2024 Women's Players of the Year Announced

Sometimes, it all comes down to the last couple of holes in the final round of a tournament. The Pennsylvania Golf Association’s 2024 Carol Semple Thompson Women’s Amateur Player of the Year honor goes to Vanderbilt freshman Angelina Tolentino (The 1912 Club), whose clutch performance down the stretch at the 88^th PAGA Women’s Amateur gave her a one-stroke victory over Natasha Kiel (Jericho National Golf Club) and secured this year’s Player of the Year award.

 “It means a lot to me,” said Tolentino. “There’s a lot of strong competition where I live (in New Jersey), and I’ve never been New Jersey Golfer of the Year, so to play well at the PA Amateur and win, it was incredible. I felt like I was playing good all three days, and specifically when I was really close with Natasha down the stretch, we were neck and neck. I remember that battle and it was really fun to come out on top.” 

Tolentino’s final round at the PA Amateur was tied for the lowest of the tournament. She birdied the first four holes (and five of the first seven) then shot even-par on the back nine to hold off Kiel (who had caught Angelina after a birdie on hole No. 11) before a bogey on 16 ended Natasha’s medalist hopes. Tolentino’s PA Amateur win as well as the earned qualification to the USGA Women’s Amateur gave her 400 points in the 2024 standings, 75 more than runner-up Jackie Rogowicz. Angelina’s first semester at Vanderbilt also found her having success, with her first three collegiate rounds all under par to earn a tie for fourth place in her debut at the Carmel Cup at Pebble Beach. 

“I wasn’t too prepared for all the swing changes that I might encounter throughout my freshman year, but I’ve been holding up pretty well,” said Tolentino. “I’ve been working with my uncle through FaceTime, he’s pretty much my swing coach, so I’m hanging in there, practicing whenever I can, and I would say my game’s in a pretty good spot. I kind of know how it goes around here in terms of being a college athlete now and I’m going to continue to grind and use what I learned to play even better for the spring season.” 

Joining Tolentino as a 2024 year-end award winner is Lawrence Park Golf Club’s Steph Urban, who earns the Connie Shorb Senior Women’s Player of the Year award after a win in PAGA Women’s Senior Match Play and a fourth-place finish in the Women’s Senior Amateur Championship. 

“Winning the state match play was great,” recalled Urban. "I played really well the first day and then it kind of settled down back to normal, but that was good. Then fourth at the state stroke play was not as good as I wanted, but it wasn’t bad. I play better in match play than I do in stroke, I’m not sure why but it’s one of those mental things, I guess. My iron play was really good this year. I got new irons two years ago and I don’t know if I’ve totally learned how to hit them yet, but they were really good for me this year.” 

Urban also earned points from participation in the USGA Women’s Senior Amateur and Women’s Four-Ball Championship (with partner Georgia Capotis) to total 362.5, besting runner-up Lisa McGill’s 350, and looks forward to plenty more tournaments in 2025.

 “When you’re in your 40’s it’s so hard to compete with the young golfers,” said Urban. “But you only live once, so I’m going to play as many events as I can get to. It’s just one of those things I want to do while I still can. I think I have the game so I might as well showcase it and when you can compete at a state level you know you’re doing things right. I would love to try to go back-to-back in the PA Match Play and finish a little better elsewhere. That’s the game plan!” 

Rounding out the trio of 2024 awards is Super-Senior Player of the Year Barbara Pagana (Huntsville Golf Club), who is back on top after also earning the honor in 2021 and 2022. Her 480 points in the standings gave her a substantial lead over defending Super-Senior Player of the Year Alexandra Frazier and included victories at the PA Women’s Super-Senior Amateur and Women’s Super-Senior Match Play Threesomes in addition to a sixth-place finish with partner Liz Haines in the PA Women’s Four-Ball Championship. 

“I’m normally not that great at match play but I’m getting a little better at it in my head,” said Pagana. “The whole game is so mental and there were some challenges this year. I’ve got a swing coach in Florida that I just found last year and she helped me a lot – but when I don’t see her for six months, I started to struggle. So you just have to read your old notes and try to get it back, stick with it, and hope it turns around. I don’t think I won because I played so spectacularly, I think my competitors were having just as much trouble as I was, that type of thing, and it was nice to be the one left standing. The venues were great, and I haven’t found a course that I don’t like. I enjoy just being outdoors and seeing the same ladies around, building great friendships over the years, and trying to play in everything I can competitively.” 

Pagana, now a three-time Super-Senior Player of the Year winner, used to play competitive tennis until an ACL tear didn’t allow her to get back to the previous level she would have liked – leading her to picking up another sport she has had tremendous success in.

 “I only started playing competitive golf just to get out of the house and had no expectations, no aspirations, but just grew to love it,” said Pagana. “So to get a Player of the Year award is kind of the icing on top. I don’t think any of us play for that, but it really is nice. It’s like the saying on the plaque in the Palestra: winning is great, participation is better, but to love the game is the best.”