PNGA Players of the Year

The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) has announced the region’s Players of the Year for 2022. Those honored include Men’s Player of the Year, AJ Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C.; Women’s, Lauryn Nguyen of Seattle, Wash.; Men’s Mid-Amateur, Andrew Von Lossow of Spokane, Wash.; Women’s Mid-Amateur, Krissy Carman of Eugene, Ore.; Senior Men’s, Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash.; Senior Women’s, Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C.; Junior Boys’, Max Herendeen of Bellevue, Wash.; and Junior Girls’, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.

    • Men’s Player of the Year: AJ Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C).

Now a senior on the Barry University men’s golf team in Miami, Fla., Ewart won seven individual collegiate titles this past year, was named a PING First Team All-American, and received the Jack Nicklaus Award as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur, and received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open. He finished 13th in the Canadian Men’s Amateur, and 29th in the Pacific Coast Amateur.

    • Women’s Player of the Year: Lauryn Nguyen (Seattle, Wash.).

A standout in the region’s golf scene for several years as a junior player, Nguyen continued her success in 2022 by earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in the PNGA Women’s Amateur, and then marching through the bracket to win the championship. She also finished third in the Washington Women’s Amateur. Now a sophomore on Northwestern University’s women’s golf team, Nguyen was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last spring, and finished sixth at the Big Ten Championship.

    • Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year: Andrew Von Lossow (Spokane, Wash.)

Playing in his first U.S. Amateur Championship at age 34, Von Lossow had earned co-medalist honors in qualifying, and then survived a playoff at the championship proper to make it into match play as the No. 63 seed. He then knocked off the No. 3-ranked amateur player in the world in the round of 64 to make it to the round of 32, where he lost on the final hole of the match. He finished tied for third in the Washington Men’s Amateur. Competing against the region’s PGA professionals, he tied for third in the Oregon Open and tied for eighth in the Rosauers Open.

    • Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year: Krissy Carman (Eugene, Ore.)

Carman had not played competitive golf since 2018, but once back on the course she racked up a win at the 2022 Oregon Women’s Stroke Play Championship, earned medalist honors at the Oregon Women’s Amateur, then runner-up finishes at the Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur and the OGA Tournament of Champions. Carman was the qualifying medalist for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, and at the championship proper she ran the table in winning the national title, the crowning achievement of her comeback year.

    • Senior Men’s Player of the Year: Erik Hanson (Kirkland, Wash.)

In 2022, Hanson saw success locally, regionally and nationally. He won the PNGA Senior Men’s Amateur and the Washington Senior Men’s Amateur. He tied for fourth at the Washington Senior Open, tied for 13th in the PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur, and tied for 19th in the Washington Men’s Mid-Amateur. Hanson has played in 15 USGA national championships, and this year was the first time he qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur, where he made the round of 64.

    • Senior Women’s Player of the Year: Shelly Stouffer (Nanoose Bay, B.C)

Stouffer earned regional and national titles all across North America. In short order, she won the PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur, B.C. Senior Women’s Amateur, Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur, and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

    • Junior Boys’ Player of the Year: Max Herendeen (Bellevue, Wash.)

Herendeen took home a national title when he won the 2022 PGA Junior Boys’ Championship. Locally, he won the WIAA 3A High School State Championship and the WJGA Players Open, and finished second in the Washington Men’s Amateur, one shot back of the winner. He was the qualifying medalist at the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur, and made it to the semifinals before coming up short of the finals .                      

    • Junior Girls’ Player of the Year: Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.)

Kim finished second in the Canada Summer Games, and third in the Canadian Women’s Amateur. She had top-10 finishes in the Junior Orange Bowl Invitational, ANNIKA Invitational, NextGen Pacific Championship, and the World Junior Girls’ Championship. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and the PGA Junior Girls’ Championship.