Hanzel, Ramsey Share Tommy Barnes Award

MARIETTA, Ga. – In a year that included many dominating performances, Doug Hanzel of Savannah (left) and Ashlan Ramsey of Milledgeville were selected as the Tommy Barnes Award winners, signifying the Georgia State Golf Association's overall players of the year for 2013. Hanzel and Ramsey were honored at the GSGA's Player of the Year Luncheon, held at Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta on January 18, 2014.

Since breaking out onto the Senior Division in 2012, Hanzel has made a name for himself on both the state and national levels, which is why he has been named GSGA Senior Player of the Year for the second-straight year. Highlighting his year, Hanzel became a national champion with a win at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship at Wade Hampton Golf Club in Cashiers, N.C. He was once again the low amateur at the U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club in Omaha, Neb., and qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham in Birmingham, Ala. Hanzel also won the Society of Seniors Championship on his home course at The Landings Club-Deer Creek in Savannah.

In GSGA competitions, Hanzel tied for seventh at the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship at The Savannah Golf Club and earned runner-up honors at the Georgia Senior Championship also on his home track in Savannah.

Ramsey concludes the 2013 season as both the GSGA Women's and Girls' Player of the Year. She has finished the year as the top junior girl each of the last three years, sharing the honor with Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale in 2011. She won the Georgia Women's Match Play Championship at The Legends at Chateau Elan in Braselton, clinching the win in each of her five matches without playing holes 15, 16, 17 or 18. Ramsey also won the Georgia Women's Amateur Championship, conducted by the Georgia Women's Golf Association, at Glen Arven Country Club in Thomasville.

On the national circuit, Ramsey, a member of Clemson University's first-ever women's golf team, qualified for and advanced to the round of 64 at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. She also earned victories at the Western Amateur Championship, Eastern Amateur Championship and made the cut at the LPGA's first major championship of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

The award's namesake, Tommy Barnes of Atlanta, was one of Georgia's legendary amateur golfers. Among his many accomplishments, Barnes captured the 1941 Georgia Amateur Championship, won the 1947 and '49 Southern Amateur titles, qualified for 16 consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships and played in the 1950 Masters Tournament. In 1989, at age 73, Barnes shot 62 to break Bobby Jones' 67-year-old record at his home course, East Lake Golf Club. He also had a long history of service to the GSGA and other golf associations, and was a member of numerous Halls of Fame. Barnes passed away in 2007 at age 91.

In honor of this special gentleman, the GSGA established the Tommy Barnes Award in 1983-84 to recognize its Men's Player of the Year. Beginning in 1998, the Tommy Barnes Award was given to the annual overall player of the year.

Six other golfers received GSGA Player of the Year distinction and were honored during the luncheon. Players of the Year are annually awarded in six categories: Men, Women, Junior, Girls', Senior Men and Senior Women.

Co-Men's Players of the Year: Jimmy Beck, Columbus; Cameron Hooper, Atlanta; Jeff Knox, Augusta
This past year, three individuals stood out among all others on the golf course in 2013 and therefore share GSGA Men's Player of the Year honors, all earning this award for the first time – Jimmy Beck of Columbus, Cameron Hooper of Atlanta and Jeff Knox of Augusta.

Beck won the Georgia Amateur Championship. What made this win memorable was that it was played at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, the home course of Kennesaw State University where Beck plays collegiately.
Hooper is the reigning Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship, his first GSGA victory. Hooper also tied for ninth at the Georgia Amateur Championship.

Knox enjoyed a successful season as he earned a pair of third-place finishes at the Georgia Amateur Championship (tied) and the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship (solo). On the national stage, Knox qualified for and advanced to the round of 64 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Senior Women's Player of the Year: Brenda Pictor, Marietta
In 2013, Brenda Pictor of Marietta continued her dominance in the Senior Women's division. Since sharing the GSGA Senior Women's Player of the Year title with Darlene Werhnyak of Lawrenceville in 2007, Pictor has claimed the award outright for the last six years, and does so again in 2013.

This past year, Pictor collected her fifth-straight and sixth overall title at the GSGA Senior Women's Championship played at King and Prince Golf Course on St. Simons Island. Earlier in the year she captured her second title at the Georgia Senior Women's Match Play Championship held at Sunset Hills Country Club in Carrollton. Pictor earned points towards the player of the year award by earning low-Senior honors at the Georgia Women's Amateur Championship. She also earned points by finishing 11th at the Georgia Women's Open conducted by the Georgia PGA Section at Brookfield Country Club in Roswell.

On the national scene, Pictor qualified for the USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship at CordeValle in San Martin, Calif., where she advanced to match play.

Co-Junior Players of the Year: Marcus Byrd, Dunwoody; Zachary Healy, Peachtree Corners
The year 2013 saw a pair of competitors finish atop the points list to share GSGA Junior Player of the Year distinction – Marcus Byrd of Dunwoody and Zachary Healy of Peachtree Corners.

Byrd won the Georgia Junior Championship, which was held at The Farm in Rocky Face. He made his par putt on the final hole to clinch the victory at 1-under-par 215, and was the only player to finish the 54-hole competition under par overall. Byrd also represented the state at the Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match.

Healy picked up his first GSGA title at the Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship at Rivermont Golf and Country Club in Johns Creek, where he won five matches in three days. He also tied for 13th at the Georgia Amateur Championship and helped his club team (Berkeley Hills Country Club in Duluth) tie for fourth at the Georgia Team Championship, held at The Georgia Club in Statham.