LPGA).
Junior Girls':
Madison Messimer
, - Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Junior Boys':
Will Hartman, - Marvin, N.C.
Women's:
Isabella Rawl, - Lexington S.C.
Men's:
Sam Jackson, - West Columbia, S.C.
Senior Women's:
Kathy Hartwiger
- Pinehurst, N.C.
Senior Men's:
Steve Harwell
- Mooresville, N.C.
Super Senior Men's:
Steve Fox
- Pinehurst, N.C.
Richard S. Tufts Players of the Year Award Winners
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
2016 - Emily Hawkins, Lexington, NC
2017 - Gracyn Burgess, Lexington, SC
2018 - Katherine Schuster, Kill Devil Hills, NC
2019 - Nicole Adam, Pinehurst, NC
2020 - Adrian Anderson, Murrells Inlet, SC
2021 - Macy Pate, Winston-Salem, NC
2022 - Macy Pate, Winston-Salem, NC
2023 -
Madison Messimer, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
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
2016 - Trent Phillips, Inman, SC
2017 - Trent Phillips, Inman, SC
2018 - Jonathan Griz, Hitlon Head, SC
2019 - Gene Zeigler, Florence, SC
2020 - Max Green, Hilton Head, SC
2021 - Caleb Surratt, Matthews, NC
2022 - Carson Bertagnole, Pinehurst, NC
2023 - Will Hartman, Marvin, N.C.
Women's
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
2016 - Katelyn Dambaugh, Goose Creek, SC
2017 - Courtney McKim, Raleigh, NC
2018 - Anna Redding, Concord, NC
2019 - Gina Kim, Chapel Hill, NC
2020 - Rachel Kuehn, Asheville, NC
2021 - Jensen Castle, West Columbia, SC
2022 - Jessica Spicer, Bahama, NC
2023 - Isabella Rawl, Lexington S.C.
Men's
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
2016 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC
2017 - Scott Harvey, Greensboro, NC
2018 - Kevin O'Connell, Cary, NC
2019 - Scott Harvey, Kernersville, NC
2020 - Peter Fountain, Raleigh, NC
2021 - Matthew Sharpstene, Charlotte, NC
2022 - Caleb Surratt, Indian Trail, NC
2023 - Sam Jackson, - West Columbia, S.C.
Senior Women's
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
2016 - Kim Briele, New Bern, NC
2017 - Pat Brogden, Garner, NC
2018 - Lea Anne Brown, Charleston, SC
2019 - Jayne Pardus, Mount Pleasant, SC
2020 - Jayne Pardus, Mount Pleasant, SC
2021 - Jayne Pardus, Mount Pleasant, SC
2022 - Kathy Hartwiger, Pinehurst, NC
2023 - Kathy Hartwiger, Pinehurst, NC
Senior Men's
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
2016 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
2017 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
2018 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
2019 - Steve Harwell, Raleigh, NC
2020 - Sherrill Britt, West End, NC
2021 - Eddie Hargett, Blythewood, SC
2022 - Steve Harwell, Raleigh, NC
2023 - Steve Harwell, Raleigh, NC
Super Senior Men's
2017 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
2018 - Russ Perry, Winston-Salem, NC
2019 - Russ Perry, Winston-Salem, NC
2020 - Evan Long, Charlotte, NC
2021 - Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
2022 - Steve Fox, Raleigh, NC
2023 - Steve Fox, Raleigh, NC