Van Sickle, Steinbreder, Met Golfer Lead The Way In 25th Annual ING Media Awards

ORLANDO, FL (Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m. 2019) – Gary Van Sickle and John Steinbreder each won two categories in the 25th Annual ING Media Awards program. 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. A total of 51 First-Place and Outstanding Achiever awards were announced at the presentation press conference conducted in ClubING at the PGA Show. Media Awards sponsors this year were Nexbelt, Volvik, Zero Friction and PGA Golf Exhibitions.

Also at the presentation, ING members Jan Stephenson and Dennis Walters were honored for their inductions into the World Golf Hall of Fame, taking place in June.

Van Sickle won with two articles that appeared in The Morning Read. One came in the Competition Writing Category with a piece titled “Tiger Lives!,” and the other in the Profile Writing Category: “The Man Who Beat Parkinson’s – With Golf.”

Steinbreder, who writes for Global Golf Post, scored in the Travel Writing category with “Continental Charm,” and in the Feature Writing Category with “Tales From The Design Trail.” Van Sickle also took home three Outstanding Achiever awards and Steinbreder one.

The Met Golfer was the leading media outlet, taking home nine awards. That total included a first place in the Publications Category, and a win by Tom Doak in the Opinion/Column Category.

Dave Lockhart of Golf360 won the TV Category, Matt Melliver of The Golf Industry Podcast won the Radio Show/Podcast Category, and Fairways Media took home top honors in a new category, Internet Video.

There were several other multiple award winners (either First Place or Outstanding Achiever). They included Bill Fields of The Met Golfer, freelancer Tony Dear, Alexander Alavoie of Chronogolf, Vic Williams of Golf Tips Magazine, broadcaster Ann Liguori, Rich Styles of The Back 9 Boys radio show, George McNeilly of Orlando Business TV, Fred Altvater of Back9 Report and freelancer Len Ziehm.

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.  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: Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian (“Tiger Woods”)
Outstanding Achievers: Tom Coyne (“A Course Called Scotland”); Chris Rodell (“Arnold Palmer-Homespun Stories of The King”).

BUSINESS WRITING
1st Place: Alexander Alavoie, Chronogolf Blog (“How to Reach Millennial Golfers”).
Outstanding Achievers: John Paul Newport, The Met Golfer (“Sticker Shock”); Gary Van Sickle, The Morning Read (“For Bridgestone, Tiger Matters”).

COMPETITION WRITING
1st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“Tiger Lives!”)
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, Golf World UK (“What And Where Is Bellerive CC”); Len Ziehm, The Daily Herald (“Park Wins KPMG In Playoff”).

EQUIPMENT & APPAREL WRITING
1st Place: Vic Williams, Golf Tips Magazine (“The Complete Power Package”)
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, Colorado Avid Golfer (”The Clubfitter Turned Clubmaker”); Ed Travis, The A Position (“Dangerously Wrong”); Ken Van Vechten, The Met Golfer (“The Sweetest Sound”).

FEATURE WRITING
1st Place: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Tales From The Design Trail”).
Outstanding Achievers: David Barrett, The Met Golfer (“The Superintendent’s Revenge”); Hank Gola, The Met Golfer (“Mission Accomplished”); Gary Van Sickle, The Morning Read (“PGA Misses Lyle”); Len Ziehm, Chicagoland Golf (“The Healing Game”).

INTERNET VIDEO
1st Place: Randy Dodson, Fairways Media (“Utah Golf Reround Show-August 2018)”).
Outstanding Achievers: Dan Higgins, Golf Channel (“Legacy Links”); George McNeilly, Orlando Business TV (“Amazing Golf Products”).

OPINION/EDITORIAL
1st Place: Tom Doak, The Met Golfer (“Consulting Report: Mission Impossible”).
Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, Met Golfer (“Doglegs By The Dozen”); Alexander Lavoie, Chronogolf Blog (“No, Millennials Don’t Want To Play A 5-Hour Round Of Golf”); Ann Liguori, WFAN.Com (“Tradition Rich Shinnecock Should Provide Tough Test”); Len Ziehm, Chicagoland Golf (“The Big Conflict”).

PROFILE WRITING
1st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“The Man Who Beat Parkinson’s-With Golf”).
Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, The Met Golfer (“Novel Approach“); Jon Rizzi, Colorado Avid Golfer (“Apres-Golf In Aspen”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Retiring Uihlein Burned A Splendid Torch”).

PUBLICATIONS
1st Place: The Met Golfer, April/May 2018 Issue (Jeff Neuman, Editor).
Outstanding Achievers: Colorado Avid Golfer, June Issue (Jon Rizzi, Editor); Golf Oklahoma, College Championship Preview Edition (Ken MacLeod, Publisher); Golf Tips Magazine, July/August Issue (Vic Williams, Editor); NCGA News (Adam Schupak, Editor).

RADIO SHOW/PODCAST
1st Place: The Golf Industry Podcast, Matt Welliver, Host (“The Ryder Cup With Paul Armitage”).
Outstanding Achievers: Talking Golf Getaways, With Mitch Laurance & Darin Bunch, GolfNewsNet.com; Talking Golf, With Ann Liguori, WFAN –NY; The ModGolf Podcast, With Colin Weston.

RADIO SEGMENT
1st Place: Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Radio (“Dr. Bob Jones 1V Interview”).
Outstanding Achiever: Fred Altvater, Back 9 Report (“Ryder Cup Preview”); Chuck Garbedian, Garbedian On Golf (“Armen Keteyian Interview”); Ann Liguori. Talking Golf With Ann Liguori (“Nancy Lopez Interview).

TELEVISION SHOW
1st Place: Dave Lockhart, Golf360 (“September 2018”).
Outstanding Achiever: Fred Altvater, Back9 Report (“USAGA”); Tony Leodora, The Traveling Golfer (“The Abaco Club”); George McNeilly, Orlando Business TV (“PGA Merchandise Show”).

TRAVEL WRITING
1st Place: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Continental Charm”).
Outstanding Achievers: Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (“Myrtle Beach. Seriously.”); Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“The Joy Of Playing Unimpeded”); Vic Williams, Golf Tips Magazine (“An Outback Original”).