Miller, Sterling, Prchal and Young Named POY
August 12, 2009
Green Acres Country Club played host to this week’s IJGA Player of the Year Championship, featuring some of the association’s finest competing across four divisions for one of the state’s highest junior golf honors. This year’s championship did not disappoint with a grueling day of 36 holes of tournament golf that determined the 2009 IJGA Players of the Year.
“This week’s POY Championship capped off yet another season of Championship caliber junior golf,” said IJGA Director of Playing Member Services Ryan Skaggs. “On behalf of the IJGA, I congratulate Stephanie, Kathy, Quinlan and Daniel on being named 2009 Players of the Year. We look forward to seeing each of you come back to defend your title next year.”
With each of the leaders looking to hang on to their top spot in the 2009 IJGA Player of the Year Standings, Quinlan Prchal, Class of 2012, fell one stroke short of tying Championship winner Patipan Pipatpinyopong but was still able to earn enough points to displace Timothy Kelly as IJGA Player of the Year in the Junior Boys Division. Wauconda native Stephanie Miller, Class of 2013, won four out of the five events she entered this season and rebounded after a first round 87 at Green Acres to claim a three stroke victory in the final Championship of the season. Miller’s win pushed her even further ahead as she finished the Junior Girls’ POY race with 178 points.
Daniel Young, Class of 2011, barely edged out Scott Cahill by just 10 points for the POY honor as he tied for 13th on Monday. Cahill, who will also graduate in 2011, fired a 74-74-148 with two double-bogeys in his final round to fall two strokes short of the victory that would have no doubt secured his spot as Senior Boys’ Player of the Year. Young secured his position with a win at TPS #1 at Arrowhead Golf Club and second place finishes at both the IJGA-CDGA Junior Amateur and TPS #2 at Turnberry.
Senior Girls Player of the Year Kathy Sterling, Class of 2011, played in as many events as all but one IJGA member during the 2009 season, winning 10 of 17 tournaments including seven regionals, one TPS, one Open, and Monday’s Championship. After the divisor Sterling finished the Player of the Year race with 247.50 points, a full 65 points ahead of Girls Match Play winner, the Purdue-bound Alice Kang.