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Ladue, MO – The 2021 Metropolitan Player of the Year Awards Reception took place Thursday, November 4th, at Old Warson Country Club.

Honorees were given their respective hardware for their accomplishments during the 2021 season. Curtis Brokenbrow capped off the night accepting his Metropolitan Player of the Year award.

Below is the list of honorees from the evening.

Four members from MAGA’s winning team at the Mid-America Junior Cup were in attendance.

Eva Brown, John Guerra, Ryan Walsh and Izzy Arro all were able to hold the cup after their names were engraved on the base last week.

The four of them helped MAGA win late last month to take a lead in the all-time series (MAGA 10, CLG 9, Four ties).

 

Dennis Byrne, General Manager of St. Louis Country Club, accepted his club’s award as Private Facility Host of the Year. St. Louis Country Club played host to MAGA’s premier event this year, the 31st Metropolitan Amateur Championship in August.

 

 

Shawn Barnes, PGA Head Golf Professional at Gateway National Golf Links, accepted their award for Public Facility Host of the Year. Gateway National hosted MAGA’s first championship of the season, the East Side Amateur, in May.

 

 

Tim Burch, Superintendent at St. Louis Country Club, accepted the award for Course Superintendent Staff of the Year. Tim and his staff hit a home run in their preparation for MAGA’s amateur championship in early August. The staff worked long hours in the days leading up to and during the championship to get their historic venue in pristine shape for the region’s best amateurs.

 

 

Ryan Johnson, Head Golf Professional at Sunset Country Club, accepted the Professional Staff of the Year Award. Ryan and his staff played host to Ellen Port’s historic win at the 29th Metropolitan Senior Amateur in August.

During the blistering heat over the two days of competition, Ryan and his staff played a crucial part in making sure their venue was ready to host MAGA’s premier senior men’s championship.

 

 

Mike Castellari of Greenview Golf Club received his SIGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year award from Ralph Chapman, past president of the Southern Illinois Golf Association. Castellari’s summer was highlight by two runner-up finishes at the SIGA Championship and Southern Illinois Amateur.

 

Joe Schwent, Director of Golf at the Country Club at St. Albans, accepted the Senior Women’s Player of the Year Award on behalf of Kathy Glennon. Kathy’s summer started out with a top-three finish at the Metropolitan Women’s Amateur. In July, she got in to the U.S. Senior Women’s Open after qualifying down in the Sarasota, Florida area.

 

 

Ellen Port of Sunset Country Club accepted her award as Metropolitan Women’s Player of the Year for the 23rd time. Ellen had an incredible summer of golf on a national and local scale.

Port’s play this season was highlighted by her win at the Metropolitan Senior Amateur, where she was the first women to compete in the championship flight and first woman to win MAGA’s premier senior men’s championship.

 

Brian Lovett of Bellerive Country Club was recognized as Senior Men’s Player of the Year. Lovett was Sectional Qualifying medalist at the Fort Wayne U.S. Senior Open qualifier. He fired a 1-under 70 and earned a spot in the field at Omaha Country Club in July.

He won the Metropolitan Four-Ball Championship with Buddy Allen at Franklin County Country Club. The team fired a 13-under over two rounds to win the Senior Division.

Curtis Brokwnbrow accepted his award as Metropolitan Player of the Year. The Missouri Baptist graduate’s first stroke play competition came at the Metropolitan Open Championship, where he earned the honor of Low-Amateur after going 2-under in a field of 94 professionals and only 40 amateurs.

The Manchester, England native finished runner-up at the Amateur Championship in August. His final round 6-under 65 was the lowest final round score in the championship’s history.

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