2016 NSGA Player of the Year Awards

The NSGA is pleased to announce the 2016 Player of the Year Awards. This award (POY) is made based on a ranking system where points are earned by players from their placing in various tournaments during the golfing year. This system was designed to recognize the ability of Nova Scotian golfers based on their competitive accomplishments. 

 

The Player of the Year Awards will take place during the NSGA Annual General Meeting on Saturday, October 29 at 12:00pm at the Glen Arbour Golf Club. 

Debbie Arsenault
Grandview Golf & Country Club
NSGA Women’s Player of the Year
 

In a close race for the NSGA Women’s Player of the Year, who would have guessed that a 5th place finish at last October’s Jackie Frost Tournament at Clare Golf & Country Club would have kicked off Debbie Arsenault’s winning year?  Arsenault added five top finishes at more events in 2017 (June Bug in Truro, the Amherst Ladies’ Field Day, Brightwood Ladies’ Field Day

and the NSGA Women’s Senior Championships) to add to a win at the Northumberland Ladies’ Field Day. Debbie reiterated a common theme among the top competitive golfers, “It was a good year – going out west to Nationals and making the cut in that type of competition – that was one of the highlights.” She attributed her success to an improvement in her short game by playing in more competitions and noted, “I played in more tournaments this year and that helped me perform better under pressure.” This is Debbie’s first NSGA Player of the Year Award.
 

What a year it was for Sean Stuart. Even with all his victories this year Sean said, “My highlight of the year was making the cut at the Canadian Am. It’s such a strong field and tough setup that I felt I played better than my 33rd at the Canadian Mid-Am.” This year he played in two National Championships to go along with a previous Canadian Junior and Canadian Men’s Amateur. Asked why he had such a great year, he added, “I think it was mostly mental. Just being smart out there – making fewer mistakes.” His goal for 2017 includes winning the NSGA MCT Men’s Amateur at Oakfield Golf & Country Club. Based on his 2016 showing, it would be tough to pick someone with a better shot at winning.
 

Meghan McLean
Ken-Wo Golf Club
NSGA Cobra Puma Junior Girl’s Player of the Year

Though this stellar golfer won this award in 2013, it is unlikely Meghan MacLean’s results were as good as her accomplishments this year. She attributes her great play to her training in the off season. “I worked really hard over the winter on my putting. I was confident with it and it really helped me to shoot lower scores this year.” Among MacLean’s finishes were wins at MJT Ken-Wo and at CJGA events at Northumberland and Oakfield. She finished in second place at the NSGA Cobra Puma Junior Championships and tied for 4th at CN Future Links Atlantic Championships in PEI. Meghan said that one of her top memories of this year was breaking par late in the season. “I shot a 69 at the MJT tournament in Moncton. It was my first tournament round in the 60’s.” Expect to see more scores like this in 2017!
 

Seaview Golf & Country Club
NSGA Cobra Puma Junior Boy’s Player of the Year

Aubrey Farrell really toured Atlantic Canada this summer. The seventeen year old was off to a hot start with an early season victory at CJGA Cabot. Five top finishes at MJT events at Chester and Ken-Wo and at the NSGA Cobra Puma Junior Championships at Chester Golf Club propelled him to his first Nationals. His highlight of the summer happened there. Aubrey recalled, “To get a hole in one and shoot under par at Nationals was unreal. My main goal for the summer was to get to Nationals and I made it. My attitude was better and my short game was really good – automatic most of the time.” He finished as the low Bluenoser with a four round total of 298 in a tie for 28th at the Canadian Junior Boys Championships in St. John’s, NL.  Aubrey is thankful to the Junior Division at Seaview for its fundraising and support over the summer.