Two of the nine golfers who were recognized as the 2023 Western Kentucky Players of the Year

LOUISVILLE, KY (January 30, 2024) – In its third final season in 2023, the Kentucky Golf Association's Western Kentucky Am Series sees nine players earn a 2023 Western Kentucky Player of the Year distinction. The four tournaments that comprised this campaign throughout the season offered the points that determined the awarding of each honor.

The awards in 2023 see a mix of new Player of the Year titleholders, while others defended their win from the 2022 season. The Men's Open division champions are new in the 2023 season, with Paducah's Josh Rhodes claiming the Gross title and Witt Bell the Net. On the Men's Senior side, the POY wins were claimed by the Grand Rivers duo of David Williams in Gross and Dale Kirk in Net. The Men's Masters division saw an incredibly tight race in their standings, with Hazel's Tommy Fike pulling ahead for back-to-back Gross titles. On the Net side, Kevin Westerfield of Paducah pulled ahead by just one point over Fike for his POY win. On the Women's side, Paducah's Mary Ryan claims the Open Player of the Year, with Cathy Thompson of Benson winning in the Senior Division. Deb Blagg of Paducah rounds out the POY titles, winning back-to-back years in the Super-Senior category.

The Kentucky Golf Association congratulates each of these players on their Western Kentucky Player of the Year titles and thanks all players who participated in these tournaments throughout the 2023 season. The KGA also appreciates the hospitality of Murray Country Club, Paxton Park Golf Course, The Country Club of Paducah, and Calvert City Country Club for hosting each event.

The Kentucky Golf Association's 2024 schedule can be found HERE.

About the Kentucky Golf Association:
The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is one of the three organizations encompassed under Golf House Kentucky, alongside the Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF) and the Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA). The Kentucky Golf Association represents the amateur body of Kentucky’s golfers working in assistance with the United States Golf Association (USGA). The KGA provides a wide range of services, including handicapping, USGA course and slope ratings, and tournament management software to its Member Clubs. The KGA also operates the state’s premier amateur tournaments along with USGA National Championship qualifiers. Alongside the KGF and KPGA, the KGA strives to promote the benefits and enjoyment of golf while continuing to grow the sport across the Commonwealth.
 
Media Contact:
Abby Ligons | Golf House Kentucky | aligons@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703