D’Amato, Liguori, Van Sickle Top Winners In 29th ING Media Awards

Gary D’Amato and Ann Liguori each won First-Place honors in two categories to lead the way in the 29th Annual ING Media Awards program. Gary Van Sickle of SI.Com was the leading award winner overall with one First-Place finish and four Outstanding Achiever honors, while John Steinbreder of Global Golf Post took home four awards.

Results in 13 categories were announced Wednesday 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. Nearly four-dozen First-Place and Outstanding Achiever awards were announced at the presentation press conference. Media Awards’ sponsors this year were Bridgestone Golf, CertiFresh Cigar, PGA Show, Proud 90 Apparel, and Zero Friction Golf.

D’Amato won with two articles that appeared in Wisconsin.Golf. His story about Herb Kohler, “To Me He Was Just Herb,” was tops in the Opinion/Editorial category. He also won First-Place in the Feature Writing category with a story titled “What, WHAT?”

Liguori winning entry in the Radio Segment category was her interview with author Alan Shipnuck regarding his book about Phil Mickelson. She also won the Podcast category with her interview with writer Christine Brennan regarding LIV.

Van Sickle of SI.com/Morning Read won First-Place in the Equipment/Apparel Writing category with “The Irish Pub Of Your Dreams In Your Own Backyard.”

Northern California Golf Association News was selected the winner for the second straight year in the Publications Category with its Fall Issue. Adam Schupak is editor of that magazine. Top Radio Show went to Chuck Garbedian’s Garbedian on Golf, Masters Edition, WRNW, Milwaukee. Dave Lockhart’s Golf 360 won in the TV Show Category for the second consecutive year with the “Summer Spectacular” Show.

An independent panel of three judges in each category determines First-Place Winners and Outstanding Achievers. Judges use a point system with several criteria. Scoring is done 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.

A category chairperson is responsible for securing the three judges.

Results by category in the 2022 ING Media Awards

BUSINESS WRITING

1^st Place: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Covid-19 Pummels Golf’s Global Supply Chain”).

            Outstanding Achievers: Kathy Bissell, Pro Golf Now (“New Golf Entrepreneurs: Jesse Koenig, Never Lose A Club Again”); Hank Gola, The Met Golfer (“This Old Medium”); Ed Travis, Golfing Magazine (“PGA Show In Transition”); Gary Van Sickle, The First Call (“The Robots Are Coming”).

COMPETITION WRITING

1^st Place: Bill Fields, The Albatross (“New History At An Old Place”)

            Outstanding Achievers: Gary D’Amato, Wisconsin Golf (“It’s About As Cool As It Gets”); Bill Fields, Masters.Com (“Finding His Confidence, Scheffler Closes Dominant Week””); Judd Spicer, FORE Magazine (“Show Up, Keep Up, Shut Up”).

EQUIPMENT & APPAREL WRITING

1^st Place: Gary Van Sickle, SI.com (“The Irish Pub Of Your Dreams In Your Own Backyard”).

Outstanding Achievers: Gary D’Amato, Wisconsin.Golf (“Brothers Banking On Innovative Hockey Stick Putter”); Tony Dear, Colorado Avid Golfer (“Looking Good, Dad!”); Bill Fields, The Albatross (“Little Ball, Big Deal”); Gary Van Sickle, SI.com (“2 Ways To Quit Being A Loser”).

FEATURE WRITING

1^st Place: Gary D’Amato, Wisconsin.Golf (“What, WHAT?””).

Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, The Albatross (“Class Superlatives”); John Fischer, SI.Com (“A Private Course In Your Backyard”); Ken MacLeod, Golf Oklahoma (“Who’s The Fairest Of Them All”); Randy Youngman, FORE Magazine (“A Good Walk Unspoiled”); Len Ziehm, Chicago District Golfer (“Chicago’s Master Caddie”).

INTERNET VIDEO

1^st Place: Helen Farrelly, Met Golf Association (“Road To The Majors: The 22^nd U.S. Amateur”)

Outstanding Achiever: Adam Hawk, Southern California Golf Association (“The Pedroza Family”).

OPINION/EDITORIAL

            1^st Place: Gary D’Amato, Wisconsin.Golf (“To Me He Was Just Herb”).

            Outstanding Achievers: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“A Way Forward”); Gary Van Sickle, SI.Com (“Hall Of Fame: It’s Gotta Go”); David Weiss, FORE Magazine (“Tee Time Tribulations”).

PODCAST

            1^st Place: Ann Liguori, Golf Innerview (“About LIV, With Christine Brennan”).

            Outstanding Achievers: Holly Geoghegan, The Golf Insiders (“Bob Harig Interview”); Judd Spicer, Spicer Speaking (“(“Episode #45”); Colin Weston, The Modcast (“Building A Scalable Business, With Matt Reagan”)

PROFILE WRITING

            1^st Place: Adam Schupak, Golfweek (“A Beautiful Mind”).

Outstanding Achievers: Jeff Babineau, NCGA Magazine (“Family Affair”); Matt Harness, Chicago District Golfer (“One Of A Kind”); Jon Rizzi, Colorado Avid Golfer (“George Karl Moves Up”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Herb Kohler Opened Frontiers As Golf Impresario”).

PUBLICATION

1^st Place: NCGA Golf, Fall Issue (Adam Schupak, Editor).

Outstanding Achievers: Chicago District Golfer, July Issue (Barry Cronin, Editor); FORE Magazine, Summer Issue (Adam Hawk, Managing Editor); The Met Golfer, June/July Issue (Helen Farrelly, MGA). 

RADIO SEGMENT

1^st Place: Ann Liguori, Talking Golf With Ann Liguori, WFAN, New York (“Alan Shipnuck Interview”)

Outstanding Achievers: Rory Spears, Golfers On Golf, WNDZ, Chicago (“Interview With Tim Kelly”); Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Coastal (“Interview With John Wood”).

RADIO SHOW

1^st Place: Chuck Garbedian, Garbedian On Golf, WRNW, Milwaukee (“The Masters Edition”).

Outstanding Achievers: Charles Humphries, The Golf Shop Radio Network, Charlotte (“From The President’s Cup”); Ann Liguori, Talking Golf With Ann Liguori, WFAN, New York (“Padraig Harrington Interview, LIV & More”).

TELEVISION SHOW

1^st Place: Dave Lockhart, Golf360 (“Summer Spectacular”).

Outstanding Achievers: Steve Kashul, The Golf Scene (July 2022 Episode); Tony Leodora, Traveling Golfer {“Southern Pines-Donald Ross Trio”).

TRAVEL WRITING

1^st Place: Tom Mackin, The Met Golfer (“Desert Transplant”).

            Outstanding Achievers: Tom Bedell, Minnesota Golfer (“South By Southwest”); Joe Passov, FORE Magazine (“Scotland Must-Plays, Hidden Gems”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Wild, Wonderful – And No Waiting – Ireland”); Gary Van Sickle, SI.Com (“This Course Is A Real Dinosaur”).