WGA Holds Spring Meeting, Honors 2017 Players of the Year
James Nicholas & Jim Romaniello
SCARSDALE, N.Y. (April 25, 2018) -- The Westchester Golf Association on Tuesday, April 24 held its Spring Meeting and Club Conference at Sunningdale Country Club, which will host the 96th Westchester Open Championship Presented by Callaway, July 9-10. Following an afternoon of golf, the WGA's 2017 Amateur Player of the Year Award winners were recognized for their outstanding seasons.
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Yale University junior James Nicholas of Westchester Country Club accepted the Player of the Year Award fresh off celebrating an Ivy League Championship title with his Bulldog squad last weekend and in between final exams. Nicholas once again maintained a busy training schedule through the winter and aims for another successful season. In 2017, Nicholas finished as a semifinalist in the Westchester Amateur and as the low amateur at the Westchester Open, both of which also propelled him to earning the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award.
Senior Player of the Year Jim Romaniello of Shorehaven shared insight to his golf history, saying he didn't become serious with the game until the age of 30 and expressed his gratitude of claiming the award. Romaniello had a stellar 2017, winning the Westchester Senior Amateur, Danbury Senior Amateur, and finishing as low amateur in the Connecticut Senior Open.
Junior Player of the Year Jud Langille could not attend the evening ceremony due to a rescheduled high school match. Howevver, his mother, Gwen, accepted the award on his behalf, saying that Jud is motivated to win the title again so he can have the opportunity to accept in person. Langille claimed both the Westchester and MGA Boys titles in 2017 en route to his honor.
The WGA Player of the Year Awards are all named in honor of the late Guido Cribari, a longtime Westchester golf writer, enthusiastic supporter of the game and charter member of the Westchester Caddie Scholarship Fund. Cribari's daughter Lisa and son-in-law, Ray Infarinato, were present at the ceremony with Ray sharing an ode to Guido and presenting a toast in his remembrance prior to the presentations.
The event also featured a morning program in which President Benjamin C. Kirschenbaum welcomed attendees, which included a variety of representatives from member clubs. Johanna Gavin, MGA Senior Manager, Caddie Scholarship Funds also provided an update on the Westchester CSF activities heading into the golf season. A Q&A with representatives for each of the three USGA events set to take place in the Met Area this summer followed, with Beth Post (Quaker Ridge, Co-Chair, Curtis Cup) Andy Stock (Baltusrol, General Chair, U.S. Junior Amateur) and Joe Sprague (USGA, Director of Northeast Regional Affairs, U.S. Open) providing insight to each event.