HOUSTON (February 22, 2007) – Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly picked up the fifth first-place award of his career and Golf Digest Companies dominated the Non-Daily categories in the Golf Writers Association of America’s annual writing contest.
Reilly’s winning column was on Mark Lemke, who had always wanted to nominate his son Cory for Faces in the Crowd, but didn’t do it until after Cory was killed in a motorcycle accident. Reilly won three consecutive column awards from 1999-2001 and also won Non-Daily features in 1999.
Golf Digest Companies won the non-daily special projects for the fifth time in the last six years as Golf Digest writers Jaime Diaz and Guy Yocom tied for first place with their projects on musicians and golf (Diaz) and a look back at Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters victory two decades later (Yocom). Diaz also finished second in Non-Daily Features behind Golf World’s Jim Moriarty (Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen).
Golf World’s Bill Fields finished first and third in Non-Daily News. His winning story was on the life and death of Jim Simons; his third place was on Byron Nelson’s death.
First-time individual winners were Dave Hackenberg of the Toledo Blade in Daily News; Bruce Selcraig in Daily Columns for a column in The Irish Times; Ian O’Connor of The Journal News in Daily Features; Randall Mell of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who tied with The Journal News’ Sam Weinman, for first place in Daily Special Projects; Golf Observer’s David Barrett in Internet Columns; SI.com’s Gary Van Sickle in Internet News and Lisa Mickey of Duramedfuturestour.com in Internet Features.
The most popular topics among those placing in the contest was Phil Mickelson’s collapse at Winged Foot, the Ryder Cup and Tiger Woods’ first decade as a pro.
All winners will be honored at the GWAA’s Annual Awards Dinner April 4 in Augusta, Ga.
The following is a full list of the winners, including honorable mentions. There were a record 521 entries in the contest.
2007 GWAA CONTEST RESULTS
DAILY
DAILY COLUMNS – 1, Bruce Selcraig, The Irish Times, Ireland holds its Ryder Cup on mundane Americanized resort course; 2, Thomas Bonk, Los Angeles Times, Byron Nelson and his birthday; 3 (tie) ; Ian O’Connor, The Journal News, Tiger’s unlikely tribute to his dad; Ron Salsig, Alameda Sun, Losing it in Q-school.
Honorable mention: George Kimball, Boston Herald, Darren Clarke; Jim McCabe, Boston Globe, Making the cut after a rain delay; Ian O’Connor, The Journal News, Mickelson’s Wipeout at Winged Foot; Jeff Silverman, The Wall Street Journal, The Joy of Not Keeping Score; Art Spander, Oakland Tribune, Earl Woods must have loved watching from on high.
DAILY NEWS – 1, Dave Hackenberg, Toledo Blade, Geoff Ogilvy walks through back door to U.S. Open title; 2 (tie), Ron Green, Jr., Charlotte Observer, Phil Mickelson’s epic collapse at Winged Foot; Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post, Europe wins Ryder Cup; 3, Sam Weinman, The Journal News, Phil Mickelson’s collapse at Winged Foot opens the door for Geoff Ogilvy.
Honorable mention: Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, Europe reigns in the Ryder Cup; Hank Gola, New York Daily News, Phil Mickelson blows the U.S. Open; Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune, Tiger/British Open.
DAILY FEATURES – 1, Ian O’Connor, The Journal News, The making of Phil Mickelson; 2, Jim McCabe, Boston Globe, Tiger’s chip-in at Augusta – a year later; 3, Alan Tays, Palm Beach Post, Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters re-examined 20 years later.
Honorable mention: Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, Two years later Hal Sutton moves on; Ian O’Connor, The Journal News, Ben Crenshaw’s caddie Carl Jackson; Gary Smits, Florida Times Union, Thanksgiving trip to Iraq for four PGA Tour players.
*DAILY SPECIAL PROJECTS – 1 (tie), Randall Mell, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Plans to redesign Coral Ridge have divided a community; Sam Weinman, The Journal News, How U.S. Opens at Winged Foot have shaped the modern game; 2, Mercer Baggs, TheGolfChannel.com, Post-Katrina golf in New Orleans; 3, Scott Michaux, Augusta Chronicle, What Tiger’s 1997 Masters win has meant to golf.
Honorable mention: Melanie Hauser, Helen Ross, Dave Shedloski, PGATOUR.com, How Tiger’s grown in a decade – count the ways and impact; Tod Leonard, San Diego Union-Tribune, Political battle over the future of Torrey Pines; Gary Van Sickle, SI.com, Caddying for Andy North.
* Includes Daily and Internet special projects.
INTERNET
(added 2007, previously with Daily)
INTERNET COLUMNS – 1, David Barrett, GolfObserver.com, Michelle Wie’s record on the LPGA Tour; 2 (tie), Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com, Phil Mickelson loses U.S. Open on final hole; Brian Wacker, GolfDigest.com, PGA Championship at Medinah; 3 (tie), Jeff Babineau, Golfweek, Chris DiMarco returns to competition after the death of his mother; Gary Van Sickle, SI.com, Money doesn’t matter anymore on the PGA Tour;
Honorable mention: Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.com, Simple things made Byron Nelson happy; Matt Rudy, golfdigest.com, Course setup at Winged Foot; John Steinbreder, Golfweek.com, Hootie Johnson steps down as Augusta National and Masters Chairman.
INTERNET NEWS – 1, Gary Van Sickle, SI.com, Ryder Cup belongs to Darren Clarke; 2, Brian Wacker, GolfDigest.com, Billy Mayfair returns from cancer; 3, Pete McDaniel, GolfDigest.com, Charlie Sifford honored at the University of St. Andrews.
Honorable mention: Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.com, Trevor Immelman wins last Western Open; Alex Miceli, Golfweek.com, How Lehman made his picks; Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com, Tiger wins British Open; David Shefter, usamateur.org, Trip Kuehne.
INTERNET FEATURES – 1, Lisa D. Mickey, Duramedfuturestour.com, Johnston looks for a way to heal; 2, Jason Sobel, ESPN.com, Life Lessons of the Futures Tour; 3, Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.com, Keith Clearwater returns for a new chapter in his life.
Honorable mention: Jason Scott Deegan, travelgolf.com, Mountain Lake golf; Lisa D. Mickey, Duramedfuturestour.com, Tampa woman rises from First Tee program to become touring pro; Gary Van Sickle, SI.com, Masters spectators face a challenge.
NON-DAILY
NON-DAILY COLUMNS – 1, Rick Reilly, Sports Illustrated, Father’s tribute to late son; 2 (tie) Michael Bamberger, Sports Illustrated, Tiger misses the cut at the U.S. Open; Jeff Rude, Golfweek, David Feherty Unmasked; 3, Dan Jenkins, Golf Digest, Ryder Cup.
Honorable mention: James Achenbach, Golfweek, Kindness of Tim Simpson; Bill Fields, Golf World, Putting Phil Mickelson’s fall at Winged Foot into historical perspective; Dave Kindred, Golf Digest, Trip to Scotland topples high profile lobbyist; Ron Salsig, Golf Today, Golf tournament in Weed, California
NON-DAILY NEWS – 1, Bill Fields, Golf World, Unraveling the mysterious death and complicated life of Jim Simons; 2, Jeff Rude, Golfweek, Mickelson Meltdown Hands Open to Ogilvy; 3, Bill Fields, Golf World, Byron Nelson passes away at 94.
Honorable mention: John Hawkins, Golf World, Behind the U.S. Ryder Cup loss; Jim Moriarty, Golf World, Tiger Woods Wins PGA Championship; Ron Sirak, Golf World, Carolyn Bivens’ bumpy start.
‘NON-DAILY FEATURES – 1, Jim Moriarty, Golf World, Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen; 2, Jaime Diaz, Golf Digest, Roberto DiVicenzo; 3, James Achenbach, Golfweek, Iraq’s first golf course.
Honorable mention: Jeff Babineau, Golfweek, Darren Clarke at the Ryder Cup; Connell Barrett, Golf Magazine, The Unfunny Life of David Feherty; John Garrity, Sports Illustrated, Revisiting New Orleans; John Hawkins, Golf World, Tiger Woods’ 2006 season.
NON-DAILY SPECIAL PROJECTS – 1 (tie), Jaime Diaz, Golf Digest, Musicians and golf; Guy Yocom, Golf Digest, Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters twenty years later; 2 (tie), Dave Shedloski, Memorial Magazine, Swing coaches; John Antonini, Ryan Herrington, E. Michael Johnson, Tim Rosaforte, Matthew Rudy, Dave Shedloski, Golf World, Baby Bombers grip it and rip it; 3, John Barton, Tom Callahan, Bob Carney, David Owen, Charles P. Pierce, Golf Digest, Golf and life in Ireland.
Honorable mention: John Garrity, Sports Illustrated, Talking with Golf Ghosts; Larry Olmstead, Cigar Aficionado, China’s Mission Hills; David Owen, Golf Digest, Experiencing Dubai.
Contact:
Golf Writers Association of America
713/782-6664