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Arizona Golf Honors 2021 Annual Awards Recipients

Throughout the year men and women compete across their respective divisions in hopes of landing on top of the AGA Player Rankings. Players who find themselves at the top of the rankings get to make their mark in Arizona Golf history, earning the coveted AGA Player of the Year Award. Annually, these awards are given out alongside four other service awards which are granted to individuals or organizations who have exemplified selfless commitment and contribution to golf in Arizona. Those service awards come in the form of the Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year award, Champion of Golf Award, Dorothy Pease Achievement Award and the Dr. Ed Updegraff Award. On Thursday, February 17, 2022 while gathered at Phoenix Country Club, the Arizona Golf Association honored these upstanding individuals. Continue reading to learn more about the awards, honorees and their accomplishments.

The honorees are as follows:

Women’s Senior Player of the Year
Kim Eaton

Women’s Player of the Year
Ashley Menne

Men’s Masters Player of the Year
Bryan Hoops

Mayfair Award – Lowest Scoring Average
Bryan Hoops – 67.92

Men’s Senior Player of the Year
Brad Wayment

Men’s Legends Player of the Year
Frank Ellenburg

Men’s Open Player of the Year
Sean O’Donnell

Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year Award
Steve Tomlinson

Champion of Golf Award
Judy McDermott

Dorothy Pease Achievement Award
Peggy Briggs

Dr. Ed Updegraff Award
Jack Blair, Sr.

Women’s Senior Player of the Year

Kim Eaton

Highlights:
Women’s Four-Ball Championship | Champion
Women’s Partners Tournament | Champion
Arizona Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship | T3
Women’s Players Cup Championship | 3
Women’s State Senior Championship | T3
*Qualified for 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
*Qualified for 2021 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur, reaching the round of 32.

Women’s Player of the Year

Ashley Menne

Highlights:
Women’s State Stroke Play Championship | Champion
Women’s Players Cup | Champion
*Pac-12 All Conference Honorable Mention
*2021 WGCA All-American Honorable Mention as a freshman at ASU.
*Invited to Augusta National Women’s Amateur for April 2022.

Men’s Masters Player of the Year & Mayfair Award

Bryan Hoops

Hoops finished the tournament season with an adjusted scoring average of 67.92, earning him the Mayfair Award for 2021.
*To be eligible for the Mayfair Award, a player must compete in at least one USGA qualifying round in Arizona and at least two AGA individual major championships; or, compete in at least one USGA qualifying round in Arizona, at least one AGA individual major championship and a collegiate championship in Arizona. All scores count towards the adjusted average.

Men’s Senior Player of the Year

Brad Wayment

Men’s Legends Player of the Year

Frank Ellenburg

Men’s Open Player of the Year

Sean O’Donnell

Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year Award

Steve Tomlinson

Each year the staff of the AGA honors an individual (other than an Executive Committee member) who most exemplifies volunteerism through his or her commitment of time and effort to the association. In 2010 this award was named after Robert Graves, a long-time AGA volunteer who exemplifies the selfless contributions of time and dedication to serving golf in Arizona.

Steve was introduced to the game of golf in the 6^th grade by his good friends, when one of their fathers allowed them to take an old bag of clubs to the park to play with. They created their own course around the landscape, selecting just one club to use from the bag and aiming at a can they dug in the ground. He became more serious about the game a couple years later when his mother fell ill and her doctors recommended she try the game to assist her healing process. The quality time they spent together made him even more passionate about the sport and he continued playing through his professional work career, eventually moving to Arizona and retiring in 2008.

The Rules of Golf were something that always interested Steve and he knew them well from being a player. With a little more time on his hands, he picked up his first Decisions Book in 2010, after being encouraged to dedicate himself to the rules by his good friends, Bob Ford and Ralph Warrington. After working local events at his club in Rio Verde for a couple years, he was
introduced to the Arizona Golf Association at an ASU Collegiate event in 2013. It was there he
shadowed his friend Bob during the competition, solidifying his desire to give back to the game.

Since then, Steve has devoted himself to serving both the AGA and JGAA as an expert Rules Official. He has become one of the most respected
individuals on the course, and can be easily
identified by his wide brim hat and the occasional cigar. He has volunteered thousands of hours over the years, and in 2021 spent 103 days on the golf course, an incredible number and something that is truly appreciated by all.

When asked what he enjoys most about volunteering, Steve replied,

“I enjoy the opportunity to help the player not make a mistake…our job is to ask the right questions and help them through a situation, so they do not get penalized.”

Champion of Golf Award

Judy McDermott

In recognition of selfless lifetime service to the Game of Golf in Arizona, the Champion of Golf Award is given annually to a person who, by his or her accomplishments, has created lasting benefit to the game.

Tucson’s golf landscape would look different without the Judy McDermott touch over the past three decades. McDermott moved to Tucson in 1992, taking a position as the Marketing
Director for the Conquistadores and the PGA TOUR’s Northern Telecom Open. She quickly climbed the ranks within the organization, becoming Tournament Director only two years
later, eventually being promoted to Executive Director in 2007 when the WGC-Accenture Match Play was scheduled at The Gallery. When the WGC event found a new home outside of Tucson in 2014, she immediately brought a PGA TOUR Champions event to Tucson National the following year, the Cologuard Classic.

In 2006, she and the Conquistadores partnered with the City of Tucson and PGA TOUR to
establish The First Tee of Tucson. Juggling multiple organizations proved no problem for McDermott, and her leadership over the years has brought in $26 million to youth sports in Southern Arizona. She stepped away from professional golf and the Tucson Conquistadores in 2019 and now focuses her efforts full time as the Executive Director of The First Tee of Tucson.

Dorothy Pease Achievement Award

Peggy Briggs

The Dorothy Pease Achievement award was established in 2011 to honor the memory of Dorothy Pease, and to recognize the contributions to golf by the outstanding women who have followed in her footsteps. This year’s recipient is Peggy Briggs.

Peggy Briggs was born in Iowa and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She played many sports growing up in a family of six, and as a senior in high school was the all-around state gymnastics champion. Peggy was introduced to golf but did not actively pursue it until she and her
husband moved to Arizona in 1994.

In 1997, she joined the LPGA and began her career learning all aspects of the profession.
Peggy played two years on the Players West Mini Tour before achieving her Class A
Professional status. She soon learned that teaching was what she loved best, “I love bringing people into the game of golf and keeping them there.”

Growing the game of golf hasn’t just about giving lessons for Peggy. She always wants to make sure that her lessons include keeping people passionate about playing golf and learning how golf can bring people together. She took this a step further and became a golf writer,
co-authoring a book, “Smashing Balls, Golf Opening Doors for Women”.

Because Peggy found that she had some extra time and a lot of extra passion for the game, she began volunteering with several local organizations. She volunteered for Dr. Debbie Crews and her Gila River Program in 1999. Peggy was one of the first instructors to work with the Arizona Women’s Golf Association to teach their Golf 101 Program, introducing women to the game of golf and the Golf Performance Series which focused on the body/swing connection. She also volunteered with Kathy Knadler in the LPGA Girls Golf Program. This is where she fell in love with junior golf. Peggy has also participated as a Golf Professional for Mesa High School with the AWGA’s “High School Build A Team Program” to help more girls in high school become interested in golf.

For the last five years, she has volunteered with the JGAA coaching the Arizona Girls Junior Americas Cup Team and she has been the Tournament Director of The Joanne Winter Silver Belle Championship since 2017. Peggy also takes an active role with the LPGA Central Section by serving as Secretary and member of several committees. In 2020, she was awarded the Marilyn Smith Service Award from the Central Section of the LPGA by her peers.

With more than 25 years devoted to the game of golf in Arizona, the AGA cannot think of a more deserving
recipient of this year’s Dorothy Pease Award.

Congratulations Peggy and thank you for all you do for golf in Arizona!

Dr. Ed Updegraff Award

Jack Blair, Sr.

Established in 1990, the Updegraff Award is the Arizona Golf Association’s highest honor, given in recognition of those who, by their actions, exemplify the Spirit of the Game. The award is named after Dr. Ed Updegraff of Tucson, honoring his lifetime contributions and dedication to amateur golf in Arizona.

Jack Blair, Sr. was born in Decatur, Illinois on June 8, 1928, and it’s been said he was a golfer since the day he could walk. He spent 32 years in the military, beginning in 1951 when he entered active service as a National Guard Officer, culminating in his promotion to Brigadier General in March of 1976. His military career took him all over the globe, and during his tours he was a post, camp, or fort golf champion in every area he served. He won numerous other Championships during this time, beating notable names such as Orville Moody and
finishing runner-up to Roberto Devicenzo in the 1959 Panama Open.

After he retired from the Army in 1980, he decided to stay in Sierra Vista and became Vice-President of Arizona Operations for land developer Tenneco. It was then he became very active in the Arizona golf community, both as a player and supporter.

He served on the Arizona Golf Association’s Executive Committee and was a USGA Committee Member from 1990 to 1993. Most notably, he completed the development of Pueblo del Sol Country Club, an 18-hole championship level facility in Sierra Vista known for having some of the best conditions in the state. To honor his accomplishments for the golf community in Southern Arizona over the past few decades, the General Jack Blair Four-Ball was announced in 2021 and conducted at Pueblo del Sol as a Sanctioned AGA event.

A small sample of Jack’s playing accomplishments in Arizona include: Qualifying for three US Senior Amateur Championships; AGA Senior Player of the Year; AGA Senior Stroke Play Champion; Five-time Goldwater Cup Team Member; AGA Senior Four-Ball Champion; AGA Southern Amateur Senior Champion; 17-time Pueblo del Sol Club Champion.

His dedication to amateur golf will forever be felt in Arizona. Congratulations to the 2021 Updegraff Award Recipient, Jack Blair, Sr.

RELATED: Past AGA Award Recepients

View the full awards presentations here: https://www.azgolf.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/02/2022-Annual-Meeting-Presentation-Final-PDF.pdf

Read the Annual Booklet here: https://www.azgolf.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2022/02/Annual-Booklet-FINAL-2022-corrected.pdf

News

2019 Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner

At the 2019 Arizona Golf Association’s Annual Meeting and Awards Celebration we honored club representatives, champions, volunteer and committee members, and those who have contributed to the success of Arizona Golf.

Below is a brief message from our President, Mike McWilliams, on AGA’s activities in 2018:

For the fourth year we have experienced slow but steady growth in membership while expanding our mission to all golfers in the state through the integration with the Arizona Women’s Golf Association– now together as Arizona Golf.

Our new website, which just debuted this month, is much easier to navigate and includes many more options for golfers from competitive to social events and plenty of activities for visitors or those becoming interested in joining the world of golf.

Highlights for 2018 include 59 individuals qualifying for USGA Championships, expanded member and “Just for Fun” events for all, travel golf events from Mexico to Ireland, and the 8th Patriot All-America for the world’s best collegians playing in honor of our military heroes, once again ranked among the best events in the world. Alumni include Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Cameron Champ among many other current Tour stars.

The AGA magazine, AzGolf Insider, continues to receive applause from both members and outside media. Please let us know if you haven’t been receiving your free copy.

We’ve introduced the new Rules of Golf in style, having already hosted over fifty seminars for 3,000 plus members, and distributed over 35,000 Rules books, more than any other golf association to date. A new GHIN platform will be launching in 2019, and in the fall, we will begin our education on the World Handicap System in anticipation of its launch in 2020.

I especially wish to thank all of you attending, and the hundreds of other members and supporters who make Arizona Golf the success that it is. You can count on us in the future. The AWGA has joined with the AGA to make your golf experience even more valuable and interesting in 2019.

Sincerely,

Mike McWilliams

2019 Award Winners

Legends Player of the Year……………………………………..Tom Preston

Super Senior Player of the Year………………………………Rusty Brown

Senior Player of the Year………………………………………..Jeff Benton

Women’s Senior Player of the Year………………………….Liz Waynick

Masters Player of the Year………………………………………Thuhashini Selvaratnam

Open Player of the Year……………………………………………Adam Walicki

Senior Cup Champions…………………………………………..John Richards & David Schlenker

AGA Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year Award………….Jeff Vincent

AWGA Kathy Ehrlich Volunteer of the Year Award……Jan Biddle

Champion of Golf………………………………………………………John Spensieri

AWGA Representative of the Year……………………………Twyla Gerdes

Honorary Captain…………………………………………………..Lyman Gallup

Host Club of the Year……………………………………………..Jeff Ostlund, Tonto Verde Golf Club

Dorthy Pease Award……………………………………………….Tina Barret

Updegraff Award……………………………………………………Drew Woods

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Meet Our Executive Committee

Officers

Mike McWilliams
President Phoenix Country ClubMike McWilliams has been a commercial real estate professional for over 30 years, all while enjoying the game of golf. “I was fortunate to be introduced to the wonderful game of golf at a young age by my father. I have enjoyed everything about this game since.” Of all the many golf experiences Mike has had, the friendship and the lasting relationships are what ranks higher than all.

Bill Burgesser
1st Vice PresidentSuperstition Mountain Golf & Country ClubAs a registered professional Architect, Bill served as a principal in the firm of Quantum Group Architects & Engineers in Dallas, Texas and was responsible for all design and construction documents. Bill has been a member of the AGA’s Executive Committee since 2013 and is currently serving as 2nd Vice President He is also very involved on the USGA Services Committee which covers handicapping and course rating. He was the recipient of the Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year award for 2012.

Bill Phipps
2nd Vice PresidentStone Canyon ClubIntroduced to golf as a teenager by his role model, his grandfather, Bill grew to love the game of golf. After playing on the golf team at Miami University, Bill continued with the game of golf and became a member of the USGA Committee, later winning the Ike Grainger Award in 2013. Bill stays busy being an Ohio Golf Association Board Member, a Greens Committee Chair of 5 Clubs and an AGA Board Member. Bill has been a member of the executive committee since 2012.

Bob McNichols
SecretaryLongbow Club Bob McNichols is the General Manager of Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, and of Daedalus Real Estate Advisors, LLC, a private real estate investment and commercial development company based in Phoenix. McNichols is currently a member of several boards in Arizona including The First Tee of Phoenix, Inc., Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, Inc., and VisitMesa CVB. He is the Tournament Chair of the LPGA Symetra Tour Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club, the annual Arizona Junior Challenge at Longbow Golf Club and the annual AJGA PING Heather Farr Classic presented by Longbow Golf Club. McNichols has been ranked by Arizona Business Magazine as one of the state’s most influential developers. Bob has been a member of the AGA Executive Committee since 2012.

Tim Brown
TreasurerPhoenix Country ClubTim has been an avid golfer since his parents introduced the game to him when he was eight years old. He played competitive junior golf growing up in Nebraska and competitive amateur golf for many years in Nebraska and Arizona. Tim has been actively involved over the years in several golf related organizations, including The Thunderbirds, the Thunderbird Junior Golf Association, the JGAA and the Phoenix Country Club, where he is a past president and past board member. Tim has been a member of the executive committee since 2013 and currently serves as Treasurer.

Remaining Executive Committee

Lee Decof
Lone Tree Golf Club The game of golf was introduced to Lee by his father when he was 5 years old. “I feel I have something that can add to the future of golf in Arizona. It’s important to to me to “give back”, and I am at a time in my life where I get great pleasure from doing just that.” Lee is an active player in our tournaments by interaccting with players, officials, and volunteers and an active board member. Lee has been a member of the executive committee since 2013.

Joe Hickle
Tucson Country ClubJoe has been around the game of golf his entire life and is an avid golfer. He has spent many years working in the golf industry in various capacities. For the last eight years, Joe has been a Commercial Insurance Broker with Crest Insurance Group. He is a member of the Tucson Conquistadores organization which supports youth athletics in Southern Arizona and The First Tee of Tucson through the Tucson Conquistadores Classic – PGA Champions Tour event played in Tucson. When Joe is not working or on the golf course, he can be found in a basketball gym fulfilling his role as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Pima Community College in Tucson.

Tim Hulscher
Junior Golf Association of ArizonaTim is retired living in Gilbert, AZ with his wife Judy. He is a USGA certified Rules of Golf official and spends his time officiating at all levels of competitive golf. He grew up in Aberdeen, Washington and earned a degree at Central Washington University in French landguage and Business Administration studying in France for two years, and a MBA at Seattle University in Accounting and Financial Reporting retiring in 2012 from Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Jerry Huff
TPA ClubJerry is Senior Manager of Engineering for the world’s second largest electronics distribution company. He has been designing warehouses and production facilities for over 15 years across multiple industries. Jerry began playing golf in the Hazeltine Junior Golf program in Chaska, MN – site of the 2016 Ryder Cup. He moved to Arizona in the early 1990’s and has been a consistent participant in Arizona Golf Association tournaments ever since. For the last few years, Jerry has been a member of the AGA Tournament Committee and is excited to join the Executive Committee in 2017.

Mark Jeffery
Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club Mark is the President and CEO of Aquimo LLC, www.aquimo.com, Managing Partner of Agile Insights LLC and Adjunct Professor of Executive Education at the Kellogg School of Management. Aquimo is a revolutionary mobile gaming platform for basketball, football, golf, bowling and other sports. His consulting expertise is data-driven marketing strategy and execution, enterprise performance management, and unlocking business value from marketing and IT. Over the last decade he has taught in many custom executive programs at organizations including Microsoft, DuPont, Sony, Nissan, and Philips. In 2011 his book “Data-Driven Marketing” was awarded the best book of the year by the American Marketing Association.

Ryan Johnson
Arizona Golf Association Ryan is a life-long golfer with a passion for the game that extends equally into his personal and professional life. Whether playing competitively against friends or filming PGA TOUR Professionals, finding Ryan on a golf course is finding Ryan in his ‘happy place’. For the past five years, Johnson has been the videographer for the annual Patriot All-America Invitational held at The Wigwam. He has done a terrific job capturing the essence of this event. During the 2015 tournament, he created a 30-minute segment that will be aired on Fox Sports in March.

Mike Kane
Arizona Golf AssociationLong-time Arizona golfer, U of A Team member and Arizona Amateur Champion, Mike Kane remains a single digit handicapper with a love for course design analysis. Mike is a Senior Vice President in the Scottsdale Office of Colliers International and specializes in the sales and lease of office and industrial propertise. In 2004-2005 he was awarded the Top Professional Award at Colliers International. Mike has been a member of the executive committee since 2015.

Scott McNevin
Junior Golf Association of ArizonaScott has been a resident of Phoenix since the fall of 2006. Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Scott migrated north to University of Oregon, where he graduated in 2002 with a degree in Journalism.Scott has been playing golf for over twenty years, and working in the business since graduating from college. In 2003, he interned with the American Junior Golf Association, and started working full-time as a Tournament Director for the AJGA in 2004. Scott was a Tournament Director for 15 national junior golf events across the country while working for the AJGA.In the fall of 2006, Scott joined the Arizona Golf Association staff as Tournament Director. For the last three years with the AGA he was the Director of Rules and Competitions. His duties included teaching Rules of Golf seminars for AGA member clubs, conducting AGA Championships and USGA Qualifiers and tournament scheduling.

Judy Polidori
Alta Mesa Country Club”From my youth in Scouts working on the Easter Seal Campaign, to my recent efforts with the AWGA to grow high school girls’ golf, I have proudly served my community for 6 decades.” Judy recently served on the AWGA Board of Directors as the Fundraising Chairman for 6 years, 2008-2014. In addition, the past two years, Judy has served as the AWGA/AGA Liaison.

John Souza
Moon Valley Country ClubJohn has been employed with PING Golf for 36 years. He is currently Director of PING Wrx. He started the Junior Golf University, a 501(c)(3) which runs the PING Junior Interclub. The Interclub allows courses to put together teams of boys and girls 12-18 years old and compete against other teams in their area. John has three children – Lauren 26, Annie 23 and John 20. John (jr.) plays golf at the University of Colorado. “Go Buffs!”

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Arizona Golf Honors 2021 Annual Awards Recipients

Women’s Senior Player of the Year

Kim Eaton

Women’s Player of the Year

Ashley Menne

Men’s Masters Player of the Year & Mayfair Award

Bryan Hoops

Men’s Senior Player of the Year

Brad Wayment

Men’s Legends Player of the Year

Frank Ellenburg

Men’s Open Player of the Year

Sean O’Donnell

Doc Graves Volunteer of the Year Award

Steve Tomlinson

Champion of Golf Award

Judy McDermott

Dorothy Pease Achievement Award

Peggy Briggs

Dr. Ed Updegraff Award

Jack Blair, Sr.

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2019 Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner

2019 Award Winners

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Meet Our Executive Committee

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