Other Met Area Players of the Year
October 28, 2009 - Twelve players from the amateur and professional ranks were honored as several Met Area golf associations announced their players of the year. Starting off in New Jersey, the NJSGA award was shared by 2007 MGA Senior Amateur champion Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge and Mike Deo of High Bridge Hills. Blumenfeld, who was the 2006 NJSGA Player of the Year, held a mere 10-point lead over Deo at the end of the season and the NJSGA decided to honor both players for their outstanding play this year.
The Metropolitan PGA featured another tight race for their player of the year award as Greg Bisconti of Saint Andrew’s edged out Frank Bensel 
of Century for the honor. Both players had impressive seasons, especially Bisconti, who in addition to winning the Treiber Memorial this month also finished as the low club professional at the PGA Championship in August. Bensel notched victories at the Metropolitan Professional Championship as well as the Connecticut State Open.
Brett Jones of Trump National-Bedminster was honored by the New Jersey PGA as the section’s player of the year. Jones won the NJPGA Match Play Championship in October and collected other top finishes, including a tie for third place at the Met Open and tie for fourth at the NJPGA Section Championship, earning him enough points to finish ahead of two-time NJPGA Player of the Year Frank Esposito of Brooklake.
Jeff Hedden of Black Hall was named player of the year by the Connecticut State Golf Association. Hedden’s strong play enabled him to edge out 2009 Met Amateur champ Cameron Wilson of Shorehaven, who finished second, and 2009 Ike winner Mike Ballo Jr. of Woodway, who finished fourth. David Pastore of Griff Harris, the 2009 Met Junior champion, finished tied for ninth.
The best season of Mike Ballo’s career was rewarded by the Westchester Golf Association, which named him their player of the year. Ballo’s victories at the Ike and the Westchester Amateur were enough to beat out John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow, who was runner-up at the Met Amateur and finished tied for second at the MGA Mid-Amateur. The WGA’s other players of the year included Greg Bisconti (Professional Player of the Year), Cameron Wilson (Boys Player of the Year), Becky Montgelas of Wee Burn (Women’s Player of the Year), Jim Graham of Winged Foot (Senior Player of the Year) and Nicole Morales of Centennial (Girls Player of the Year).
Becky Montgelas also garnered player of the year honors from the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association after finishing tied for third at the Women’s Met Amateur and reaching the semifinals at the WMGA Match Play Championship. Sherry Herman of Eagle Oaks, the 2009 USGA Senior Amateur champion, was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award for her very impressive season. The WMGA also honored Gerri Scarpa of North Jersey CC for her longtime service to the WMGA and women’s golf. Scarpa began her service with the WMGA as a member of the board in 1996 and she served as president of the association from 2003-2004.
See the links below for the final player of the year standings for the above golf associations. Click here to see the current standings for the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year. The MGA Player of the Year will be honored at the MGA Annual Meeting on December 2 at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y.
Player of the Year Standings:
Connecticut State Golf Association
