Lowe & Scialabba Repeat as LIGA Players of the Year

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (November 22, 2023) – The Long Island Golf Association announced its players of the year and special awards at its annual end-of-year meeting on Tuesday evening.

Final Standings: Player of the Year | Senior Player of the Year

The LIGA Player of the Year award, established in 2012, identifies the top Long Island amateur player each season.

Matthew Lowe of Bethpage earned Long Island Player of the Year honors for the second straight year. Lowe’s 2023 featured a win and three more top-10 finishes. He was also a semifinalist at the Havemeyer Invitational.

The 27-year-old won the 75th MGA Public Links Championship in June and finished T23 at the Met Open at Arcola Country Club in August. Additionally, Lowe finished second at the New York City Amateur. Lowe made his international debut as a member of the MGA’s team at the 2023 Carey Cup, where the MGA beat Golf Ireland 11.5-1.5—earning two points for the MGA.

Peicheng Chen of Rock Hill was second, 182.5 points behind Lowe. Darin Goldstein of Deepdale came home third.

Like Lowe, Dave Scialabba of Meadow Brook repeated in 2023, winning Long Island Senior Player of the Year. Scialabba has won four straight player of the year awards. His play over the last four seasons has been the model of consistency among senior amateur players on Long Island.

In May, Scialabba won the Senior Masters Flight at the 2023 Richardson Memorial Championship sponsored by Keystone Electronics Corp. The 62-year-old added a fifth-place finish at the Long Island Senior Open and finished T8 at the 96th MGA Senior Amateur Championship in May. Additionally, Scialabba was the low amateur at the Long Island Senior Open and went on to finish in fifth. His year ended with a T7 at the LIGA Arthur Weber Memorial Senior Amateur.

Alan Specht of Port Jefferson CC at Harbor Hill finished second, and Dennis Lynch of Baiting Hollow rounded out the top three.

Marty Winkelman, a past LIGA president, was honored last night with the Distinguished Service Award for his service to the LIGA. Winkelman served the LIGA for over 30 years.