FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF EACH GOLF SEASON, MASS GOLF RECOGNIZES THE TOP COMPETITORS FROM THE PAST YEAR AND USING A POINT SYSTEM ENACTED BY THE CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE, HIGHLIGHTS THE TOP PERFORMANCES OF INDIVIDUALS FOR FIVE DIFFERENT AWARDS.
... The Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year Award, the Anne Marie Tobin Women's Player of the Year Award, the George M. Cohen Senior Player of the Year Award, the Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year Award and the Women's Mid-Amateur Award ...
2018 Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year
MATT PARZIALE
After winning the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Brockton's Matt Parziale earned an invitation to the Masters in April. After Augusta, he then netted co-low amateur honors at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, played in both the U.S. Amateur & U.S. Mid-Amateur, and won several top regional and national invitational tournaments.
Locally, he finished T3 at the Massachusetts Four-Ball in May, captured the Hornblower Memorial at Plymouth Country Club in June, while also advancing to the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship at George Wright and placing runner-up at the Ouimet Memorial Tournament at Concord Country Club and Woodland Golf Club.
This is the fifth time Parziale has won the Player of the Year Award (2009, 2014, 2016-18)
2018 Anne Marie Tobin Women's Player of the Year
2018 Women's Mid-Amateur Award
SHANNON JOHNSON
Locally, Norton's Shannon Johnson had one of the most successful seasons in Massachusetts history, capturing her first career Massachusetts Women's Amateur Championship title, in addition to wins at the New England Women's Amateur Championship, the Edith Noblit Baker Trophy, the Grace Keyes Cup and also becoming the first ever female to qualify for the Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Championship.
While her performance in the Bay State was one for the ages, the 35-year old Johnson will be remembered most for capturing the 2018 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship in September. After earning the stroke play medalist honors, she cruised through match play pairings before ultimately defeating reigning champion Kelsey Chugg on the final hole of the championship match.
This is the second time Johnson has won the Anne Marie Tobin Women's Player of the Year Award (2016) and the third time she has received the Women's Mid-Amateur Award (2015-16)
2018 George M. Cohen Senior Player of the Year
FRANK VANA, JR.
Already the winningest player in Massachusetts golf history, as the nine-time Richard D. Haskell Player of the Year, two-time player of the decade and a 2016 Massachusetts Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Vana continued his winning ways in 2018 with a season to remember. After qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open in May, Vana claimed the senior division of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament in July, once again advanced to match play at the Amateur, was exempt into the U.S. Senior Amateur and even went overseas where he was exempt into the British Senior Amateur Championship.
In Mass Golf Championships, Vana, Jr. won a record 10th Massachusetts Mid-Amateur championship via a sudden death playoff at Plymouth Country Club in mid-September, then followed up the individual triumph by collecting similar accolades at the Massachusetts Senior Amateur Championship at Pine Brook Country Club.
This is the second time Vana, Jr. has won the George M. Cohen Senior Player of the Year (2017)
2018 Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year
JAMES IMAI
Highlighted by success in both local and national events, the Brookline High School senior will remember 2018 for many reasons. He started off by playing in the Major Champions Invitational and winning the Challenge Cup Amateur Invitational, and even qualified for two USGA national championships.
After committing to play golf at Northwestern University beginning in fall 2019, Imai captured his second career Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship at Belmont Country Club, first securing medalist honors in the stroke play portion of the championship, and then capturing the title with a 22-hole match win over David Rogers.
This is the second time Imai has won the Christopher Cutler Rich Junior Player of the Year (2016)
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Credits:
Photo Credits: David Colt/ Mass Golf & USGA unless otherwise noted