2023 Junior Tour Player of the Year Winners-
Riverside, Iowa – The Iowa PGA Junior Tour Player of the Year point totals continued for 2023 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. New in 2023, bonus points were added to the junior’s total if they won a Major for the boys 14-18 and girls 14-18. The 2023 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 24 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, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Camelbak, Bushnell, ECO Lips and Bug Soother.
Boys 16-18
Luke Harwick of Dyersville, Iowa won the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 16-18 Player of the Year Award accumulating 3,033.33 Player of the Year points. Harwick competed in 8 events this season, finishing inside the top 4 at each event. Harwick won 1 event in 2023. He was victorious at the Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. Harwick’s finished in second place in the Iowa Boys Junior PGA Championship 14-18 held on June 6-7 at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo, Iowa. He competed in the 47th National PGA Junior Championship with a 36-hole rounds of 83-76=159, 17-over-par. This is Harwick’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award.
Boys 14-15
C.T. Norris of Waukee, Iowa is this year’s 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 14-15 Player of the Year Award accumulating 4,112 Player of the Year Points. Norris competed in 15 events this season. He had 14 top 5 finishes on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season, including 8 first place finishes. Norris was victorious in Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Ames Golf & Country Club, Junior Tour Summer Kickoff hosted by Edmundson Golf Course, Southeast Iowa Junior hosted by The Preserve on Rathbun Lake, Western Iowa Junior hosted by Carroll Country Club, Okoboji Junior Open hosted by Brooks Golf and Okoboji View Golf Course, Spirit Hollow Junior hosted by Spirit Hollow Golf Course, Iowa PGA Junior hosted by Saddleback Ridge Golf Course and Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. This is Norris’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award.
Boys 12-13
Jonathan Ward of Waukee, Iowa won the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 12-13 Player of the Year. He finished the 2023 season with a total of 5,093.33 Player of the Year points. Ward played in 15 events this season, finishing inside the top 6 at each event. Ward won 8 events in 2023. He was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, 47th Iowa Boys Junior PGA Championship 13 & Under hosted by Gates Park Golf Course, Optimist Junior Qualifier hosted by Bos Landen Golf Club, Westwood Junior hosted by Westwood Golf Course, Southeast Iowa Junior hosted by The Preserve on Rathbun Lake, Junior Tour Mid-Summer Classic-18 hole Divisions hosted by Briarwood Golf Club and Otter Creek Golf Course, Iowa PGA Waterloo Junior Classic Presented by Community Motors hosted by Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course, and Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. This is Ward’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award.
Boys 11 & Under
James Vollbeer of Eldridge, Iowa played in 14 events, resulting in 5,310 Player of the Year points, to win the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Boys 11 & under Player of the Year award. Vollbeer won 7 events in this division. Some of his victories included the Iowa PGA Spring Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, 47th Iowa Boys Junior PGA Championship 13 & Under hosted by Gates Park Golf Course, John Deere Classic Junior Open 13 & Under Division hosted by TPC Deere Run, Cedar Valley Junior Tour Championship Presented by Community Motors hosted by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, Galesburg Junior Open hosted by Lake Bracken Country Club and Bunker Links Golf Course, Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior hosted by Gardner Golf Course, and Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. This is Vollbeer’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award.
Girls 16-18
Chloe Bolte of Sumner, Iowa won the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 16-18 Player of the Year with 4,275 Player of the Year points. Bolte appeared in 13 events on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season. She won 3 of those events. She was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Ames Golf & Country Club, Junior Tour Mid-Summer Classic-18 hole Divisions hosted by Briarwood Golf Club and Otter Creek Golf Course and Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. This is Bolte’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award. Bolte also played on the 2023 Iowa Junior Cup Matches team.
Girls 14-15
Jaylee Shaffer of Ellston, Iowa accumulated 4,415 Player of the Year points to win the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 14-15 Player of the Year award. Shaffer played in 12 Iowa PGA Junior Tour events this season. She won 7 events in 2023. She was victorious at the Iowa PGA Spring Series hosted by Ames Golf & Country Club, Iowa PGA Springs Junior Open hosted by Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, John Deere Classic Junior 14-18 hosted by TPC Deere Run, Cedar Valley Junior Tour Championship Presented by Community Motors hosted by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, Westwood Junior hosted by Westwood Golf Course, Western Iowa Junior hosted by Carroll Country Club and River Ridge Junior 9-Hole hosted by River Ridge Golf Course. Shaffer won the Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year in 2022. Shaffer also played on the 2023 Iowa Junior Cup Matches team.
Girls 13 & Under
Liliana Graham of Bettendorf, Iowa won the 2023 Iowa PGA Junior Girls 13 & Under Player of the Year with 3,920 Player of the Year points. Graham appeared in 12 events on the Iowa PGA Junior Tour this season. She won 7 events in 2023. She was victorious in the 2023 Iowa Junior Boys/Girls Amateur Championship hosted by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, Quad Cities Junior hosted by Short Hills Country Club, Galesburg Junior Open hosted by Lake Bracken Country Club and Bunker Links Golf Course, Quad Cities Junior hosted by Duck Creek Golf Course, Quad Cities Junior Championship hosted by Pinnacle Country Club and Fyre Lake Golf Club, Quad Cities Junior hosted by Glynns Creek Golf Course and Iowa PGA Junior Tour Fall Classic hosted by Thunder Hills Country Club. This is Graham’s first Iowa PGA Player of the Year award.
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