Category: Oregon Golf Association

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.

GRESHAM, ORE. ­­– Every year, the OGA gives out its Annual Awards to members, clubs, PGA Professionals and more for their commitment and diligence in working with the OGA, with their community and with other allied golf organizations. These awards were presented at this year’s OGA Annual Meeting, held October 23rd at Persimmon Country Club in Gresham, Ore.

Earning Member of the Year honors was Terry “T Mac” McEvilly of Creekside Golf Club. He has volunteered thousands of hours working at OGA, USGA, and high school events, also serving on many different Creekside committees. As a Senior Rules Official, McEvilly co-writes the monthly, “Rule of the Month” feature on the OGA website. He has also made a difference working with the local Creekside community.

The Club of the Year went to Charbonneau Golf Club for their work in helping grow the game. The club itself has worked with the Wilsonville High School Girls Golf Team, giving free instruction to players and even having some students work in the pro shop. The Charbonneau Niners Club has donated over $6,000 to the girls golf team the past eight years, and has donated clubs and other materials to players.

Arrowhead Golf Club earned Facility of the Year honors, as the course hosted three OGA Championships in 2017 – The OGA Tournament of Champions, Oregon Mid-Amateur, and Women’s Interclub Play (WIP) Season Finale. The facility is widely known for its impressive playing conditions all year long, and was an excellent host to not only OGA events, but plenty of other small and large gatherings throughout the year.

The Club Executive of the Year award went to Bryce Poulin, Director of Player Development at Camas Meadows Golf Club. Poulin has focused exclusively on growing the game initiatives in the Camas community and beyond. He helped develop and create the Washington Youth Golf Academy, also traveling and visiting local elementary schools and introducing the game to young people. He’s come up with programs that include entire families, while scheduling them to fit their needs.

Peter Goodling of Club Green Meadows was honored with the Superintendent of the Year. Goodling, a third-generation superintendent, hs worked tirelessly to improve troubled spots on the course in an environmentally sensitive way, decreasing fungicide and pesticide use while restoring natural habitats and food sources for the bumble bee and other insects.

Handicap Chair of the Year honors went to Carole Prall of the McNary Women’s Golf Club. Prall, Handicap Chair for 26 years, has played golf at McNary Golf Club for 44 years, working with local club members to improve play. While she started calculating Handicap Indexes by hand, Prall now works with the OGA and McNary Golf Club in many different facets, including helping facilitate her club to play combo tees next year.