Riverside, Iowa — The Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year point totals continued for 2019 in a “best of” approach; points are earned by a player in the top 15 tournaments that he or she participated in. A new point system was implemented for the 2019 season putting more emphasis on the Major and Ace point events. Anyone who competed for Player of the Year was required to be an Iowa Junior Tour member. At the conclusion of the season, the player with the most points acquired in their division is awarded this title. The age divisions included are: Boys 11 & Under, Boys 12-13, Boys 14-15, Boys 16-18, Girls 13 & Under, Girls 14-15, Girls 16-18.
Events are categorized in four groups: Major, Ace, Eagle, and Birdie. Major Point events are worth the most amount of points, then Ace, Eagle, then Birdie. There were 11 Majors, 10 Aces, 10 Eagles, 19 Birdies and 7 local qualifiers for 44th PGA Junior Championship (qualifiers are non-point events). The 2019 Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year award recipients will be honored at the All-Star Pro Golf Awards Luncheon that will be held on Tuesday, October 29 at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. The Iowa PGA would like to thank the Principal Charity Classic, title sponsor of the Iowa Junior Tour since 2010, for its continued support. Each year, the legends of the PGA TOUR Champions compete at historic Wakonda Club in Des Moines and make a lasting difference in our state. Since 2007, the Principal Charity Classic has raised more than $17.7 million for Iowa children’s charities and schools.
The Iowa PGA would like to continue to thank our PGA Professionals and course hosts for supporting our programs. We have over 80 facilities host annually and we cannot do what we do without their support!
Boys 16-18
Matthew Briggs of Burlington, Iowa won the 2019 Boys 16-18 Player of the Year award accumulating 1,832 points. He had nine top five finishes on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season, including three victories. Briggs was victorious at the Iowa City Junior at Finkbine, the Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic hosted by Irv Warren Memorial GC, and the Quad Cities Junior at Pinnacle CC. This is Briggs’ third Player of the year honor. He was the Boys 12-13 Player of the Year in 2016 and the Boys 14-15 Player of the Year in 2018.
Boys 14-15
Calvin McNeeley of Pleasant Hill, Iowa won the 2019 Boys 14-15 Player of the Year Award with 2,772.50 points. McNeeley appeared in 16 Iowa PGA events this summer finishing inside the top-5 in every event including three victories this season. McNeeley was victorious at the 35th Annual Jester Park Junior Amateur, the Iowa Games Junior hosted by Veenker Memorial GC, and the Junior Tour Classic at Indian Creek.
Boys 12-13
Evan Smith of Knoxville, Iowa is this year’s Boys 12-13 Player of the Year for the second year in a row with 4,280 points. Smith played in 15 events this season, finishing inside the top-10 at each event. Smith won seven events in 2019. Smith was victorious at the IAPGA Spring Junior Open, the Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series #2, the Jerry Smith Junior Tour Summer Kickoff hosted by Harvest Point GC and Edmundson GC, the 15U Mid-Summer Classic hosted by Woodward GC, the Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Gardner GC, the Iowa Junior Open hosted by Blue Top Ridge, and the Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills CC. This marks the fourth straight year Smith has won Player of the Year. He was the 2016 and 2017 Boys 11 & Under Player of the Year.
Boys 11 & Under
Vaughn Roseman of Walcott, Iowa played in 22 events, resulting in 4,706.67points, to win the Boys 11 & Under Player of the Year Award for the second year in a row. Roseman finished in the top- 5 at 21 of these events, including 9 first place finishes. Roseman was victorious at the IAPGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Legacy GC and Copper Creek GC, the Iowa PGA Spring Series #3 hosted by Muscatine Municipal GC, the Quad Cities Junior at Duck Creek, the 44th Iowa Boys Jr PGA Championship hosted by Gates Park GC, the Southeast Iowa Junior hosted by Pella G & CC, the Quad Cities Junior at Glynns Creek, the Iowa City Junior at Finkbine, the Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic hosted by Irv Warren Memorial GC, and the Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills CC.
Girls 16-18
Paige Hoffman of West Des Moines, Iowa won the Girls 16-18 Player of the Year with 3,660 points. Hoffman, only 17 years old, has now won the Girls 16-18 Player of the Year three years straight. Hoffman appeared in 11 events on the Iowa PGA Tour this season and finished top-3 in each event, including 9 first place finishes. She was victorious at the Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series #1 hosted by Terrace Hills GC and #2 hosted by Westwood GC, the IAPGA Spring Junior Open hosted by The Legacy GC and Copper Creek GC, the Jerry Smith Junior Tour Summer Kickoff hosted by Edmundson GC, the John Deere Classic Jr Open hosted by TPC Deere Run, the Lake Panorama Junior, the Iowa Junior Open hosted by Blue Top Ridge, the Iowa City Junior at Finkbine, and the Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic hosted by Irv Warren Memorial GC. Hoffman has won Player Year each of the last six years. Before winning the Girls 16-18 award the last two years, she was the Girls 13 & Under Player of Year in 2014 and 2015, and the Girls 14-15 Player of the Year in 2016.
Girls 14-15
Rylee Heryford of Newton, Iowa is the Girls 14-15 Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Heryford played in 13 Iowa PGA Junior Tour events this season, finishing in the top- three in each event. She finished the 2019 season with a total of 5,013.33 Player of the Year points. Heryford won a remarkable 11 times this season, including fiver Major Point events. This is the third straight season Heryford has won a Player of the Year award. She was the Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year for the 2017 season.
Girls 13 & Under
Lauren Briggs of Burlington, Iowa accumulated 4,840 points in 2019 to win the Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year Award. Briggs played in 16 Iowa PGA Junior Tour Events this season, finishing inside the top- three in all events including 6 first place finishes. Briggs was victorious at the Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series #1, the IAPGA Spring Junior Open, the 2019 Iowa Junior Amateur Championship hosted by Indianola G & CC, the Southeast IA Junior, the Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior, and the Iowa Junior Open hosted by Amana Colonies GC, Stone Creek GC and Blue Top Ridge.