ORLANDO, FL (Jan. 27, 5:30 p.m. 2016) – Winners in 12 categories were announced Wednesday in the 23rd Annual ING Media Awards program at the PGA Merchandise Show.
The International Network of Golf, a non-profit, media-based networking organization, conducts the awards program for its members. ING membership is open to anyone in the golf industry and media.
A total of 44 First-Place and Outstanding Achiever awards were announced at the presentation press conference conducted in ClubING at the PGA Show. Total entries increased again for the fifth straight year.
The program was followed by a media reception featuring a Q&A with Hall of Fame golfer and NBC commentator Johnny Miller. Media Awards sponsors this year were Zero Friction Golf, Chase 54 apparel company, Bridgestone Golf, Nexbelt and PGA Golf Exhibitions.
Three media members each earned a pair of First-Place awards: Gary Van Sickle of Sports Illustrated and Golf.Com, Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News and Tony Leodora of Golfstyles Magazine and The Traveling Golfer TV show.
Van Sickle won in the Equipment Writing category for his story about the future of putting, and also in the Opinion/Editorial category for a piece entitled “What’s Wrong With Tiger.” Kern’s winning efforts came in the Competition Writing Category (“History Major”) and in Profile Writing (“Sands, Ifs and Putts”). Leodora won the in Business Writing for “Your New Club In The 21st Century,” and in the TV Show category with his feature on Stockton Seaview Resort on The Traveling Golfer show.
For the third time in four years, John Patrick’s Augusta Golf Show was named the top radio show. The best publication went to Sports Illustrated Golf, featuring a preview of the Masters.
There were several other multiple award winners (either First Place or Outstanding Achiever), including freelance writer Tony Dear, writer and photographer Elisa Gaudet, Holly Geoghegan of the Golf Insiders radio show, writer and radio host Ann Liguori, Jeff Neuman of The Met Golfer, Jeff Ritter of Sports Illustrated, Rich Styles of The Back 9 Boys radio show and freelance writer Ed Travis.
Winners and Outstanding Achievers are determined by an independent panel of three judges in each category. Judges use a point system with several criteria. Determinations are made by judges when possible without knowledge of the person responsible for the work, or of the other judges in the category. The number of Outstanding Achievers in a category is determined by total entries and scoring range in the category.
Each category is coordinated by a category chairperson, who is responsible for securing the three judges. Media Awards Committee chair is Cody Law of Golf Mesquite Nevada.
For more information, visit www.inggolf.com.
COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS
BOOK AUTHOR
1st Place: David B. Irwin (“The Last Caddy”)
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear (“The Story Of Fifty Holes”); Rolando Merulo (“The Italian Summer”); Joel Zuckerman (“Golfers Giving Back”).
BUSINESS WRITING
1st Place: Tony Leodora, Golfstyles Magazine (“Your New Club in the 21st Century”).
Outstanding Achievers: Elisa Gaudet, Huffington Post (“5 Golf Business Success Stories”); Sally J. Sportsman, Golf Range Magazine (“Design Your Range As If Money Were No Object”); Ed Travis, The A Position (“Competition for Tee Times”).
COMPETITION WRITING
1st Place: Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News (“History Major”)
Outstanding Achievers: Ann Liguori, CBSNY.com (“Dramatic Finish Will Dominate Memories of 2015 US Open”); Jeff Ritter, Golf.Com (“Tiger Woods Misses The Cut At British Open – Now What?”); Gary Van Sickle, Golf.Com (“Stricker Plays His Last Major…Maybe”).
EQUIPMENT & APPAREL WRITING
1st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Sports Illustrated (“Saddle Up – The Future of Putting”).
Outstanding Achiever: Tony Dear, Today’s Golfer (UK) (“A Smarter Future”); Ed Travis, Golf Oklahoma (“Pro V1 or Pro V1x)
OPINION/EDITORIAL
1st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Golf.Com (“What’s Wrong With Tiger?”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, Cybergolf.com (“Did The Chambers Bay Experiment Work?”); Ann Liguori, CBS-NY (“Jason Day’s US Open Performance One For The Ages”); Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (“Hear The Words, Not The Buzz”); Jeff Ritter, Sports Illustrated (“The Best Deal In Golf”).
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place: Elisa Gaudet, New England Golf Monthly (“Abaco Golf Club”).
Outstanding Achiever: Jim Krajicek, The Met Golfer (“A Star Is Born”).
PROFILE WRITING
1st Place: Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News (“Sand, Ifs and Putts”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, Golf Today NW (“A Real Seattle Gem Worth Searching For”); Ken MacLeod, Golf Oklahoma (“Nice Guys Finish First”); Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (“Lights, Camera, Action”); Jeff Ritter, Sports Illustrated (Holy Rollers: A Round With Three Catholic Priests); Gary Van Sickle, Golf.Com (“Forrest Fezler: The Man Behind The Shorts”).
PUBLICATIONS
1st Place: Sports Illustrated Golf, Masters Preview Issue (Jeff Ritter, Sr. Editor).
Outstanding Achievers: Golf Oklahoma, June/July 2015 (Ken MacLeod, Publisher); Met Golfer, April/May issue (Jeff Neuman, Editor); NCGA Golf, Winter 2015 (Scott Seward, Editor).
RADIO SHOW
1st Place: The Augusta Golf Show, With John Patrick, in 11 markets across the Southeast.
Outstanding Achievers: Back9Boys Golf Show, Rich Styles Host, Coastal ESPN; Garbedian On Golf, Chuck Garbedian Host, ESPN Wisconsin; Golf Talk Live in Philadelphia, Tony Leodora Host, Eddie Caiazzo Producer; The Golf Insiders, Holly Geoghegan Host, iHeart Radio, Orlando.
RADIO SEGMENT
1st Place: Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Radio, (“Dottie Pepper Interview”).
Outstanding Achiever: Holly Geoghegan, The Golf Insiders, iHeart Radio, Orlando. (“Mike Bender Interview”).
TELEVISION SHOW
1st Place: Tony Leodora, The Traveling Golfer (“Stockton Seaview Resort”).
TRAVEL WRITING
1st Place: Kevin Kane, Virginia Golf Report (“A View From The Top”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, TheGolfNewsnet.com (Manele Bay: A Special Parcel Of Paradise”); Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (”Tahoe Dreaming”); Dan Vukelich, The Met Golfer (“Breaking Par”).
