LOUISVILLE, KY (November 2, 2021) – Andrew Stephens, Bruce Oldendick and Nick Johnston are the recipients of the Kentucky PGA’s ROLEX Player of the Year titles for the 2021 season.

These awards distinguish the top players from KPGA sanctioned competitions throughout the year. Many triumphant moments from Stephens, Oldendick and Johnston from April through October result in them each receiving the top honors available for playing ability in the Section.

Stephens is the ROLEX Larry Gilbert Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. By virtue of this honor, the Director of Instruction at Stephens Golf Center will receive an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship in July 2022. That will follow up his debut appearance in the Barbasol Championship this past summer, one of many memorable events Stephens competed in this season. The first impactful event of the year occurred in May at the state’s sole U.S. Open Local Qualifier when he earned medalist honors by five shots following a round of 62 (-10) at Cherry Blossom Golf Club. While that performance did not factor into points earned for this Player of the Year award, it was a table-setter for what was to come. Stephens won the 70^th Kentucky PGA Professional Championship at Bowling Green Country Club in August, which netted him an exemption in the 2022 PGA Professional Championship in Austin, Texas. Two weeks after that victory, he won Golf House Kentucky Classic #3 at Traditions Golf Club thanks to a round of 67 (-5). A plethora of other top-five finishes scattered throughout the year ultimately led to Stephens edging out Mitchell Moore by 408.5 points to secure Player of the Year honors.

“My biggest accomplishment this year was winning the Section Championship in Bowling Green,” Stephens said. “It’s our biggest event of the year and it’s a goal every year to quality for the PGA Professional Championship. Being the Player of the Year is an amazing honor. Since 2008, only three other players (Keith Ohr, Blake Watts, Grover Justice) have won this award, so joining them in the history books is really special. In 2022, my big playing goals are to finish in the top-twenty of the PGA Professional Championship to get a spot in the PGA Championship, make the cut in the Barbasol Championship, and three-peat as the Section’s Player of the Year. Those are really lofty goals and will require a lot of hard work and good fortune. Putting and driving distance are the two areas I’m really going to try to improve for 2022. Playing in the Barbasol Championship really opened my eyes to those holes in my game, and they are necessary to improve in order to take my game to the next level.”

Like Stephens, Bruce Oldendick followed up his 2020 Player of the Year title with another in 2021. This is the third time in all the Head Golf Professional at Pendleton Hills has won this award, having also won it in 2018. The year was highlighted by a resounding victory in the Kentucky Senior PGA Professional Championship at Hurstbourne Country Club; his fourth straight year winning that competition. That earned him a trip to Florida in October for the Senior PGA Professional Championship where Oldendick was in the top-ten following the first round and proceeded to make the 36-hole cut in the nationwide competition. But locally, Oldendick was nearly unstoppable as he won low senior professional honors in four different KPGA events. He also finished T4 in the Kentucky Senior Open at Heritage Hill Golf Club. Each of these performances helped him win the Player of the Year race by more than 3,000 points over Kirk Schooley.

“It’s been a good two years,” Oldendick stated. “Being Player of the Year in our Section is a huge honor. I want to thank David Bay, the owner of Pendleton Hills as he gives me the opportunity to play in these events. Personally, I would like to become more accurate with every club in the bag. I want to learn how to play stress-free golf. But my biggest accomplishment this year is the number of people that I have been able to help improve their games. In 2022, I strive to help more people with their game and get them to enjoy the game even more.”

Nick Johnston is the recipient of the ROLEX Assistant Player of the Year. This is Johnston’s first Player of the Year title of any kind in the Section and it came in convincing fashion as the Assistant Golf Professional from Wildwood Country Club secured it by more than 1,000 points over Daniel Iceman III. Johnston was dominant in Pro-Pros as he was part of the winning teams in each of the three Pro-Pro events the Section offered this season, but his highlight performance of the year took place at South Park Country Club in the National Car Rental Kentucky Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Johnston won that competition by a shot which earned him a spot in Florida for the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship, which is set to take place on November 11-14. Johnston could actually increase his margin of victory in the points standings during that tournament to further showcase how good of a year this has been for him.

“It is a great honor to be named the Player of the Year for the Assistants/Associates Division,” Johnston documented. “Not only are there so many great players in our Section, but there are even more great people. From working with Josh Griffin as Assistant Professionals to competing against other great players like Logan Watts, Daniel Iceman III, Austin Burke, and Nick Newcomb to name a few. These experiences and friendships developed are ones I truly treasure. I like to set goals for myself every season, both on and off course professionally as well as personally. This award is always the first on my list as I believe it takes a truly great year to win. To see my name on the same list as other great Professionals who have won this award means more to me than I can explain. I would like to thank two people personally. First, my mother. There wasn’t a tournament I competed in where I didn’t receive an encouraging message before every tournament this year. I can’t thank her enough and her love and support mean the world to me. Second, Blake Watts. I’m very thankful for the support, encouragement and friendly competition he gave me all year. He always motivated me to improve daily; both on and off the course. He is a great mind to bounce thoughts off and is a great mentor in my professional career. Finally, thank you fellow professionals for a great season! I look forward to seeing you all soon and look forward to representing Kentucky at the National Assistants Championship.”

The Kentucky PGA Section congratulates Stephens, Oldendick and Johnston on these awards and thanks them for their terrific representation of the KPGA. Each of these players and all tournament winners throughout the season will be recognized at the Dever | E-Z-GO Fall Member Conference on Monday, December 6 at Griffin Gate Marriott.

Click here to view the final points standings to each Player of the Year race