The Pepsi Indiana Junior Golf Program is happy to announce
the winners of their 2010 Player of the Year awards. Player of the Year
accolades are given to one boy and one girl as the overall Pepsi Indiana Junior
Golf Program Player of the Year. Additionally, Player of the Year awards are
given for the Aquafina Prep Tour and Mountain Dew Junior Tour. 2010 winners
are:
2010 Pepsi Indiana Junior Golf
Program Boys Player of the Year
EJ Tackett,
Huntington
EJ’s 2010 season included one of the hottest three week
stretches in recent Indiana Junior Golf memory. EJ started by taking medalist
honors by two shots at the US Junior qualifier at Kampen GC and qualifying him
for the National Championship at Egypt Valley CC in Grand Rapids, MI. A week
later, he added a runner-up finish with an even par round at the Pepsi Max
Masters Tour event at Stonehenge GC. Later that same week, EJ won the 17 year
old Boys division at the Diet Dr Pepper Age Group Championship, firing 71-71-142
and winning in a playoff at Indiana National GC. Capping his streak, EJ took
home his second Championship victory of the season shooting 70-69-139 to win
the Indiana Section Junior PGA Championship. That victory automatically
qualified EJ for his second National Championship of the season at the Junior
PGA Championship at Sycamore Hills CC. Later in the summer, EJ added to his
season total finishing tied for fifth at the Pepsi Max Masters Tour
Championship and advancing to the Round of 32 at the Diet Dr Pepper Boys State
Junior Championship.
2010 Pepsi Indiana Junior Golf
Program Girls Player of the Year
Kelly Grassel,
Chesterton
Despite playing a limited schedule, Kelly made the most of
her opportunities, winning two
Diet Dr Pepper Junior Championships in 2010.
Kelly’s first win of the season came at the Girls State Junior Championship at
Harrison Hills G&CC where she became just the third player to become
medalist and champion since 1992. Kelly fired a two round stroke play total of
77-71-148 to win medalist and top seed honors by two shots. After going 19
holes to win her initial match, Kelly never faced the 18th hole in
her subsequent three matches en route to the title. Later in the season, Kelly
added her second Championship victory with a win in the 15 year old Girls
division at the Diet Dr Pepper Age Group Championship at Indiana National GC.
Kelly fired two rounds at one over par 73-72-145 to win by six shots. Her total
was the lowest by any girl regardless of division.
2010 Mountain Dew Junior
Tour Boys Player of the Year
Timmy Hildebrand, Carmel
Timmy was the runaway winner in 2010 posting a total of five
wins on the season. To highlight his summer, Timmy advanced to the semifinals
of the Diet Dr Pepper Boys State Junior Championship, winning four matches in
the process, all of them over higher seeded players. Additionally, Timmy won
the 13 year old Boys division at the Diet Dr Pepper Age Group Championship by
10 shots after firing 71-72-143 for a one under total. On the Mountain Dew Junior
Tour, Timmy recorded four wins, including the Tour Championship at Harrison
Hills G&CC and victories at Stony Creek, Kokomo CC and Hillview CC. He also
added a runner-up finish at Ulen and a third place at Foxcliff.
2010 Mountain Dew
Junior Tour Girls Player of the Year
Rachel Welker, Terre Haute
Rachel’s 2010 boasted five total victories, including four
wins on the Mountain Dew Junior Tour. Rachel’s biggest tour win came at the
Tour Championship at Harrison Hills G&CC where she carded an even par 72 to
win by a stroke. Additionally, Rachel recorded wins at Tippecanoe CC, Etna
Acres and Forest Park
to go along with a runner-up finish at Westwood and a third at Deer Creek. In
Championship play, Rachel also had a playoff victory in the 16 year old Girls division
at the Diet Dr Pepper Age Group Championship with 80-75-155. At the Girls State
Junior Championship, Rachel finished stroke play tied for 11th and
qualified for the Championship Flight.
2010 Aquafina Prep
Tour Boys Player of the Year
Andrew Wood,
Zionsville
Andrew recorded four wins in 2010, with three of them coming
on the Aquafina Prep Tour. Andrew’s Prep Tour wins came at the Dye Course,
Raccoon Run and Kokomo American Legion. He also added a runner-up finish at the
CC of Old Vincennes and two third place finishes at Cascades and Morningstar.
In Championship play, Andrew won the 11 year old Boys division by five shots at
the Diet Dr Pepper Age Group Championship with 68-72-140. He also added a
runner-up finish at in the 12&Under division at the Indiana Section Junior
PGA Championship.
2010 Aquafina Prep
Tour Girls Player of the Year
Cherise Otter, Bloomington
In 2010, Cherise won five of the six Aquafina Prep Tour
events she entered including victories at Cascades, Cozy Acres, Morningstar, CC
of Old Vincennes and Bloomington CC. Her only non-victory was a runner-up
finish at the second Cascades event. In addition to her Prep Tour success,
Cherise also added two more wins to her season. Cherise had a come from behind
win in the 12 year old Girls division at the Age Group Championship and
partnered with Claire Cameron to win the 12&Under division at the Girls
Team Championship at Foxcliff.