West Virginia Golf Association names Players of the Year
CHARLESTON, WV (Oct. 24, 2011) -- The 2011 WV Golf Association season is officially over, that means it’s time to honor those who have accomplished so much this year that they’ve earned the title of “Player of the Year.” Christian Brand, Steve Fox, Samantha DiDomenico, Caroline Ramsey, Thadd Obecny and Brooke Bellomy can now add the prestigious Player of the Year title to their lists of honors this season.
This year's overall Player of the Year is none other than Christian Brand. A native of Charleston, Brand accomplished the ultimate feat in 2011, winning the 92nd West Virginia Amateur Championship at The Greenbrier. He now belongs to an elite group of golfing greats such as William C. Campbell, Ed Tutwiler, Harold Payne, Pat Carter and more. In addition to his WV Amateur victory, Christian also played in the PGA TOUR's Greenbrier Classic, won the BNI and 2-Man Scramble, and earned points from the WV Open, WV Four-Ball, WV Club Team and on the Wendy’s Amateur Tour. A recent Marshall University graduate and former member of the Thundering Herd golf team, this is Brand’s first WVGA Player of the Year title.
No stranger on the senior, as well as the regular, Player of the Year points list, Huntington’s Steve Fox is this year’s Senior Player of the Year. Winning his third WV Senior Amateur Championship last month at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane, Fox was also Runner-up in the Stroke Play portion of the event. He also finished third in the Senior Four-Ball, and earned points in the WV Amateur and WV Open.
A dedicated participant in the WV Senior Series, Fox won two events, with five total top three finishes. In addition to his accomplishments on the Senior Player of the Year points list, Steve finished ninth in overall Player of the Year points. This is his sixth WVGA Senior Player of the Year title. Also earning a first Player of the Year title, Follansbee’s Samantha DiDomenico is the Women’s Player of the Year. A member of Marshall’s women’s golf team, DiDomenico is this year’s WV Women’s Amateur Champion, winning the tournament by one stroke over Brooke Bellomy. She finished the tournament at an impressive 10-under-par.
Earning her fourth consecutive WVGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year title is Bridgeport’s Caroline Ramsey. Ramsey won her 11th WV Women’s Senior Amateur this season, blowing past the competition by four strokes. Her victory was her fourth consecutive win. Also no stranger on the regular women’s Player of the Year points list, Caroline was just 45 points behind DiDomenico in Women’s Player of the Year points, finishing Runner-up for the season. She was Low Senior Medalist at this year’s WV Women’s Amateur and had four Wendy’s Amateur Tour victories.
In her final season as a junior golfer, Ona’s Brooke Bellomy went out with a bang, earning Girls’ Junior Player of the Year. During her season before leaving for college, she is currently attending Campbell University and is a member of their women’s golf team, Brooke was able to defend her title as Girls’ Champion of the WV Junior Amateur. An active member for many years on the Top Flite Junior Tour, Brooke had five United Bank Low Rounds of the Day while on the Tour, and earned this year’s Top Flite Junior Tour Girls’ Player of the Year. She was also this year’s WV Women’s Amateur Runner-up, finishing just one stroke behind our Women’s Player of the Year. Bellomy was also earned the Low Junior Medalist Award from the Women’s Amateur. This will be her fourth WVGA Girls’ Junior Player of the Year title. And last, but certainly not least, Wheeling’s Thadd Obecny will be the 2011 WVGA Junior Player of the Year. A member of the Wheeling Park High School golf team, Obecny began his season strong, finishing Runner-up in the WV Junior Match Play Championship at Parkersburg Country Club. He managed to come back even stronger just under three months later, taking home top honors for the WV Junior Amateur Championship. This was his first WV Junior Amateur Championship title, he managed to beat out the competition by four strokes on one of the most challenging courses in the state—The Resort at Glade Springs’ Cobb Course. Obecny also earned Player of the Year points from participation in the WV Open and a top five finish the AJGA’s Woodward Video Junior at The Greenbrier.