The Washington State Golf Association announced the 2014 Player of the Year recipients. The winners include Men’s Player of the Year, Carl Jonson of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; Women’s, Jordan Ferreira of University Place; Men’s Mid-Amateur, Mike Haack of Bellevue; Women’s Mid-Amateur, Amanda Jacobs of Seattle; Senior Men’s, Tom Brandes of Bellevue; Senior Women’s, Denise Kieffer of University Place; Junior Boys’, Sam Warkentin of Bainbridge Island; and Junior Girls’, Sierra Kersten of Spokane. The recipients will be honored at an awards banquet to be held at the WSGA Annual Meeting on Friday, October 24 at Fairwood Golf and Country Club in Renton, Wash.
Carl Jonson
Jonson had a tremendous year of amateur golf in which he dominated the leaderboards throughout the season, earning seven major top-25 finishes. His biggest victory of the year came when he conquered amateurs and professionals alike at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash. in late August to claim the Northwest Open Invitational title. Just two weeks earlier, Jonson finished T9 in the Washington State Men’s Amateur Championship, also held at Wine Valley. He was a member of Team PNGA at the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, and finished T12 individually. He also had an impressive finish in one of the most prestigious amateur events in the Northwest, placing T13 at the Sahalee Players Championship.
Jordan Ferreira
Ferreira enjoyed an exciting and successful summer of golf in 2014. She dominated the Washington State Women’s Amateur Championship at Port Ludlow (Wash.) Golf Club, finishing 1-under par and winning by a margin of four strokes. Earlier in the summer Ferreira had earned medalist honors in U.S. Women’s Open qualifying, competing in that national championship at Pinehurst No. 2 for her first time. Ferreira made it to the match-play rounds of the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur Championship, before falling in the Round of 16. The Notre Dame golfer finished T22 in the ACC Conference Championship. Ferreira is also a two-time recipient of the WSGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year award.
Mike Haack
Haack won the Washington State Champion of Champions for the second year in a row. Haack played in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship after finishing with medalist honors in the qualifier held at Tumble Creek Club in Cle Elum, Wash. Haack placed T3 in the Washington Open Invitational at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Wash. He also took third place in the Oregon Open Invitational held at Oregon’s Black Butte Ranch. This is Haack’s second time claiming the WSGA Player of the Year award, as he was also honored with Mid-Amateur Player of the Year in 2013.
Amanda Jacobs
The Seattle native compiled an impressive year in the Mid-Amateur ranks. Jacobs out-played and out-lasted the competition in the Pacific Northwest Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Lewiston Golf and Country Club in Lewiston, Idaho. She defeated Brie Stone 4 and 2 to claim the championship. Jacobs finished the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifier as medalist, and competed in the national championship held in Noblesville, Ind. at Harbour Trees Golf Club. Jacobs advanced from stroke play, and won in her Round of 64 match before being eliminated in the Round of 32.
Tom Brandes
Brandes tallied another impressive and dominant season in 2014. He repeated as champion in the Washington State Senior Men’s Amateur for the fourth time in a row at The Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim, Wash. He was runner-up in the Washington State Senior Champion of Champions, runner-up in the Pacific Northwest Senior Amateur Championship, and runner-up in the Pacific Northwest Men’s Master-40. Brandes competed in two national championships, making a run in the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship where he made it to the Round of 16, and the U.S. Senior Open. Brandes accumulated top-5 finishes in the Senior Washington Open, and the Washington State Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Denise Kieffer
Kieffer put together a remarkable year on both the local and national stages. Kieffer won the Puget Sound Women’s Golf Association Championship, finished third in the Washington State Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, T9 in the Pacific Northwest Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, and runner-up in the WSWGA Championship. Kieffer qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J. She advanced through stroke-play qualifying and reached the match play portion of the championship.
Sam Warkentin
Warkentin dominated the junior ranks this championship season in the Pacific Northwest. His biggest accomplishment came in Creswell, Ore. where he won the Pacific Northwest Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship held at Emerald Valley Golf Club. Warkentin also earned the Washington Junior Golf Association State Championship title. He competed in the Junior America’s Cup, in Vancouver, B.C. at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, placing seventh overall, and also finished 13th in the American Junior Golf Association’s Ryan Moore Invitational.
Sierra Kersten
Kersten repeats as the recipient of this award, having also claimed the honor in 2013. Kersten finished third in the WJGA Girls’ State Championship, runner-up in the WIAA Girls’ State Championship, and runner-up in the AJGA Ryan Moore Invitational. Kersten also competed in the Girls’ Junior World Championship, finishing in 32nd place in one of the world’s biggest junior championships.