Gary Van Sickle, Tom Mackin Lead The Way In 26^th Annual ING Media Awards

ORLANDO, FL (Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m. 2020) – Gary Van Sickle took home a trio of first-place awards and Tom Mackin two in the 26th 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 47 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.

Van Sickle won with three articles that appeared in The Morning Read. One came in the Competition Writing Category with a piece titled “Amy Was Right!.” The second was in the Profile Writing Category (“Bill Johnston: A Life Well Lived”). The third was in the Feature Writing Category for “Woods Chases No. 42”.

Mackin won the Travel Writing Category for a story in Golf Magazine titled “Kiwi Will Rock You”. He also took top honors in the Equipment/Apparel Writing Category with an article in Arizona Golf Insider titled “Trending: Antigua Celebrates 40 Years”.

The Met Golfer in New York was the leading media outlet, taking home eight writing awards. FORE Magazine of the Southern California Golf Association won first place as the top entry in the Publications Category.

The Traveling Golfer, hosted by Tony Leodora, won the TV Category, and Leodora also placed in writing and radio categories for Golfstyles Magazine and Golf Talk Live in Philadelphia. Talking Golf With Ann Liguori on WFAN-New York was named best in the Radio Show Category.

There were several other multiple award winners (either First Place or Outstanding Achiever). They included Bill Fields of The Met Golfer; Holly Geoghegan of Golf Insiders Radio in Orlando; Joe Passov of FORE Magazine; Jon Rizzi of Colorado Avid Golfer; Adam Schupak of NCGA News; John Steinbreder of Global Golf Post; Rich Styles of The Back 9 Boys radio show, and freelancers Ed Travis and 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.

Results by category in the 2019 ING Media Awards

 

BUSINESS WRITING

1^st Place: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“The Workout Resolution”).

Outstanding Achievers: Kathy Bissell, The Golf Show.Com (“Big Shots: The Next Big Thing In Golf”); Tony Leodora, Golfstyles Magazine (“Adopt Or Die – The Modern Golf Club”); John Paul Newport, The Met Golfer (“The Leading Edge”).

 

COMPETITION WRITING

1^st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“Amy Was Right”)

Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, Masters.Com (“Tiger Completes Historic Comeback”); Gary Van Sickle, The Morning Read (“Tiger’s Finest Hour”); Len Ziehm, Chicagoland Golf (“ANWA Boosts Women’s Golf”).

 

EQUIPMENT & APPAREL WRITING

1^st Place: Tom Mackin, Arizona Golf Insider (“Trending: Antigua Celebrates 40 Years”)

Outstanding Achievers: Ed Travis, California Golf + Travel (“Cobra Golf’s Goal: Lead the Industry in Real Innovation”); Ken Van Vechten, The Met Golfer (“One Length to Rule Them All”); Len Ziehm, Chicagoland Golf (“The Power Of One”).

 

FEATURE WRITING

1^st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“Woods Chases No. 42”)

Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, The Met Golfer (“The Invaluables”); Joe Passov, FORE Magazine (“Hollywood Star”); Susan Reed, Met Golfer (“A Woman’s Place”); Judd Spicer, FORE Magazine (“A Day As A Golf Marshall”).

 

INTERNET VIDEO

1^st Place: Jamie McWilliams, Traveling Golfer (“Behind The Scenes: Golf Apparel”).

            Outstanding Achiever: George McNeilly, Sports Business Update (“One On One At John Deere Classic”).

 

OPINION/EDITORIAL 

1^st Place: Ed Travis, The A Position (“We Have Met The Enemy, And He Is Us”).

            Outstanding Achievers: Tom Doak, Met Golfer (“The Partnership”); Tina Mickelson, SCGA.Org (“My Perspective On Gender Bias”); Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (“Who’s Game Is It Anyway?”); Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“An Illuminating Evening At Pebble Beach”).

 

PODCAST

            1^st Place: ModGolf.Com, With Colin Weston (“Creating New Golf Markets That Make the Competition Irrelevant”).

            Outstanding Achiever: Biggs Golf Talk, with Jon Vic and Bill Cubeas (“USGC National Championship Live Show”).

 

PROFILE WRITING

            1^st Place: Gary Van Sickle, Morning Read (“Bill Johnston: A Life Well Lived”).

Outstanding Achievers: Bill Fields, The Met Golfer (“American Sportsman“); Tod Leonard, FORE Magazine (“A Life Rebuilt through Golf”); Jon Rizzi, Colorado Avid Golfer (“The Quest To Be Best”); Adam Schupak, NCGA Golf Magazine (“Home Is Where The Heart Is”).

 

PUBLICATIONS

1^st Place: FORE Magazine, Summer Issue (Jonathan Coe, Managing Editor)

Outstanding Achievers: Colorado Avid Golfer, April Issue (Jon Rizzi, Editor); The Met Golfer, August/September Issue (Jeff Neuman, Editor); NCGA Golf, Spring Issue (Adam Schupak, Editor);

 

RADIO SHOW

1^st Place: Ann Liguori, Talking Golf With Ann Liguori, WFAN, New York (“Sunday At The Masters”).

Outstanding Achievers: Holly Geoghegan, The Golf Insiders, iHeart Radio Orlando (“The U.S. Open Championship”); Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Coastal (“August 17 Show”); Fred Altvater, Back 9 Radio (“Solheim Cup Preview”).

 

RADIO SEGMENT

1^st Place: Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Radio (“Rick Riley – Commander In Cheat”).

Outstanding Achievers: Holly Geoghegan, The Golf Insiders, iHeart Radio Orlando (“Jim Nantz Interview”); Tony Leodora, Golf Talk Live Philadelphia (“Mike Schmidt – Baseball & Golf”).

 

TELEVISION SHOW

1^st Place: Tony Leodora, The Traveling Golfer (“Jacksonville/Jacksonville Beach”).

Outstanding Achiever: Dave Lockhart, Golf360 (“Fall Special”).

 

TRAVEL WRITING

1^st Place: Tom Mackin, Golf Magazine (“Kiwi Will Rock You”).

Outstanding Achievers: Ed Travis, California Golf + Travel (“100 Years Of Pebble Beach”); Matt McKay, FORE Magazine (“The Road Not Taken”); Joe Passov, FORE Magazine (“Portrush Redux”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“St. Andrews – Tassy Town”)