Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB) is pleased to announce the 2022 Golf NB Players of the Year.
The Player of the Year (POY) is a ranking system that awards points to players based on tournament results throughout the golfing year. It is designed to promote golf development through competition and celebrate the individual achievements of golfers in New Brunswick.
Leanne Richardson – Country Meadows Golf Club
A name synonymous with New Brunswick Women’s Golf once again sits atop the Royale NB Women’s Player of the Year standings as Country Meadows’ Leanne Richardson tallied 193.5 points on route to capturing the 2022 Royale NB Women’s Player of the Year Championship.
Impressive play throughout the season saw Richardson capture the 2022 NB Women’s Senior title along with 5 Club Invitational victories and a T-22 finish at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in Headingly, Manitoba.
Pam Cossey’s consistent play would see her finish in second place, 14.5 points behind Richardson with a season total of 179.0 points. The Rockwood Park member participated in 10 qualifying events highlighted by wins at the Driscoll Stears Ladies Invitational and Gowan Brae Ladies Invitational along with a top-10 finish in the 2022 NB Women’s Provincials, Driven by Audi Moncton.
For the second consecutive season, Miramichi’s Paula Napke-Flanagan secured third position thanks to her successful run of play which included, eight top-10 finishes and a T-13 finish at the 2022 NB Women’s Provincials, Driven by Audi Moncton, combining for a season total of 117.5 POY points.
Michel Landry – Fredericton Golf Club
2022 proved to be a successful season and a year filled with silverware for Fredericton’s Michel Landry. A victory in the season opening Don Sinclair was a telling sign of things to come as Landry followed up his win with an impressive stretch of play over three days at the NB Men’s Amateur Championship. A dramatic final round would see Landry capture his fifth provincial amateur title and once again secure the Taylormade Men’s Player of the Year title with 100.0 points.
Impressive performances throughout the season including T-3 at the Don Sinclair and a T-9 finish in the 2022 NB Men’s Amateur, would see Peter Wedge Jr. finish second in the Taylormade NB Men’s Player of the Year Challenge. The Riverside member earned with 58.5 points during the 2022 season, finishing 41.5 point back of first place.
Finishing in third position was 2022 Team NB Mid-Amateur player and Riverside member, Greg Steele. Steele recorded a second-place finish at the NB Men’s Amateur Championship, finishing one behind winner Michel Landry to amass a season total of points 56.0.
Shawn Branch – Country Meadows Golf Club
Country Meadows’ Shawn Branch had an incredible 2022 golf season. Victories at four Club Invitationals would propel him to the top of the season-long Wacky’s Flooring Senior Men’s Player of the Year Challenge. Capturing a total of 153.0 POY points from ten qualifying events, Branch would secure his first NB Senior Men’s Player of the Year Crown over Miramichi’s Pat Flanagan.
Flanagan finished the year with a 88.3 points from eight qualifying events. His second-place finish in the NB Wacky’s Flooring Senior Men’s Player of the Year Challenge capped off a successful season.
Finishing 5.3 points behind Flanagan in third place was West Hills’ Dan Coulombe. The former New Brunswick Champion completed the season-long race with 83.0 points after participating in three events, including the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship in Red Deer, Alberta.
Callie Taylor – The Riverside Country Club
Riverside’s Callie Taylor had a successful 2022 season as she claimed her first Golf NB Junior Girls Player of the Year crown.
Taylor’s victories at the East Coast Junior, NB Under-19 Championship, and NB Under-17 Championship earned her 14.0 and 27.0 POY points respectively, totalling 41.0 POY points for the season.
Finishing 3.8 points behind Taylor in the race was clubmate Addison McClune who’s performances at the NB Under-19 & Under-17 Championships saw her finish the season with 37.2 points.
Based on the play in 2020, 2021, and 2022, The Riverside duo both earned the opportunity to represent New Brunswick at the 2022 Canada Games which took place in August.
Rounding out the top-3 in the Golf NB Junior Girls Player of the Year Challenge was Fox Creek’s Neve Miller. An impressive run of play throughout the 2022 season would see Neve finish with 33.4 points, 3.8 points behind McClune.
Julien Babineau – Fox Creek Golf Club
A great run of form and consistent play sees Fox Creek’s Julien Babineau, capture the 2022 NB Junior Boys Player of the Year Challenge. A record-high of 117.0 POY points was enough to secure the victory in New Brunswick’s Order of Merit competition.
Babineau’s 2022 campaign was highlighted by victories at the East Coast Junior and NB Under-19 Championship which were accompanied by a T-11 finish at the New Brunswick Amateur. Topping off an incredible season of individual achievements, Julien’s performance also secured him a spot on Team NB for the 2022 Canada Summer Games which took place in Niagara Falls in August.
Finishing 36.0 points behind Babineau was clubmate and Team NB Junior Boys Alternate, Jacob LeBlanc. A win at the NB Under-17 Championship contributed to LeBlanc’s season total of 81.0 points.
Securing a third-place finish in the season-long Order of Merit race would be Gage’s Noah Riggs with 76.0 points. His third place finish at the NB Under-19 Championship earned Riggs with a position on Team NB at the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship in BC.