MUSKOGEE, Okla. -- Luke Guthrie, 17, of Quincy, Ill., Cassandra Blaney, 17, of Lady Lake, Fla., Robert Greenleaf, 15, of Makawao, Hawaii, and Shelby Phillips, 15, of Gilbert, Ariz., won the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series Player of the Year awards in their respective divisions of the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series. The PGA Junior Series completed 10 events nationwide during its 12th year of competition for juniors between the ages of 13-18.
Guthrie claimed his third consecutive Player of the Year honor and his second honor for the boys' 16-18 division. At the 32nd Westfield Junior PGA Championship, Guthrie placed third, while at Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana, Ill., he took second after a three-way tie for first and a one-hole playoff. In the final PGA Junior Series event of the summer at Muskogee Country Club in Muskogee, Okla., Guthrie triumphed with 3-under-par showing.
Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series
"I didn't even know I was in contention for Player of the Year this year," stated Guthrie. "I've always enjoyed playing in the PGA Junior Series events. My favorite highlight of the summer was playing at Stone Creek. Even though I didn't win, I was still in the playoff for first."
Blaney grabbed the POY honors for the girls' 16-18 division for the second consecutive year to accompany her POY honors in the girls' 13-15 division in 2005. Blaney captured victories at the first two events of the summer, at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky., and The University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga. At the 32nd Westfield Junior PGA Championship in Westfield Center, Ohio, she placed third. After playing in two PGA Junior Series events and the Westfield Junior PGA Championship, she easily won the crown, with Brooke Beeler of Butler, Ill., finishing in second place, almost 200 points behind.
"I'm surprised; I didn't expect to be Player of the Year," said Blaney. "The Junior Series is such a comfortable atmosphere and that's probably why I play it. My game has definitely improved each year I've played on the tour."
Greenleaf received POY honors in the boys' 13-15 division for the second consecutive year. After playing in seven events on this summer's series, he finished with 1,330 points. His highlights for the year include 5th place at Old Waverly in West Point, Miss., and Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana, Ill., third place at Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield, Ohio, and second place at The University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga. Greenleaf triumphed at the Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs, Colo., and at the final event of the year, Muskogee Country Club in Muskogee, Okla. In second place in the standings was Tim Crouch of Mount Vernon, Ohio with 725 points.
"It was my goal again this year to get Player of the Year. It feels good to accomplish a goal," said Greenleaf. "I played my game one shot at a time and had fun this summer. For next year I'd like to take advantage of the opportunities that I give myself."
Phillips grabbed her first POY honors for the girls' 13-15 division after traveling around the country to play in seven PGA Junior Series events, earning 1,585 points. She was crowned Champion at three tournaments, including Las Vegas Country Club in Las Vegas, Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield, Ohio, and Yankee Hill Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. At Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana, Ill., she earned second place, while at the Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Golf Club, she placed fourth. Phillips has been traveling with her parents and older brother J.W. Phillips in an RV this summer to play in PGA Junior Series events. Rachel Powers of Quincy, Ill., was second with a total of 1,115 points.
"It was a really good experience to travel around to different states and play in different tournaments and meet new people," stated Phillips. "My favorite tournament was Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana, Ill., because I liked the course and played well there even though I didn't win. My goal for the summer was to shoot under-par. I was close last week, but still haven't reached it."
Since its debut in the summer of 1996, the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series has provided affordable and competitive playing opportunities for boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18 who have not yet started college. The Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series consists of 10 events played throughout the United States from May through August.
The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization, comprised of 28,000 men and women golf Professionals who are the recognized experts in growing, teaching and managing the game of golf, while serving millions of people throughout its 41 PGA Sections nationwide. Since its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has enhanced its leadership position in a $62 billion-a-year industry by growing the game of golf through its premier spectator events, world-class education and training programs, significant philanthropic outreach initiatives and award-winning golf promotion. Today's PGA Golf Professional is the public's link to the game, serving an essential role in the operation of golf facilities throughout the country.
