BC Golfers Nominated For 2014 PNGA Awards

October 15, 2014

by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf

Eight British Columbia amateur golfers have been nominated for prestigious Pacific Northwest Golf Association Awards.

The PNGA gives out awards in eight categories: Men's, Women's, Mid-Amateur Men's, Mid-Amateur Women's, Senior Men's, Senior Women's, Junior Boys', and Junior Girls'.

The players are voted on by the PNGA Championship Committee and the nominated players come from British Columbia, Idaho, Washington State and Oregon.

Barry University's Adam Svensson leads the charge as B.C.'s nominee in the PNGA Men's Player of the Year category.

Svensson's 2014 season includes a T4th at the B.C. Men's Amateur at Seymour this July, a T8th at the Canadian Amateur, 7th place at the World Amateur along with a team second place finish as runner-up at the Monroe Invitational, and 7 NCAA Division II event wins in 12 events.

Svensson walked away with the Jack Nicklaus Award for top NCAA Div. II college golfer and the Surrey native currently holds a World Amateur Golf Ranking of 51st.

Svensson's competition in this category is Ty Travis (Idaho), Hans Reimers (Oregon), and Carl Jonson (Washington).

Surrey's A Ram Choi is up for the PNGA Women's Player of the Year after winning the Oregon Women's Amateur Championship and finishing runner-up at the B.C. Amateur.

Choi also finished T44th at the Canadian Women's Amateur, reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, was the Big Sky Conference Champion and was runner-up at the Rose City Collegiate and Washington State University Cougar Cup events.

With a World Amateur Golf Ranking of 208, Choi is the favourite in her category, with Gigi Stoll (Oregon) and Jordan Ferreira (Washington) also being nominated.

Kevin Carrigan of Royal Colwood on Vancouver Island is the favourite in the PNGA Men's Mid-Amateur category. Carrigan, with a WAGR of 338, finished T6th at the Canadian Mid-Amateur, T7th at the BC Amateur, T43rd at the Canadian Amateur and 4th in the Carlos Raffo Cup in Lima, Peru.

Carrigan also partnered with Royal Colwood Head Professional Jason Giesbrecht to win the PGA of BC Tournament of Champions in May. The two other players nominated in this category are Charlie Rice (Oregon) and Mike Haack (Washington)

Christina Proteau is the B.C. nominee for the PNGA Women's Mid-Amateur Award, finishing T49th at the Canadian Women's Amateur, 3rd at the Washington State Women's Amateur, T4th at the B.C. Women's Amateur and she was also a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. Proteau will square off against Kareen Markle (Idaho), Brie Stone (Oregon) and Amanda Jacobs (Washington).

Local legend Doug Roxburgh is up for the PNGA Senior Men's Player of the Year award after winning the Canadian Senior Men's Amateur and B.C. Senior Men's Amateur.

The Marine Drive member also reached the Round of 64 at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, finished T24th at the B.C. Men's Amateur and was 9th at the B.C. Men's Mid Amateur. Roxburgh will face Pat O'Donnell (Oregon) and Tom Brandes (Washington), with Brandes having the lowest WAGR ranking amongst the three.

Jackie Little of the Victoria Golf Club is the B.C. nominee for the PNGA Senior Women's Player of the Year Award. Little won both the B.C. and Alberta Senior Women's Amateur Championships and was T5th at the Canadian Women's Senior Championship.

She added a T4th at the Pacific Northwest Senior Women's Amateur Championship and will go againt Kareen Markle (Idaho), Anita Wicks (Oregon) and Denise Kieffer (Washington). Markle holds the low WAGR rating amongst these four players.

Moscrop student Alex Francois is the B.C. nominee for the PNGA Junior Boys' Player of the Year Award. The Burnaby native who plays out of the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club was T4th at the B.C. Junior Amateur Championship and the B.C. Amateur Championship, and also won the Canadian Future Links Pacific Championship.

Francois, finished T9th at the B.C. Juvenile Amateur Championship ant T21st at the Junior America's Cup. Francois is up against Graysen Huff (Idaho) Riley Elmes (Oregon) and Sam Warkentin (Washington), with Huff holding the low WAGR.

Naomi Ko is the B.C. representative in the PNGA Junior Girls' Player of the Year Award. Ko won the B.C. Junior Girls' Amateur Championship and finished runner-up at the B.C. Juvenile Girls' Amateur Championship.

She also finished 4th at both the B.C. Women's Amateur and the Canadian Junior Girls' Amateur Championship. Ko is the favourite in her category, as her WAGR of 283 is well ahead of her competitors, Gabby Barker (Idaho), Ellie Slama (Oregon) and Sierra Kersten (Washington).

Winners will be announced later this year by the PNGA.