Pacific Northwest Golf Association Announces 2008 Players of the Year

The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) has announced their 2008 Player of the Year recipients. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, BC received the Men’s Player of the Year award; Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash. received both the Women’s and the Junior Girls’ award; Kent Brown of Colville, Wash. received the Senior Men’s; Jackie Little of Port Alberni, BC received the Senior Women’s; and Cameron Peck of Olympia, Wash. received the Junior Boys’.

Nick Taylor, a junior at the University of Washington, finished third in the Pacific Coast Amateur, second in the World Amateur Championship, second in the NCAA West Regional and second in the NCAA National Championship. He was the Sectional medalist in qualifying for the U.S. Open. He made the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur, and was the low amateur in the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open. Taylor is No. 1 in the Canadian National Order of Merit, and No. 1 in the British Columbia Order of Merit.

At age 15, Erynne Lee has been awarded both the Women’s and Junior Girls’ honor. She was a semifinalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Eugene Country Club, was the Local Qualifier Medalist in making it into the U.S. Women’s Open, had five top-5 finishes in AJGA events (including two victories) and was selected to play in the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup. Lee’s outstanding season was also recognized by the Washington State Golf Association, which also awarded her the Player of the Year honor in both the Women’s and Junior Girls’ category.

Kent Brown won the PNGA Senior Public Links (for the second consecutive year) and the WSGA Senior Men’s Amateur, and finished third at the PNGA Mid-Amateur. He also finished third in the Senior Oregon Open.

Jackie Little won six championships this season – the PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur, the BC Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur, the BC Zone 6 Women’s Amateur and Senior Women’s Amateur, and the RCGA Royale National Senior Women’s Amateur. She was also the Local medalist qualifier for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, where she eventually made it to the Round of 16.

The easiest choice was Cameron Peck, who had a remarkable summer. Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur in record-setting fashion, and also won the AJGA HP Junior Boys and the AJGA FootJoy Invitational. In winning these three events, he holds the titles of three of the top five Junior tournaments in the world. He also played in the U.S. Amateur and the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, and was selected to play in the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup. He was named the AJGA Rolex Player of the Year, and is No. 1 in the POLO/AJGA Junior Golf Ranking.

The PNGA Player of the Year candidates are nominated by the various state and provincial golf associations that comprise the PNGA (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington), and are selected by a vote of the PNGA Championship Committee and members of the Northwest Golf Media Association. Awards are annually given in the six different categories: Men’s, Women’s, Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s, Junior Boys’, and Junior Girls’. The awards are officially presented at the PNGA Annual Meeting in the spring. Visit www.thepnga.org for more information.

2008 Winners Men’s Player of the Year

Nick Taylor, BCGA• NCAA National Championship – 2nd• World Amateur – 2nd• NCAA West Regional – 2nd• U.S. Open Qualifier• U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Medalist• Pacific Coast Amateur – 3rd• U.S. Amateur – Round of 32• PGA Tour Canadian Open – Made Cut (low amateur)• Canadian Amateur – 9th• Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking - #18• Ping/Golfweek Division I Honorable Mention All-American• RCGA National Team Member
Women’s Player of the Year

Erynne Lee, Silverdale, WA • U.S. Women’s Amateur – Semifinalist• U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier• U.S. Women’s Open Local Qualifying Medalist• Golfweek Women’s Amateur rankings - #11

Senior Men’s Player of the Year
Kent Brown, Colville, WA • Washington State Senior Men’s Amateur – Champion• PNGA Senior Public Links – Champion• PNGA Mid-Amateur – 3rd• Senior Oregon Open – 3rd

Senior Women’s Player of the Year
Jackie Little , BCGA• RCGA Royale National Women’s Senior Amateur – Champion• PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur - Champion• BCGA Senior Women’s Amateur - Champion• BCGA Women’s Mid-Amateur – Champion• RCGA Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur – Runner-up• U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur – Round of 16• BCGA Zone 6 Women’s – Champion• BCGA Zone 6 Senior Women’s – Champion

Junior Boys’ Player of the Year
Cameron Peck, Olympia, WA • U.S. Junior Boys’ – Champion• AJGA HP Junior Boys – Champion• AJGA FootJoy Invitational – Champion• AJGA Wellstone Communities Junior - Champion• Junior PLAYERS Championship – 5th • AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions – 11th • AJGA Traditions Championship – 4th• PGA Tour Wyndam Memorial – Participant • U.S. Amateur – Participant• WJGA Sub-District 3 - Champion• AJGA Canon Cup Selection and U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Selection• POLO/AJGA Junior Golf Ranking - #1• AJGA Rolex Player of the Year

Junior Girls’ Player of the Year
Erynne Lee, Silverdale, WA • U.S. Women’s Amateur – Semifinalist• U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier• U.S. Women’s Open Local Qualifying Medalist• Golfweek Women’s Amateur rankings - #11• U.S. Junior Girls’ – Round of 64• AJGA Wenatchee Junior – Champion• AJGA Kathy Whitworth Invite – Champion• AJGA Rolex Girls Junior – 2nd • AJGA Traditions Championship – 2nd • AJGA Stockton Sports Classic – 4th • Junior Girls’ PGA Championship – 5th• AJGA Canon Cup selection and U.S. Junior Ryder Cup selection• Golfweek Women’s Amateur rankings - #11• POLO/AJGA Junior Rankings - #8