2021 Junior Tour Player of the Year Winners

Sep 29, 2021

2021 Junior Tour Player of the Year Winners
Riverside, Iowa – The Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year point totals continued for 2021 in a “best of” approach; points are earned by a player in the top 15 tournaments that he or she participated in. 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. The 2021 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 19 at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
 
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!
 
The Iowa PGA would also like to continue to thank our Tour sponsors, Junior Golf Hub, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Camelbak, Bushnell and Bug Soother. 

Boys 16-18
Jack Winkel of Ankeny, Iowa won the 2021 Iowa Junior Boys 16-18 Player of the Year Award accumulating 2,027.33 Player of the Year points. Winkel competed in 11 events this season. He had 9 top ten finishes on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season, including four first place finishes. Winkel was victorious in Iowa PGA Spring Series at Ames Golf & Country Club, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series at Westwood, Veenker Junior Amateur hosted by Veenker Memorial Golf Course and Okoboji Junior Open hosted by Brooks Golf and Okoboji View Golf Course.

Boys 14-15   
Evan Smith of Knoxville, Iowa won the 2021 Iowa Junior Boys 14-15 Player of the Year Award with 4,054 Player of the Year points. Smith competed in 17 events this season. He had 16 top ten finishes on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season, including three first place finishes. Smith was victorious in Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Bright Grandview Golf Course, Principal Charity Classic Junior Open hosted by Wakonda Club and Western Iowa Junior hosted by Lakeside Municipal Golf Course. He was the Boys 11 & Under Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and Boys 12-13 Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019.

Boys 12-13
Braeden Nelson of West Des Moines, Iowa is this year’s 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 12-13 Player of the Year. He finished the 2021 season with a total of 5,160 Player of the Year points. Nelson played in 15 events this season, finishing inside the top 6 at each event. Nelson won 10 events in 2021. He was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Series at Ames Golf & Country Club, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Muscatine, John Deere Classic Junior Open 13 & under hosted by TPC Deere Run, 2021 Iowa Junior Boys/Girls Amateur Championship hosted by Coldwater Golf Links, Cedar Valley Junior Tour Championship hosted by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, Junior Tour Team Event & Stroke Play hosted by Bos Landen Golf Club, Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Gardner Golf Course, Iowa PGA Junior Championship hosted by A.H. Blank Golf Course, Junior Tour Mid-Summer Classic 18-Hole Divisions hosted by Briarwood Golf Club and Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic hosted by Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course.

Boys 11 & Under
Michael Koury, Jr. of Bettendorf, Iowa played in 14 events, resulting in 4,313.33 Player of the Year points, to win the 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 11 & under Player of the Year award. Koury, Jr. won 8 events he participated in the Boys 11 & Under Division. Some of his victories included Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Bright Grandview Golf Course, Iowa PGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort-North, Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Muscatine Municipal, Jerry Smith Junior Tour Summer Kickoff hosted by Edmundson Golf Course, Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Gardner Golf Course, Eastern Iowa Junior hosted by Oakwood Country Club, Iowa Junior Open hosted by Blue Top Ridge and Junior Tour Classic hosted by Wildcat Golf Course.
 
Girls 16-18                             
Saffire Sayre of West Des Moines, Iowa won the 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 16-18 Player of the Year with 3,656 Player of the Year points. Saffire appeared in 13 events on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season. She won 4 events in 2021. She was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort-North, Principal Charity Classic Junior Open hosted by Wakonda Club, Des Moines Junior hosted by Willow Creek Golf Course and Iowa PGA Junior Championship hosted by A.H. Blank Golf Course.
 
Girls 14-15
Morgan Rupp of Marion, Iowa won the 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 14-15 Player of the Year with 4,540 Player of the Year points. Rupp appeared in 15 events on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season. She won 8 events in 2021. She was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Ames Golf & Country Club, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Westwood Golf Course, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Muscatine Municipal Golf Course, Greater Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Hunters Ridge Golf Course, Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Gardner Golf Course, Junior Tour Mid-Summer Classic 18-hole Divisions hosted by Briarwood Golf Club, Iowa Junior Open hosted by Blue Top Ridge and Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic hosted by Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course. She was the Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year in 2020.
 
Girls 13 & Under                    
Saleah Vivanh-Vong of Des Moines, Iowa accumulated 5,140 Player of the Year points to win the 2021 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year award. Vivanh-Vong played in 11 Iowa PGA Junior Tour events this season, winning all her events that she competed in. Vivanh-Vong was victorious at the Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Bright Grandview Golf Course, Iowa PGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort-North, Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Ames Golf & Country Club, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Westwood Golf Course, Iowa PGA Junior Spring Series hosted by Muscatine Municipal Golf Course, John Deere Classic Junior Open 13 & under hosted by TPC Deere Run, Cedar Valley Junior Tour Championship hosted by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, 45th Iowa Girls Junior PGA Championship hosted by Talons Golf, Eastern Iowa Junior hosted by Oakwood Country Club, Iowa Junior Open hosted by Blue Top Ridge, Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. She was the Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year in 2018.
 
Follow the Iowa PGA
For more information and schedule updates, fans can follow the Iowa PGA on Facebook (facebook.com/Iowapga), Twitter (@iowapga) and YouTube (youtube.com/iowapga).  Fans can also get a behind the scenes look on Instagram (@iowapga).