The Best of the SNGA 2017 Revealed

Championship – Edward Fryatt

Net – Nate Ross

Senior – Gary Carpendale

Silver – Frank Abbott

Senior Net – Don Blanton

Silver Net – John Kelley

2017 Volunteers of the Year

The SNGA wouldn’t be successful with the unselfish and amazing efforts of our volunteers. Our two Volunteers of the Year for 2017 are David Hon and Jackie Pierson. We deeply thank them–and all of our volunteers–for their service.

Edward Fryatt

In an extremely close points race, former UNLV star and PGA Tour player Edward Fryatt, who regained his amateur status a few years ago, edged out Josh Goldstein 983.17 to 982.50. Both played in 12 tournaments. Fryatt won the season-ending Southern Nevada Championship to clinch the award for the third year in a row. Fryatt won four times in 2017.

“It just means that I played well at the end of the year,” Fryatt said. “I never go into it with intention of winning Player of the Year. But I tried to concentrate on the tournaments that mean the most to me, the four majors, and the other stuff kind of takes care of itself. With everything on the line at the last event, and going to a course that I haven’t done well on (Las Vegas National), and to play well was a real confidence boost.”

Gary Carpendale

It must be an odd year because Gary Carpendale is your 2017 SNGA Senior Player of the Year. He also won the award in 2013 and 2015. In 2017, he won three times.

“Apparently I only win player of the every other year,” Carpendale laughed. “Consistency is the key for me. I have to play good in every one of them. It just shows that I had a good year. Don’t set out to achieve a goal like Player of the Year, but once it’s close, you start looking at it. It’s playing against all your friends and people you’re always around. Any time come out on top, it’s a great accomplishment.”

Frank Abbott

It was more of the same for the dominant Frank Abbott in the Silver Division. It is almost a foregone conclusion for Abbott to win Player of the Year and he did it again in 2017. It was the fourth-straight time Abbott has earned the award.

Nate Ross

Nate Ross played in only eight tournaments in 2017 on the net schedule, but won the Net Player of the Year award by a large margin over Michael Godfrey, 756.50 to 537.50. Ross won the Clark County Amateur, a major, in a playoff.

Don Blanton

Don Blanton had a busy year, playing in 15 tournaments and earning 804.50 points to win the Senior Net Player of the Year award by about 200 points over Chris Whatley.

“This was my second year in the SNGA since moving to Vegas in August 2015,” Blanton said. “After doing terrible in two or three tournaments in 2016, my goal in 2017 was to play often and learn from fellow players. I played in 15 tournaments in 2017 and my handicap in two years has gone from low 20s to 16, and my goal for 2018 is to be less than 12. I have significant room for improving my game and winning the Senior Net Championship this year was due to playing so many tournaments with a positive attitude. An example was in the last tournament of 2017, I had 55 on the front 9 after making a “11” on the 9th hole, but I shot 41 on back nine by not letting blow up holes ruin my attitude.”

John Kelley

In the Silver Net division, John Kelley won the Silver Net Player of the Year award again in 2017. He played in 14 tournaments and earned 1015 points.

“It’s pretty exciting and I wasn’t really sure until you asked the question,” Kelley said. “I didn’t play very well towards the end of the year, but early on I was playing very well. I was very consistent.

“What the SNGA and its staff and volunteers provide for us is great and they create a lot of opportunities for us. I really appreciate everything the SNGA does.”