Zimmerman Caps Off Junior Golf Career by Capturing Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year Award
Concord, NH – As the 2021 golf season comes to a close, the New Hampshire Golf Association (NHGA) is proud to announce this season’s Player of the Year award recipients. Earning this year’s honors are Jim Cilley (Laconia CC) claiming the Thomas J. Leonard Jr. Player of the Year award, Tara Watt (Derryfield CC) earning the NHWGA Player of the Year award, Bryce Zimmerman (Nashua CC) with the Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year award for the second-straight season and Craig Steckowych (Portsmouth CC) winning the Senior Player of the Year award for two consecutive years.
The Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year award is given to the top performing Granite State junior golfer. In a season dedicated to three friends he lost this year and in his final year as a junior golfer, Bryce Zimmerman has earned this award for the second-straight year. Zimmerman is a regular participant in NHGA events and earned his way to the top by being the low junior golfer in two Stroke Play Series events and at the Players Invitational, an event that brings together the top players from the previous season. He advanced to the Round of 32 at this year’s New Hampshire Amateur Championship and earned a spot on New Hampshire’s New England Junior Invitational team. At that regional event, he was the low New Hampshire golfer and finished 12th among the best juniors in New England.
Only two other players have been awarded the Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year award twice in their careers, Chelso Barrett and Brandon Gillis. Barrett now competes professionally and Gillis, a college golfer at the University of Rhode Island, found himself in the final match of the New Hampshire Amateur Championship against James Pleat. Zimmerman joins these two players by earning the award for the second time.
“After seeing my good friend Mat Gover win this award in 2019, it was my goal to just try to get one too and to be able to get this award twice is just awesome. It’s an honor to be in that elite company with Chelso and Brandon”, stated Zimmerman.
Zimmerman began his competitive playing career on the NHGA Junior Golf Tour and has consistently improved over the years. He said, “Junior golf has given me so much and has gotten me to become the golfer I am today. It seems like yesterday that I was teeing it up in my first ever NHGA birdie event at Amherst Country Club and now I'm enrolled at the University of Hartford playing Division I golf.”
With this award, Zimmerman closes his junior golf chapter and is now a freshman at the University of Hartford where he has a roster spot on the Men’s Golf team.
Zimmerman commented, “This award will definitely give me confidence as I head into the spring season starting in January at the University of Hartford, and I hope this confidence will help me improve on some of the finishes I had during the fall season.”
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While he may have many goals set each season as he competes among the top players in New Hampshire and around the region, he stated, “The goals I have for myself moving forward is to just have fun with golf and see how my game holds up in the amateur ranks.”
The NHGA looks forward to keeping an eye on the success Bryce has with his game over the coming years.
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The Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year award is given to the top performing Granite State junior golfer. In a season dedicated to three friends he lost this year and in his final year as a junior golfer, Bryce Zimmerman has earned this award for the second-straight year. Zimmerman is a regular participant in NHGA events and earned his way to the top by being the low junior golfer in two Stroke Play Series events and at the Players Invitational, an event that brings together the top players from the previous season. He advanced to the Round of 32 at this year’s New Hampshire Amateur Championship and earned a spot on New Hampshire’s New England Junior Invitational team. At that regional event, he was the low New Hampshire golfer and finished 12th among the best juniors in New England.
Only two other players have been awarded the Kirk Hanefeld Junior Player of the Year award twice in their careers, Chelso Barrett and Brandon Gillis. Barrett now competes professionally and Gillis, a college golfer at the University of Rhode Island, found himself in the final match of the New Hampshire Amateur Championship against James Pleat. Zimmerman joins these two players by earning the award for the second time.
“After seeing my good friend Mat Gover win this award in 2019, it was my goal to just try to get one too and to be able to get this award twice is just awesome. It’s an honor to be in that elite company with Chelso and Brandon”, stated Zimmerman.
Zimmerman began his competitive playing career on the NHGA Junior Golf Tour and has consistently improved over the years. He said, “Junior golf has given me so much and has gotten me to become the golfer I am today. It seems like yesterday that I was teeing it up in my first ever NHGA birdie event at Amherst Country Club and now I'm enrolled at the University of Hartford playing Division I golf.”
With this award, Zimmerman closes his junior golf chapter and is now a freshman at the University of Hartford where he has a roster spot on the Men’s Golf team.
Zimmerman commented, “This award will definitely give me confidence as I head into the spring season starting in January at the University of Hartford, and I hope this confidence will help me improve on some of the finishes I had during the fall season.”
​
While he may have many goals set each season as he competes among the top players in New Hampshire and around the region, he stated, “The goals I have for myself moving forward is to just have fun with golf and see how my game holds up in the amateur ranks.”
The NHGA looks forward to keeping an eye on the success Bryce has with his game over the coming years.
EMAIL THIS TO A FRIEND