Brenda Pictor of Marietta Wins GSGA's Tommy Barnes Award
Six other golfers earn GSGA Player of the Year honors

MARIETTA, Ga. – In a year that included a pair of victories and many other dominating performances, Brenda Pictor of Marietta was selected as the Tommy Barnes Award winner for the second consecutive year, signifying the Georgia State Golf Association's overall player of the year for 2011. Pictor was announced as the winner and honored at the GSGA's Players of the Year Luncheon, held at Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta on January 21, 2012.
During the 2011 GSGA competitions season, Pictor distanced herself from the rest of the field, earning an impressive 550 more points than the next-closest competitor in the Senior Women's Player of the Year race.

In the inaugural Georgia Senior Women's Match Play Championship at Doublegate Country Club in Albany, Pictor topped Maria Johnson of Jesup in the 19-hole final match to win the first senior women's GSGA event of the year. Later in the year, Pictor made it to the quarterfinals of the Georgia Women's Match Play Championship at Sunset Hills Country Club in Carrollton, before falling to Lauren Court of Lawrenceville, 2 up.

At the Georgia Top 60 Women's Classic at The Brickyard at Riverside in Macon, Pictor finished in a five-person tie for 12th. Finally at the GSGA Senior Women's Championship at Brookstone Golf and Country Club in Acworth, Pictor dominated the field and won by 12 strokes. The win was her third consecutive senior women's championship and fourth overall (2007, '09, '10, '11), and the 12-stroke margin of victory is believed to be the largest in event history.

In the Georgia Women's Golf Association (GWGA) Amateur Championship at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee in Eatonton, Pictor earned the Burns Cup, awarded to the senior golfer with the lowest 36-hole score.

Pictor qualified for and competed in a number of national championships in 2011. At the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Va., she earned medalist honors in the stroke-play qualifying round before falling to the eventual champion in the quarterfinals. Next up was the USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship, where she advanced to the round of 16 before falling to the eventual runner-up at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.

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 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, 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.

Four other golfers received GSGA Players of the Year awards during the Luncheon. Players of the Year are annually awarded in six categories: Men, Women, Junior, Girls', Senior Men and Senior Women.

Men's Player of the Year: David Noll, Jr., Dalton
Throughout the year, David Noll, Jr., of Dalton kept his game at a high level in every competition he entered. That consistency has paid off once again as he is the GSGA Men's Player of the Year for 2011. This marks the fifth consecutive time, and seventh overall, that Noll has earned this honor, tying only Allen Doyle for the most titles in this category.

The highlight of Noll's year on the golf course was winning his second Georgia Amateur Championship at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta by four strokes. Over the last 10 Amateur Championships since 2002, Noll has placed in the top 10 nine times, finished among the top six eight times (including a current streak of seven straight) and posted two wins (2003, 2011) along with a pair of runner-up finishes. At the Georgia Four-Ball Championship at Green Island Country Club in Columbus, Noll teamed up with Mark Strickland of Woodstock to earn runner-up honors. His next GSGA event, the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Noll tied for fifth, marking the seventh time in the last 10 years he has finished among the top six.
Noll was then selected, based on his strong play throughout the year, to participate in the biannual Billy Peters Cup Matches at Capital City Club-Crabapple in Woodstock.

On the national circuit, Noll was medalist at a U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship qualifier held at The Brickyard at Riverside in Macon. He went on to advance to the round of 64 in the national championship held at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas.

Women's Player of the Year: Laura Coble, Augusta
Laura Coble of Augusta enjoyed yet another successful year on the golf course in GSGA competitions and in national championships. Due to her many accomplishments in 2011, she is the GSGA Women's Player of the Year for the third year in a row, and 12 of the last 13.

Coble finished runner-up in the Georgia Women's Match Play Championship, an event she has won eight times, at Sunset Hills Country Club in Carrollton. She also helped her state win the Georgia-Florida Women's Team Matches held at Harbor Club in Greensboro. There she helped earn one point for Team Georgia.
At the Georgia Women's Open, conducted by the Georgia Section PGA, Coble tied for sixth. Coble also earned points by finishing third overall at the Georgia Women's Golf Association's Amateur Championship.

In national contests, Coble qualified for the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Va., where she advanced to the round of 16. She was selected to the USGA Women's State Team for the fifth time, where she helped Georgia successfully defend its title and win for the third time overall (2005, '09, '11). Coble has been a part of all three of Georgia's national championship teams.

Senior Player of the Year: Bill Leonard, Kennesaw
The 2011 season was a success for Bill Leonard of Kennesaw, as he earned his second overall, and first since 2006, GSGA Senior Men's Player of the Year title. Leonard narrowly edged out two of his fellow competitors in Larry Clark of Kingston and Jimmy Jackson of Macon, but this year's honor belongs solely to him.

In GSGA competitions, Leonard finished runner-up at the Georgia Senior Championship at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, just one stroke back of the champion, Jackson. Later in the year, Leonard advanced to the round of 16 at the Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship held at Rivermont Golf and Country Club in Johns Creek.

Leonard was selected to represent the senior amateurs in the biannual Billy Peters Cup Matches at Capital City Club-Crabapple in Woodstock, where he split his two matches played.

Leonard also competed in the national stage, qualifying and advancing to the round of 32 at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va.

Junior Player of the Year: Greyson Sigg, Augusta
By winning the Georgia Junior Championship in 2011, Greyson Sigg of Augusta earned enough points to also win his first GSGA Junior Player of the Year title. The 16-year-old won the annual junior competition, which was contested on his home course at Augusta Country Club, by three strokes.

Winning the junior championship in Augusta, Sigg joined two other players, Chase Parker (2008) and Michael Green (2004), as the only local players to win it the last three times the event was held at an Augusta course. This was the second time Sigg played in the Georgia Junior Championship, having tied for 19th a year ago at Green Island Country Club in Columbus.

Sigg finished second at a qualifier at Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw to earn a spot in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship for the first time. There he competed in the stroke-play qualifying rounds at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.

Set to graduate from Richmond Academy of Augusta in 2013, Sigg shot a 69 to finish as individual runner-up and led his team to finish tied for second-place in the 2011 Class AAA state high school championship at Chattahoochee Golf Course in Gainesville.

Girls' Co-Player of the Year: Ashlan Ramsey, Milledgeville
Ashlan Ramsey of Milledgeville had quite a year on the golf course in 2011, and that is why she is the GSGA Girls' Co-Player of the Year. This is Ramsey's first GSGA player of the year distinction.

She finished fifth at the Georgia Women's Open, which is conducted by the Georgia Section PGA.

On the national circuit, Ramsey qualified for the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., and made it through the stroke-play qualifying to the round of 16. Ramsey also qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., and made it to the round of 64.

Ramsey was fortunate to have been selected to represent the United States on the 2011 PING Junior Solheim Cup Team, where she helped Team USA retain the Cup at Knightsbrook Hotel Spa and Golf Resort in County Meath, Ireland. She was also selected to the 2011 Rolex Junior Al-American Girls First Team.
Ramsey will graduate from John Milledge Academy in Milledgeville in 2013.

Girls' Co-Player of the Year: Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale
Many outstanding golfers have won multiple Player of the Year honors over time, but only two could previously say they earned the title outright at least five years in a row, including David Noll, Jr. (Men's Player of the Year 2007-11) and Laura Coble (Women's Player of the Year 1998-2007). Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale now joins that elite group with her fifth-straight Girls' Player of the Year honor (2007-11).

In GSGA action, Stackhouse made it to the quarterfinals of the Georgia Women's Match Play Championship at Sunset Hills Country Club in Carrollton, where she fell to the eventual champion.

Stackhouse qualified for the U.S. Women's Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., and competed in the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., where she reached the round of 16.

Like Ashlan Ramsey, Stackhouse was also selected to represent the United States on the PING Junior Solheim Cup Tea, in County Meath, Ireland, helping the U.S. bring home the Cup. She was also picked to the 2011 Rolex Junior All-American Girls First Team.

Stackhouse will graduate from North Clayton High School in 2012 and has signed a letter-of-intent to play golf at Stanford University.

Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over 350 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs, management of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.