Fownes Player of the Year Standings
Senior Player of the Year Standings
Hofmann, Williams Co-Winners of Fownes Award
Adam Hofman (left); Eric Williams
Adam Hofmann, Fox Chapel Golf Club, and Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club, have been named Co-Winners of the 2011 WC Fownes Player of the Year Award. Each player finished with a total of 515 points, making them the first pair to share the award in it's history.
Adam Hofmann, Fox Chapel Golf Club
Hofmann finished 3rd in the 98th Amateur Championship, T-9 in the 95th Open Championship (2nd low amateur), and qualified for the US Amateur. Can you ask for a better summer?
"I am very proud of my summer results. I trained hard to give the State Amateur a good run, and despite coming up short, I was happy with how I competed. We have a host of great talent in the state; young and old. It's really a great accomplishment for me," said Hofmann of his summer.
Hofmann grew up in Pittsburgh and played his golf at Fox Chapel and Oakmont, so WC Fownes is not a new name for him.
"Being named for an award after Fownes is especially rewarding for me because of the pride I have in being a Pittsburgh native. It's an honor to be associated with one of Pittsburgh's greatest golfing icons."
Hofmann has begun his senior golf season at Vanderbilt University and is looking forward to a great final year with high expectations.
Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club
Williams had one of the most decorated, consistent summers of any Pennsylvania golfer since Mike Van Sickle's 2008 season. Williams acquired Fownes Player of the Year points in five separate events, including his first State Championship win at the 18th Middle-Amateur Championship.
"Whenever you've be fortunate enough to win a Pennsylvania Golf Association Championship, it's been a great year. I was fortunate to have a very consistant season, and the key was a new putter. The confidence I had with the putter had an effect on my irons, wedges, and every shot."
Eric began the year with a win in the first round of the R. Jay Sigel Amateur Match Play before a 2nd place finish at the 22nd Better-Ball Championship with his partner, Jim Gardas. Then one of his two bad rounds of the year kept him from qualifying for the 95th Pennsylvania Open Championship. He was able to shake that off and played superbly at the 98th Amateur, where he finished T-8 on the very difficult Lancaster Country Club.
"The way I played this year gives me confidence that I can still compete with the young guys."
Schlachter Wins His Fourth Senior POY
In Five Years
Paul Schlachter
Paul Schlachter, of The Club at Nevillewood, has won the Senior Player of the Year award an astounding 4 years out of 5. He won the inaugural title in 2007 and repeated the feat in 2008 and 2010. Schlachter accumulated 465.7 points in four events in 2011.
Schlachter seems to have figured out how to win this award. Yet, every year is a little different in the way that the points are accumulated.
"The (PAGA) events always have a special feel and to do well enough in multiple events to win this award feels like a real accomplishment. It gets harder to win this award each year, partly because of the quality of players and the new seniors coming in each year. Mainly it's harder to maintain your golf as you get older. To win this at the age of 62 means a lot to me."
He began the year with his 3rd Senior Match Play title. He was in contention in all of the other events he competed in. Schlachter and Todd Kennedy finished T-3 at the 19th Senior Better-Ball Championship, and then he finished 2nd at the 52nd Senior Amateur. A T-3 showing in the Senior Division at the 7th Art Wall, Jr. Memorial was enough to hold off any advances and a bookend to a complete season of Pennsylvania senior golf.
"The ultimate goal...it's becoming as good a player as you can, day in and day out and over time, while at the same time maintaining the true values of golf like honesty, fair play, and respect. I believe this leads to winning championship and awards, and feeling like you did it the right way at the end of the day. All of it goes together in this great game."
From the Executive Committee and staff of the Pennsylvania Golf Association, Congratulations to Adam Hofmann, Eric Williams, and Paul Schlachter on a phenomenal year of golf!