MIDLOTHIAN — At its Annual Meeting—held Saturday at Salisbury Country Club—the Virginia State Golf Association honored its 2022 Golfers of the Year, 2022 Service Award winners, and welcomed two new members to the Association’s Board of Directors. In addition, five additional Board members were confirmed for the Class of 2025 via vote of VSGA membership.
2022 VSGA AWARD WINNERS
» The 2022 President’s Award was presented to Michael Millen of Farmington Country Club. Millen is a past President of the VSGA (2018-19) and has also served as a longtime VSGA Rules official. Millen has volunteered for several other organizations, including the USGA, the Middle Atlantic Golf Association and the Southern Golf Association. Additionally, Millen served a key role as President of the VSGA-VIP Scholarship Foundation.
» The 2022 VSGA Service to Golf Award was presented to two individuals: Mary Ann Cronin and Mike Wise. Cronin, a member at Army Navy Country Club, is a longtime Rules official who has volunteered a significant amount of time to multiple associations. She’s a key figure on course at VSGA championships held in northern Virginia. She has also volunteered with the USGA, Middle Atlantic Golf Association and the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association. Wise is being honored posthumously, as he died at 72 in December 2022 after a battle with cancer. Wise served on the VSGA Board of Directors from 2005-19 and was the CFO of Delta Dental of Virginia for 20 years before his retirement in 2015. A member at both Ballyhack Golf Club and Roanoke Country Club, Wise had a significant philanthropic impact on golf in the area, most notably through his work with The First Tee of Roanoke Valley. Wise was a founder of the Delta Dental Pro-Am for Kids and served on the boards of numerous non-profit entities in the Roanoke Valley.
» Bob Horner, a member at Brandermill Country Club, was the recipient of the 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award. Horner is a well-respected and knowledgeable Rules official who worked 17 VSGA championships and qualifiers in 2022.
» The VSGA Grow The Game Award was presented to longtime PGA professional Steve Prater of Blacksburg Country Club. Prater is well known for his work with PGA Tour professional Lanto Griffin, who learned under Prater’s stewardship at Blacksburg. That just scratches the surface, though, as Prater has taught countless junior golfers throughout his career at both Blacksburg CC and Roanoke CC.
GOLFER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
» Golfer of the Year—Evan Beck (Princess Anne CC): Beck repeated as Golfer of the Year and won the award for the third time in his career. Beck had an outstanding season on both the state and national stages in 2022. At home, he repeated as VSGA Mid-Amateur champion, reached the semifinals of the VSGA Amateur, was runner-up in the State Open of Virginia and repeated as Eastern Amateur champion. Nationally, he won the Thomas Invitational in Los Angeles, paired with Dan Walters to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, participated in both the East/West Matches and the Concession Cup, was invited to the 2023 Walker Cup practice session and was named to the Global Golf Post’s men’s All-Mid Amateur team.
» Women’s Golfer of the Year—Alexandra Austin (Springfield G&CC): Austin won her second VSGA Women’s Stroke Play title in 2022 and earned her second Women’s Golfer of the Year distinction, the first coming in 2016 when she also won the Women’s Stroke Play. Austin teamed with Lauren Greenlief for a runner-up finish at the VSGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship. Those two also reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Austin reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, where she lost to eventual champion Krissy Carman. Austin finished the year atop the VSGA Women’s Player Rankings.
» Junior Boys’ Golfer of the Year—Grayson Wood (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit): Wood stormed onto the scene in June, winning four straight matches to claim the VSGA Junior Match Play Championship title before winning four more the following week to reach the final at the VSGA Amateur, where he fell to Ross Funderburke. Then in July, Wood won five more matches to earn the victory at the Bobby Bowers Memorial at Springfield Golf & Country Club. Wood made the cut at the State Open of Virginia and participated in the U.S. Junior Amateur. Wood will begin his college career at VCU this fall.
» Junior Girls’ Golfer of the Year—Elsie MacCleery (Orchard Creek): MacCleery broke through in 2022, winning the VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship and finishing tied for 16th at the prestigious Donna Andrews Invitational. MacCleery continued her success as a player at Western Albemarle High School. She tied for fourth at the VHSL Class 4 Championship, helping her team to a second-place finish. She won the VHSL Girls’ Open Championship for the second straight year. She also won the Peggy Kirk Bell Golf Tour’s Kandi Comer Classic at Orchard Creek.
» Senior Golfer of the Year—Jon Hurst (Fredericksburg CC): Hurst’s banner year featured a victory in a championship he coveted, the VSGA Senior Amateur. To win that title, he ended Buck Brittain’s 13-match event win streak in the semifinals and defeated David Jordan in the final. Hurst won 11 times in 2022, adding partner titles in the VSGA Senior Four-Ball (with Brittain) and VSGA Senior Multi-Format Team Championship (with Jordan) to his résumé, which also included wins at The Signature at The Federal Club, Two Rivers Invitational, Fox Puss Invitational, Valentine Invitational and Fredericksburg Amateur. He finished atop the VSGA Senior Player Rankings.
» Senior Women’s Golfer of the Year—Andrea Miller (The Club at Glenmore): Miller earned her third straight title at the VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur in 2022, helping her win this award for the second consecutive year. Miller set a record for margin of victory at the VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play, winning by 14 strokes. She reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and was runner up at the VSGA Senior Women’s Four-Ball (with Cindy Thompson). Miller finished atop the VSGA Senior Women’s Player Rankings.
» Super Senior Golfer of the Year: Jack Allara (Hidden Valley CC): Allara repeated as Super Senior Golfer of the Year, finishing an injury-plagued year strong with his second straight victory in the 65+ division at the VSGA Super Senior Amateur Championship. Allara finished second in the VSGA Super Senior Player Rankings and had strong finishes in The Signature at The Federal Club (runner-up) and Hidden Valley Four-Ball (winner, with Tony Green). He and Green tied for seventh at the VSGA Super Senior Four-Ball Championship.
» Super Senior Women’s Golfer of the Year: Linda DiVall (Mount Vernon CC): The VSGA presented this award for the first time, a nod to the growing popularity of the 65+ division among women. DiVall opened the year with a victory in a playoff at the VSGA Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play at her home course. She was co-medalist and reached the final of the VSGA Super Senior Women’s Amateur, falling to fellow club member Shawn McCullough. She finished in the top 20 at the North South Super Senior Championship at Pinehurst.
BOARD ELECTION
» The VSGA Nominating Committee met—and in accordance with Article VII of the Bylaws of the Virginia State Golf Association—selected the following candidates for election to the VSGA Board of Directors, Class of 2025.
- James Gallagher (first term)
- Mark Raper (second term)
- Cameron Robinett (second term)
- William Saunders (second term)
- Kristin Shifflett (first term)
- Stephen Whitfield (second term)
- Bert Wilson (second term)
The candidates were voted on and elected by the membership at the annual meeting.
Gallagher and Shifflett are new board members, replacing outgoing members Linda DiVall and Boodie McGurn.