WINNIPEG, MB – Southwood Golf & Country Club’s Rhonda Orr and Colwyn Abgrall were awarded the Golf Manitoba Female and Male Golfer of the Year Awards at the Golf Manitoba Annual Awards Reception on Wednesday, October 23 at the St. Charles Country Club.
Rhonda Orr started her 2019 campaign with a 5th place finish in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. Orr then went on to win the Manitoba Women’s Senior Championship; her fourth straight title in the event and 6th in the last 7 years. The win helped secure a spot for Orr to represent Manitoba at the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Women’s Inter-provincial Team Competition where the team finished in 5th. Individually, Orr was the low Manitoban finishing in 11th place overall. Orr also went on to qualify for a second straight year to compete in the 2019 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship where she qualified for the match play portion of the event and winning her first match and making it to the round of 32. The Golfer of the Year Award is Orr’s second in a row and third in the last four years.
The other finalists for Female Amateur Golfer of the Year were Hannah Diamond of St. Charles Country Club and Charmaine Mackid of Breezy Bend Country Club. Four female golfers received honourable mention for their performance in 2019 and include Kate Gregoire of Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Cala Korman of Killarney Lakeside Golf Club, Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge and Crystal Zamzow of Swan River Golf Club.
Colwyn Abgrall had a successful start to his year with a runner-up finish in the Match Play Championship. He followed that performance with a 7th place finish in the Grey Owl and a T3rd finish at the Elmhurst Invitational. At the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur, Abgrall led the event after the second round and completed the run for his first Amateur title. The win earned Abgrall a spot on Team Manitoba and the chance to compete at the 2019 Golf Canada Men’s Amateur Championship; the team finished in 5th place. Abgrall continued his fine play by tying for medallist honours at the regional Qualifier in Fargo, ND and earning a spot in the United States Amateur that was held at the Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina, USA. The Golfer of the Year Award is the first for Abgrall.
The finalists for the Male Golfer of the Year Award included Jacob Armstrong of the St. Boniface Golf Club and Austin Dobrescu of Shilo County Club. Six male golfers received honourable mention for their play in 2019 and include Garth Collings, Eric Johnson and Braxton Kuntz of Bend Country Club, Drew Jones of Shilo Country Club, Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club and Neel Soni of St. Charles Country Club.
The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award was presented for the 45th time at this year’s Award Ceremony.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award recognizes outstanding performance by Manitoba golfers in all levels of competition with the first award presented in 1975. In 2015, the award was re-established to include both a female and male category.
About Golf Manitoba – Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.
For more information:
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca