Junior Tour of Northern California Player of the Year

            In 2008 when the NCGA created its junior tour it created a “Player of the Year” award to honor the best player in the boys’ and girls’ divisions. After the NCGA joined its junior tour with the NCPGA at the end of 2010—creating the Junior Tour of Northern California (JTNC)—the award has continued to recognize the best boy and girl junior player in the region.

            Players can receive points by placing in the top 15 of the championship flight of JTNC events and also for their performance in other junior and outside events. Traditionally the point season has gone from  November 1 to October 31 of the following year, however in 2012 the point season will go through a transitional phase where the point season better aligns with the school year. The 2012 points season still started on November 1, but will end on the last day of the Tour Championship on August 14, 2012, for a shoretened nine-and-a-half month season. The 2013 points season will begin then on August 15, 2012 and end on August 14, 2013. Subsequent seasons will follow a similar 12-month time frame.    

Player of the Year Winners

2011 Boys’ Player of the Year Bryson DeChambeau

2011 Boys' Player of the Year: Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau played stellar golf throughout the 2011 year playing in a wide-range of junior events in Northern California and across the country. His year included seven top 10 finishes in Junior Tour of Northern California events, which included a win at his home course Belmont Country Club. In the other six events DeChambeau finished second, third, fourth, seventh (twice) and eighth.

His playing resume reached much further as he also finished second place in the boys 15-17 at the Callaway Junior World Championships, made it to the round of 32 in the U.S. Amateur and the NCGA Amateur Match Play Championship. DeChambeau won other events including the JGANC’s Len-Ross-Fresno City Junior and the 2011 Fresno City Amateur.

He earned a total of 1,910 points, holding off close competitors Ryan Han and Justin Pagila. DeChambeau, who will graduate high school in the spring 2012 will enroll at SMU in the fall and play for its golf team.

2011 Girls’ Player of the Year Casie Cathrea

2011 Girls' Player of the Year: Casie Cathrea

Cathrea dominated the girls division of the Junior Tour of Northern California in 2011 to give her a second consecutive Girls’ Player of the Year award. She earned 2,280 points in just nine events, meaning she earned an average of 253.33 points in the events she placed.

The events Cathrea entered she often ended up winning as she won four of the seven Junior Tour events she placed and in two of the other three she was runner-up. Additionally, Cathrea earned points by making it to the round of 32 in U.S. Girls Junior and finishing at the 2010 CWAC Women’s Championship held in November.

A highlight of Cathrea’s year, although she didn’t earn points for it, was winning the pro/junior portion of the Nature Valley First Tee Open. Cathrea was teamed up with two-time Masters Champion, Ben Crenshaw for the Champion’s Tour event at Pebble Beach GL in mid-July. Cathrea, 16, looks to continue to play in junior events before playing golf collegiately. She plans to attend Oklahoma State University after graduating high school.



Points Breakdown