G-J148GNRLX6
Search
Close this search box.
AGN logo
January 13, 2022

Gordon Sargent, Molly Brown Davidson named AGA Players of the Year

By AGN Staff
Players of the Year Molly Brown Davidson Gordon Sargent

Season-long ranking system determines Players of the Year

Two-time defending Alabama Men’s Amateur champion Gordon Sargent and high school freshman Molly Brown Davidson are the Alabama Golf Association’s Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year for 2021.

It’s Sargent’s second time to be named Men’s Player of the Year, while it is Davidson’s first time to be honored. Davidson also was named Junior Girls Player of the Year.

Other honorees announced by the AGA this week were: John Wright, Senior Men’s Player of the Year; Kathy Hartwiger, Senior Women’s Player of the Year; Nick Dunlap, Junior Boys Player of the Year.

The AGA announced the winners this week on its website. The AGA uses a season-long ranking system to select its players of the year.

​​​​​​​In 1994, the Men’s Player of the Year Award was established. More recently, the award expanded to include Women (2010), Senior Men (2016) and Senior Women (2016), Junior Boys (2017), Junior Girls (2017).

Seven Alabama Men’s Players of the Year have competed on the PGA Tour or PGA Tour Champions. Notable past award winners include Garrett Osborn (2000), Patton Kizzire (2003), Bobby Wyatt (2011-2012), Michael Johnson (2013), and Robby Shelton IV (2015). Will Swift (2002, 2005, 2006) and Steve Hudson (2004, 2009, 2010) are tied for the most awards with three apiece.

Hartwiger holds most awards for Alabama Women’s Player of the Year with five (2010-2012, 2015, 2021).

Complete Alabama Amateur Player Rankings are available on the Alabama Golf Association website.

2021 Alabama Amateur Players of the Year

Men’s

Gordon Sargent of Birmingham is a freshman at Vanderbilt University. He is one of the five individuals chosen to receive the prestigious Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Award. He defended his state title at the Alabama State Amateur Championship, finished runner-up at the Western Amateur and was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Boys Junior Championship. He also advanced to the Round of 64 at this year’s U.S. Amateur. Sargent finished second at AJGA’s Ping Invitational, third at AJGA’s Simplify Boys Championship and went on to finish fourth at AJGA’s Rolex Tournament of Champions.

“It’s pretty special to be named as the Alabama Men’s Player of the Year,” Sargent said. “Jump-starting the summer and winning the State Am was big. It gave me my momentum heading into my freshman year of college.”

He is a two-time Alabama Boys State Junior Player of the Year (2019 & 2020) and two-time Alabama Men’s Player of the Year (2020 & 2021).

Women’s

Molly Brown Davidson of Birmingham is a freshman at Hewitt-Trussville High School. This is her first Alabama Women’s Player of the Year. She won multiple title this season, including the following events: SJGT Championship, Lee Hodges Classic, Mid-South Masters, Indian Pines, Callaway Gardens Junior Classic and the Cypress Lakes Golf Club. She finished second in the Alabama Women’s State Amateur, Alabama Women’s Stroke Play, Alabama Girls State Junior and Lake Mary Junior Open. She also finished T5 in both the AJGA Huntsville Junior and Magnolia Grove Junior Classic.

“It is such an honor to be named for both the Alabama Girls State Junior Player of the Year and the Alabama Women’s Player of the Year,” Davidson said. “I’d like to thank the AGA for helping me achieve my goals and better myself as a person. All glory to God for giving me the opportunity to compete with these incredible players. I look forward to the upcoming season and playing in more AGA events!”

She is the 2021 Alabama Women’s Player of the Year and 2021 Alabama Girls State Junior Player of the Year.

Senior Men’s

John Wright of Fairhope is the 2021 Alabama Senior Men’s Player of the Year. This is his second consecutive Alabama Senior Men’s Player of the Year award. He finished second at the Golfweek Senior Amateur Championship and third in the Golfweek Senior Challenge cup. Wright was a semifinalist in the 1st Alabama State Senior Match Play Championship. He secured top-10 finishes at the 24th Alabama State Senior Championship, 2021 Jones Cup and Golfweek Player of the Year Classic.

“I’d like to say what an honor it is to win for the second year in a row,” Wright said. “We have such a strong and competitive senior class, which makes it all the more rewarding.”

In 1989, Wright won the Alabama State Amateur Championship.

Senior Women’s

Kathy Hartwiger of Birmingham is the 2021 Alabama Senior Women’s Player of the Year. She claimed victory at the 3rd Alabama Women’s State Senior Four-Ball, the 3rd Alabama Women’s State Senior Match Play Championship and the 2021 WSGA Senior Championship. She also finished third at the 48th Alabama Women’s State Senior Amateur Championship and 64th Senior Women’s North & South Amateur. Hartwiger advanced to the Round of 64 at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and finished as a quarterfinalist in the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Hartwiger has won a record 21 Alabama State Championships.

2021 Junior Boys

Nick Dunlapof Huntsville is a senior at home school. He captured the U.S. Boys Junior Championship, winning his final match 3 and 2. Before that, he won the Dustin Johnson Junior World Championship, the U.S. Amateur qualifier and the AJGA’s Polo Golf Junior Classic. Dunlap finished T2 at both the Boys Junior PGA Championship and AJGA’s Wyndham Invitational. Dunlap will represent Alabama in next year’s U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Dunlap has one career AGA State Title: Alabama Boys State Junior (2018). Dunlap was the 2018 Alabama Boys Junior Player of the Year.

The Alabama Junior Players of the Year awards are based on Alabama State Junior Golf Rankings. The points accumulated from September 1 thru August 31 of the current year are taken into consideration.

Past Alabama Players of the Year Award Winners

Men

1994 – Eric Hamilton

1995 – Patrick Levio

1996 – John Coles

1997 – Eric Hamilton

1998 – Scott Weatherly

1999 – Joey Holley

2000 – Joey Holley

2001 – Talbert Griffin

2002 – Will Swift

2003 – Patton Kizzire

2004 – Steve Hudson

2005 – Will Swift

2006 – Will Swift

2007 – Garrett Osborn

2008 – Talbert Griffin

2009 – Steve Hudson

2010 – Steve Hudson

2011 – Bobby Wyatt

2012 – Bobby Wyatt

2013 – Michael Johnson

2014 – Stewart Jolly

2015 – Robby Shelton IV

2016 – Patrick Martin

2017 – Matt Gourgeot

2018 – Clay Guerin

2019 – William Buhl

2020 – Gordon Sargent

2021 – Gordon Sargent

Women

2010 – Kathy Hartwiger

2011 – Kathy Hartwiger

2012 – Kathy Hartwiger

2013 – Cammie Gray

2014 – Virginia Green

2015 – Kathy Hartwiger

2016 – Elaine Wood

2017 – Elaine Wood

2018 – Cammie Bentley

2019 – Anna Claire Little

2020 – Mychael O’Berry

2021 – Molly Brown Davidson

Senior Men

2016 – Steve Hudson

2017 – Steve Hudson

2018 – Claud Cooper

2019 – Robert Nelson

2020 – John Wright

2021 – John Wright

Senior Women

2016 – Susan West

2017 – Susan West

2018 – Susan West

2019 – Susan West

2020 – Susan West

2021 – Kathy Hartwiger

Junior Boys

2017 – Ethan Hagood

2018 – Nick Dunlap

2019 – Gordon Sargent

2020 – Gordon Sargent

2021 – Nick Dunlap

Junior Girls

2017 – Michaela Morard

2018 – Michaela Morard

2019 – Michaela Morard

2020 – Michaela Morard

2021 – Molly Brown Davidson

Have a story idea or a news item to report? Email bamagolfnews@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of the Alabama Golf Association

Lexi golf ball add 300x250