Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club talks with Golf Manitoba Director of Communications Brian Munz about being named the 2023 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Kuntz was unable to attend in person as he continues his studies at Ball State University in Indiana.
Following Wednesday night’s Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF at Glendale Golf & Country Club, Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club met with the media to talk about this year’s honour.
On behalf of Selection Committee members Clayton Dreger, Jill Hardy, Adam Speirs and Ken Wiebe, Golf Manitoba is pleased to recognize the 2023 Amateur Golfer of the Year Award winners.
This year’s recipients were announced on October 25, 2023, at the annual Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF that was held at the Glendale Golf & Country Club.
Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club is the 2023 Female Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Orr, 62, from Winnipeg, won the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship and Super Senior Championship. She finished third in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, fourth at the British Columbia Women’s Senior Championship, T7 at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and ninth at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. The Southwood Golf & Country Club member also qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
Orr has won the last eight consecutive and 10 of the last 11 Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championships. With the selection, it is the fifth time that Orr has been recognized as Female Amateur Golfer of the Year (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023).
Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club is the 2023 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Kuntz, 19, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. Representing Nicholls State University (NCAA) south of the border he placed fourth in the Gulf Coast Collegiate Championship, T6 at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational and T7 at the Tunica National Intercollegiate Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member was also T8 at the Elmhurst Invitational and T9 at the Glencoe Invitational.
Kuntz was the first player in Manitoba to win both the Manitoba Junior and Men’s Amateur Championship in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022). He is also just the third player to have won the Men’s Amateur Championship in three consecutive years (Todd Fanning 1990, 91, 92 and R.J Reith 1935, 36, 37).
With the selection, it is the third time in as many years that Kuntz has been named Male Amateur Golfer of the Year (2021, 2022, 2023).
Kuntz was unavailable to attend the awards banquet in person as he is currently in his junior year at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The 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 Northwest Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf for the benefit of all participants.
Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards.
This year’s female and male award finalists were chosen by the selection committee of Clayton Dreger of Golden West Radio, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press as well as former Golf Manitoba Junior and Amateur Champions Jill Hardy and Adam Speirs.
The winners will be announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at the Glendale Golf & Country Country Club.
The 2023 Female Amateur Golf of the Year Finalists are Addison Kartusch, Cala Korman, Jeri Lafleche and Rhonda Orr.
Kartusch, 17, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and the Women’s City & District Championship. She finished second in the Junior Division of the Elmhurst Invitational, third at the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship and fourth in the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. The St. Charles Country Club member also placed seventh in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, 31st in the Juvenile Division of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and T42 in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Korman, 18, from Killarney, won the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship at the Evergreen Golf Course in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. She finished second in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and third in the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. The Golf Manitoba Public Player member also placed T35 on the leaderboard at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and 78th at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Lafleche, 16, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, finished second at the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation, third in the Junior Girls Division at the Elmhurst Invitational and was a semi finalist in the Championship Flight of the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Clear Lake Golf Course member also completed the Canadian Junior Girls Championship T32 on the leaderboard in the Juvenile Division and T46 in the overall championship.
Orr, 62, from Winnipeg, won the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship and Super Senior Championship. She finished third in the Mid-Amateur Championship of the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, 4th in the B.C. Women’s Senior Championship, T7 at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and ninth at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. The Southwood Golf & Country Club member also qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Charmaine Hayden (2nd place at the Mid-Amateur Championship of the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and 3rd place at the Women’s City & District) and Crystal Zamzow (Champion of the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and Champion of the Junior Girls Division at the Elmhurst Invitational) on their accomplishments during the 2023 season.
The 2023 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year finalists are Jay Doyle, Todd Fanning, Braxton Kuntz and Marco Trstenjak.
Doyle, 56, from Winnipeg, won the Hodson Financial Senior Men’s Championship and finished sixth in the Mid-Masters Championship of the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The Niakwa Country Club member also placed T20 on the leaderboard at the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and T48 at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.
Fanning, 55, from Winnipeg, finished second in both the Hodson Financial Senior Men’s Championship and the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Masters Championship. The Niakwa Country Club member placed third at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship, T8 at the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and T12 at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.
Kuntz, 19, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. South of the border he placed fourth in the Gulf Coast Collegiate Championship, T6 at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational and T7 at the Tunica National Intercollegiate Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member was also T8 at the Elmhurst Invitational and T9 at the Glencoe Invitational.
Trstenjak, 23, from Winnipeg, won the Elmhurst Invitational. He finished 2nd in the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and finished seventh at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. The Elmhurst Golf & Country Club member also place T45 on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Curtis Markusson (Mid-Masters Champion at the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship) and Patrick Perrin (Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion) for their play during the 2023 season.
Tickets are available for purchase until 5pm on Friday, October 20th by contacting Golf Manitoba at (204) 925-5730 or by email at info@golfmb.ca.
Tickets are $25 per person, appetizers and food stations included.
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.
Past Amateur Golfer of the Year recipients >>
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:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications
Golf Manitoba
(204) 899-1092
brian@golfmb.ca
Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards.
This year’s female and male award finalists were chosen by the selection committee of Clayton Dreger of Golden West Radio, Ken Wiebe of Rogers Sportsnet as well as former Golf Manitoba Junior and Amateur Champions Jill Hardy and Adam Speirs. The winners will be announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards reception on Tuesday, November 2, 2022 at the Breezy Bend Country Club.
The 2022 Female Amateur Golf of the Year Finalists are Addison Kartusch, Jeri Lafleche, Charmaine Mackid and Rhonda Orr.
Kartusch, 16, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation and represented Manitoba with a 30th place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. She was a semi-finalist in the Manitoba Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, placed fourth in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, tied for fifth at the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship and finished ninth at the Canada Summer Games. The St. Charles Country Club member also qualified to take part in the 2022 Golf Canada NextGen Selection Camp that was held at TPC Osprey Valley in Toronto, Ontario.
Lafleche, 15, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and was a member of Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. The Clear Lake Golf Course/Niakwa Country Club member placed fifth at the Manitoba Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation, made the cut at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship (T61), seventh at the Women’s City & District Championship and eighth at Golf Canada’s Prairie NextGen Championship.
Mackid, 45, from Winnipeg, was a semifinalist in the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. She finished second in the Mid-Amateur Flight of the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and third overall. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also tied for sixth place on the leaderboard in the Mid-Master Flight of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship where she finished in a tie for ninth place overall.
Orr, 61, from Winnipeg, won the Mid-Amateur Flight and finished second overall at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. She represented Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. The Southwood Golf and Country Club member won the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship, her seventh senior provincial championship in a row and ninth in the last ten years. Orr went on to finish 10th on the leaderboard playing for Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. Orr also tied for eighth place at the AGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship in the United States.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Cala Korman (1st Women’s City & District and 3rd at the Manitoba Junior Girls), Marissa Naylor (2022 Women’s Match Play Champion) and Veronica van der Meer (T19 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion) on their accomplishments during the 2022 season.
The 2022 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year finalists are Braxton Kuntz, Curtis Markusson, Rob Oliphant and Marco Trstenjak.
Kuntz, 18, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Junior Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and represented Team Manitoba finishing in a tie for fifth place at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also won the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. Kuntz is the first player in Manitoba to win both the Manitoba Junior and Amateur Championship in back to back seasons (2021 and 2022). He also finished tied for third place at the Elmhurst Invitational.
Markusson, 41, from Winnipeg, won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Master Championship and tied for 12th place representing Team Manitoba at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He tied for second place in the Mid-Masters Flight and tied for ninth place at the Manitoba Mid-Amateur Championship. The St. Charles Country Club member also tied for seventh place at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.
Oliphant, 57, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Senior Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Rossmere Country Club member also won the Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship. While representing Team Manitoba, he tied for 65th on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.
Trstenjak, 22, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. He finished second at both the Elmhurst Invitational and the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. The Elmhurst Golf and Country Club member placed 54th on the leaderboard while representing Team Manitoba at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Jacob Armstrong (T2 Canadian College/University Championship), Jay Doyle (T7 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship), Ryan McMillan (T7 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur & T76 Canadian Men’s Amateur) and Ryan Sholdice (2022 Mid-Amateur Champion) for their play during the 2022 season.
Tickets for the 2022 Golf Manitoba Awards reception Tuesday, November 2, 2022, at Breezy Bend Country Club are available by contacting Golf Manitoba.
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.
Past Amateur Golfer of the Year recipients >>
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:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications
Golf Manitoba
204.899.1092
brian@golfmb.ca
November 18, 2021 – On behalf of selection committee members Clayton Dreger, Jill Hardy, Adam Speirs and Ken Wiebe, Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the 2021 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Award winners.
Bobbi Uhl of Shilo Country Club is the Female Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Uhl had a flawless 2021 provincial competitive season. She started with a win at the Women’s City & District Championship, her first ever title in the event and carried that momentum going on to capture the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. It was the first provincial women’s amateur title for Uhl and her second straight tournament victory. With the amateur win, Uhl has now won every single Golf Manitoba major women’s event including the Junior Girls, City & District, Match Play and Amateur championships.
Having won this award in 2020, the 21 year old follows in the footsteps of 2018 and 2019 winner Rhonda Orr.
Uhl is currently in her senior year at Longwood University majoring in Athletic Training.
Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club is the Male Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Kuntz was a perfect 2-0 in provincial competition in 2021. He led wire-to-wire at the Junior Boys Championship shooting a three-day total of 219, good for a three-shot victory. The 18 year old carried the momentum from his first junior boys title into the Nott Autocorp Amateur Championship where he posted an impressive 16-under par total winning his first men’s amateur title.
With the win, Kuntz set a new Men’s Amateur scoring record in relation to par and becomes only the 4th golfer in Manitoba golf history to win both the junior boys and the men’s amateur championships in the same year joining Todd Fanning, Rob McMillan and Mike Keast, who also accomplished the feat.
Kuntz is currently in his first year at Nicholls State University majoring in Finance.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The 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 for the benefit of all participants.
For interview requests with Uhl and Kuntz, contact:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications
Golf Manitoba
(204) 899-1092
Email: brian@golfmb.ca
WINNIPEG – Bobbi Uhl of the Shilo Golf & Country Club and Neel Soni of the St. Charles Country Club have been voted as the 2020 Amateur Golfers of the Year, Golf Manitoba announced today. It is the first Golfer of the Year Award for both Uhl and Soni.
Each year upon the completion of the competitive season, the Amateur Golfer of the Year Award Selection Committee reviews athlete results and votes on the candidates. This year’s panel included four-time provincial women’s amateur champion, provincial junior champion and former Golfer of the Year recipient, Jill Hardy, two-time men’s amateur champion, provincial junior champion and touring professional, Adam Spiers, and Clayton Dreger of CFAM radio 950 and sportsnet.ca contributor Ken Wiebe.
“On behalf of the Board and volunteers of Golf Manitoba, my congratulations to both Bobbi Uhl and Neel Soni on being voted the 2020 Amateur Golfers of the Year,” said Golf Manitoba President Ken Warwick. “This was an exceptional year for both Bobbi and Neel and our association is delighted to be able to recognize their accomplishments and add their names to the prestigious list of past recipients.”
Bobbi Uhl began the 2020 summer competitive season with an impressive win at the Golf Manitoba Women’s Match Play Championship that was contested at the historic St. Charles Country Club. Uhl started the event by earning medalist honours in the 36-hole qualifier by 8 shots. In the finals, she took the victory with a 5 and 4 victory defeating defending champion Hannah Diamond in the finals. The win was her first in the event after two straight runner-up finishes in both 2019 and 2018. She then followed her Match Play victory with a runner-up finish in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship on rounds of 74-79-76 for a 229 total and one shot shy of tying top spot.
Bobbi Uhl, 2020 Female Amateur Golfer of the Year (photo: Thomas Friesen)
Neel Soni of the St. Charles Country Club finished his junior competitive career by winning the 2020 Junior Men’s Championship. Soni took the lead in the 54-hole event after round one and never looked back posting rounds of 68-70-70 enroute to his first junior championship title. Soni continued his strong play later that week at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship where he posted a four-day total of 289 to finish alone in 2nd and just three shots back of the winner. By right of his play with an impressive 71.0 scoring average in both the junior and amateur championships, Soni would have qualified to represent Manitoba on both the junior men’s and men’s amateur interprovincial teams had the 2020 national season not been cancelled due to the pandemic.
Neel Soni, 2020 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year (photo: Bob Poole)
The finalists for Female Amateur Golfer of the Year were Rhonda Orr (Southwood Golf & Country Club), Veronica Vetesnik (Kingswood Golf & Country Club) and Crystal Zamzow (Swan River Golf & Country Club). The finalists for the Male Golfer of the Year Award included Austin Dobrescu (Shilo Country Club), Braxton Kuntz (Breezy Bend Country Club) and Marco Trstenjak (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club).
The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award was presented for the 46th time on November 4, 2020.
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.
Past Golfer of the Year Recipients:
| 2019 | Rhonda Orr |
| Colwyn Abgrall | |
| 2018 | Rhonda Orr |
| Justin McDonald | |
| 2017 | Camryn Roadley |
| Todd Fanning | |
| 2016 | Rhonda Orr |
| Devon Schade | |
| 2015 | Camryn Roadley |
| Devon Schade | |
| 2014 | Bret Thompson |
| 2013 | Aaron Cockerill & Josh Wytinck |
| 2012 | Josh Wytinck |
| 2011 | Jesse Skelton |
| 2010 | Aaron Cockerill |
| 2009 | Garth Collings |
| 2008 | Brad Kirton |
| 2007 | Brad Kirton |
| 2006 | Garth Collings |
| 2005 | Garth Collings |
| 2004 | Jill Hardy |
| 2003 | Garth Collings |
| 2002 | Mike Keast |
| 2001 | Peter More |
| 2000 | Jo – Ann Lindsay |
| 1999 | Garth Collings |
| 1998 | Terry Hashimoto |
| 1997 | Dale Goehring |
| 1996 | Rob McMillan |
| 1995 | Rob McMillan |
| 1994 | Rob McMillan & Aileen Robertson |
| 1993 | Rob McMillan |
| 1992 | Rob McMillan |
| 1991 | Todd Fanning |
| 1990 | Rob McMillan |
| 1989 | Dave McMillan |
| 1988 | Dale Goehring |
| 1987 | Glen Hnatiuk |
| 1986 | Todd Fanning |
| 1985 | Todd Fanning |
| 1984 | Todd Fanning |
| 1983 | Gail Anderson |
| 1982 | Billy Parker |
| 1981 | Shauna Gechel |
| 1980 | Terry Hashimoto |
| 1979 | Billy Parker |
| 1978 | Terry More |
| 1977 | Jimmy King |
| 1976 | Terry Hashimoto |
| 1975 | Matt Poleschuk |
About Golf Manitoba – Golf Manitoba is provincial sport organization (PSO) for amateur golf in Manitoba. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the benefit of all participants.
For more information:
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca