RDGA Volunteers, Delegates & Players Enjoy End of Season Fall Event at Penfield

Reflecting on a busy season – one that included a schedule of 22 tournaments between May and October – the annual RDGA Fall Event offered District officials the opportunity to present a “state of the RDGA”–type address, followed by the presentation of the District’s Players of the Year Awards for Men, Women, Juniors and Seniors.

“Thanks to everyone – from our Board Members, to our Rules Officials, Delegates and volunteers – for an outstanding season. It’s been a great year and I look forward to laying the groundwork for a successful 2020 as we move into fall,” said Mark Battle, who completed his third season in office as RDGA President in 2019 – a year in which the Board oversaw the adoption of a new Mission Statement that best reflects the RDGA going into 2020 and beyond.

RDGA Executive Director Tim Vangellow next addressed the state of the RDGA in 2019, noting all the programs that it offers as an official Allied Golf Association of the USGA. One of those programs will include offering seminars and workshops introducing the new World Handicap System (WHS) to RDGA Member Clubs and their members as the new system prepares for launch on January 1, 2020.

RDGA Assistant Director Jenny Ford next outlined what the WHS is and how it will affect RDGA members in the coming year. A USGA video was shown and a schedule of seminars was discussed – which will be announced in the coming weeks.

RDGA Assistant Director Dave Eaton next announced the District’s top honors for Players of the Year – which included awards for Senior and Girls Junior Players of the Year honors, along with the annual RDGA awards for Men, Women and Boys Juniors.

Chris Blyth of Mendon Golf Club, was announced as the 2019 RDGA Men’s Player of the Year for the first time, finishing 55 points ahead of Stafford’s Jim Scorse – last year’s RDGA Men’s Player of the Year and a 15-time recipient of the honor.

This year, Blyth won the prestigious Country Club of Rochester Invitational in early June, then proceeded to finish runner-up in both the RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial AND the New York State Men’s Amateur Championships in July, very nearly capturing both titles.

Winning this year’s Boys Junior Player of the Year was Jeremy Summerson of Cobblestone Creek, who finished 122 points ahead of Phillip Minnehan, winner of this year’s RDGA Junior Boys Championship title.

 

Irondequoit Country Club’s Jaydee Ford won the RDGA Girls Junior Player of the Year Award by a mere 7 point margin over runner-up Julia Zigrossi of Ridgemont. Ford and Zigrossi battled for the 2019 RDGA Girls Junior Championship in August at Blue Heron Hills – with Ford winning a sudden death playoff for the title.

 

And earning the 2019 RDGA Senior Player of the Year award was Rich Luther of Stafford Country Club, who won on the strength of a victory in the Senior Tournament of Champions at Blue Heron Hills in June, followed by a win in the RDGA Richard Wood Memorial Senior Best Ball, as well as a fifth place finish in the RDGA Senior Championship; and was a quarterfinalist in the RDGA Senior Match Play Championship.

Following the year-end player awards, RDGA Executive Director Tim Vangellow made a special presentation to Richard Frank, a long-time volunteer for the RDGA as a senior Rules official, administrator and Past President of the Association. Frank was instrumental in helping to advance Rules training in the District as well as advocate for many modernizing reforms.

Before the evening was over, it was also announced that the slate of District officers that will serve for the upcoming season had been approved in online voting by RDGA Club Delegates. In 2020, the RDGA Board of Directors will include the following members: