WOODBURN, ORE. – Cole Madey (West Linn, Ore.) and Lara Tennant (Portland, Ore.) have been named the 2017 OGA Golfers of the Year, announced Friday by the Oregon Golf Association. This is the first time that the OGA has awarded both a Men’s and Women’s Golfer of the Year.
This is the first OGA Golfer of the Year honor for Madey. A junior at UCLA, Madey had a stellar 2017 season in local, regional, and national events. He began his summer by completing a wire-to-wire win at the 108th Oregon Amateur Championship, earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play before comfortably winning all six of his matches at his home course, The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn.
Regionally, Madey advanced to match play at the 116th PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship, held at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort. He followed up his strong performances in OGA and PNGA Championships by advancing to the round of 32 at this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship.
The 20-year-old represented the OGA at the 2017 Morse Cup competition during this year’s Pacific Coast Amateur, finishing T14 and leading the Oregon squad during the four-day event at Chambers Bay. He also compiled a T9 finish at the 2017 Sahalee Players Championship, held in Sammamish, Wash.
This is also the first OGA Golfer of the Year honor for Tennant. The 50-year-old completed an outstanding year in 2017. She compiled two wins during the summer at the 34th Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and the 29th Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Perhaps her most impressive achievement, however, came at the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, held at her home course, Waverley Country Club in Portland. Tennant earned co-medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play.
Tennant also finished T3 at the 2017 Oregon Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship and earned a fifth place finish at the 73rd OGA Tournament of Champions in the spring.
Both Madey and Tennant earned PNGA Player of the Year in their respective divisions, announced earlier this month.
The OGA Golfer of the Year is voted on by the OGA Tournament Committee, a group of OGA staff members, volunteers and liaisons who work with the Association to help improve and promote OGA events and playing opportunities.