The Kentucky Golf Association has made significant changes to the way points are awarded for its Player of the Year honors. These updates are designed to make the program more inclusive, competitive, and a truer reflection of performance across the full season.

Every Event Now Counts

The most notable change impacts the John C. Owens Award (men’s overall Player of the Year) and the Marion Miley Award (women’s overall Player of the Year).

Previously, only open and mid-amateur events contributed to the overall standings, which limited the number of players in contention. Beginning in 2026, every KGA event will count toward the overall Player of the Year race. This change ensures that players across all age divisions are competing for the overall Player of the Year award from the start of the season, creating a more complete and competitive measure of performance.

Points Are Weighted by Field Strength

While every event now contributes to the overall standings, not all events carry equal weight. Points are allocated based on the strength of the field, with the Kentucky Amateur and Kentucky Open offering the highest point totals due to the depth and competitiveness of those fields.

Events limited to specific age divisions are scaled accordingly, ensuring a balanced and fair system across all competitions. Full details on the updated points structure are available on the KGA's points allocation page.

A More Accessible Award

To be eligible for the Player of the Year awards, players must compete in a minimum of two KGA-sanctioned events during the season. Points earned through USGA qualifiers, championships, and other non-KGA but Kentucky-run events, will continue to count toward your overall point total, however, they do not count toward the minimum participation requirement.

Men's

The KGA will continue to recognize Player of the Year honors across all men's divisions, including the 24-and-Under, the Herbie McGuire Award for Mid-Amateur (25 and older), the Tom Musselman Award for Senior (50 and older), the Dale Barnstable Award for Masters (60 and older), and the Don Smith Award for Legends (70 and older). Points earned in each of these divisional events will also count toward the John C. Owens overall Player of the Year Award, meaning every round played in a KGA event contributes to both a player's divisional standing and the overall Player of the Year race. See Appendix A.

Women's

The KGA will likewise continue to recognize Player of the Year honors across all women's divisions, including the 24-and-Under, the Louise Wilson Award for Mid-Amateur (25 and older), the Anne Combs Award for Senior (55 and older), and the Bettie Lou Evans Award for Super-Senior (65 and older). Points earned in each of these divisional events will also count toward the Marion Miley overall Player of the Year Award, meaning every round played in a KGA event contributes to both a player's divisional standing and the overall Player of the Year race. See Appendix B.

A New Category: 24-and-Under

The KGA has also introduced a new Player of the Year category for players aged 24 and under, with dedicated honors for men and women. Players must be 24 or younger by April 15th and compete in at least one KGA-sanctioned event to be eligible. This award is to be named at a later date. 

Amateur Series POY Point Changes

The KGA has also updated the Am Series Player of the Year points structure. The Am Series Championship will now award double the points of regular series events, placing greater emphasis on performance in the final series event of the season.  Full details on the Amateur Series Player of the Year point allocations can be found on the Amateur Series scoring page.

Questions?

These updates reflect the KGA’s ongoing commitment to improving our tournament program and ensuring our Player of the Year races are competitive, fair, and meaningful. We know our players care deeply about the points system, and that passion is what drives us to continue evaluating and strengthening it each year.  For other changes made to the POY points allocations, you can visit our website by clicking HERE. 

For any additional questions, contact Erik Stauderman, Director of Amateur Competitions, at estauderman@kygolf.org.

Appendix A

2026 KGA John C. Owens (Overall) Player of the Year Points Allocations

Appendix B

2026 KGA Marion Miley (Overall) Player of the Year Points Allocations