The 2011 junior golf season was an exciting year, seeing numerous players play at a very high level.  The quality of play was excellent and the competition at each event seemed to bring out the best in the players.  Jacob Fair of Monett by virtue of his extra hole playoff victory over Donald Stimble, Shell Knob, at the Junior Amateur Championship at Silo Ridge GC.

Donald Stimble and Jacob Fair battled all day. Stimble was 3-under through 8 and then doubled 9. Fair ended nine at 2-under. At the end of the round, Fair and Stimble were tied with 1-under and headed to a play-off on hole 10 a par 4. Both hit great drives. Stimble went on to three putt the hole and Fair took a birdie giving him the Championship title.  recap of event.

Fair’s outstanding 8^th place finish at the MGA Missouri Stroke Play Championship held this year at Hickory Hills CC, Springfield garnered him the point championship and earning him the 2011 Junior Player of the Year.   After 72 holes at Stroke Play Fair finished even for the tournament (74/70/71/73)

Other juniors in the top five 2011 Player of the year were Carr Vernon, Poplar Bluff, Chris Fryatt, Lee’s Summit, John Skelton, Boonville and Austin Lowe, Kansas City.  Stimble, the runner-up at the 2011 Junior Amateur Championship finished 6^th on the points list.

Congratulations Jacob and all the players on an outstanding year in 2011.

November 15, 2011 Monett senior golfer Jacob Fair, signed a national letter of intent to play golf at the University of Missouri in Columbia in 2012.

The MGA congratulates him on a great season. Long, as with Groom (2011 MGA Senior Player of the Year) also earned this prestigious honor in 2009.

Long started his year playing in the 2011 Missouri Amateur Championship He was exempt from qualifying because of his top 12 finish on the 2010 points standings where he finished 2^nd behind Skip Berkmeyer, St. Louis.

He qualified for Match Play with a two round score of 78/75. In the Round 64 he competed against Steven Souchek, Columbia, Illinois and wins with a score of 3&2. Then he went up against Brent Holmes, Cape Girardeau and wins that match 1up. He is then matched up to play Brad Nurski, St. Joseph in the Round of 16. Long won the match 1 up. In the quarterfinals he beat Vernon Carr 6&4 and then played Justin Bryant, St Louis. Bryant won 1 up. Bryant advances to play in the 36 hole final against Berkmeyer. Berkmeyer won MGA Missouri Amateur 3&2. (Missouri Amateur was played at Boone Valley GC, Augusta)

He then competed in the MGA Stroke Play Championship at Hickory Hills CC, Springfield when he lost by one stroke (67/72/69/72--280) to Brian Haskell, St. Joseph.

Long competed and won by two strokes in the Commerce Bank Open over Will Echelmeier, Columbia.

Then on an even grander scale he qualified in August for the US Amateur at Dalhousie GC along with Justin Bryant and Skip Berkmeyer of Missouri. He then qualified for sectionals and made it to the second stage of the US Open.

Long was not eligible to play in the MGA Hieronymus Cup Matches because he competes at the college level.  Below is an insert from Mizzou Golf Team bio for Jace.

Long recorded one of the greatest seasons in Mizzou Golf history as a sophomore, winning four events including the 2011 NCAA Southeast Regional Championship ... The four wins are a single-season record at Mizzou ... Qualified for the NCAA Championships with his regional victory ... 2011 Ping Golf All-American ... 2011 Team USA member at the World University Games in China, where he finished 15th in the world ... Had nine Top 10 finishes as a sophomore and eight finishes in the top five ... Won three consecutive events, a first at Mizzou, with wins at the South Dakota State Jackrabbit Invitational, the Arkansas-Little Rock First Tee Classic and the Mizzou Intercollegiate ... Led the club with a 71.8 scoring average ... Tied the school record in the final round of the NCAA Regional Championship with a 10-under-par 62 ... The 62 is the lowest final round score in school history and the lowest ever for a Tiger at a postseason event ... Had 13 rounds in the 60s, including a 9-under-par 63 at the Jackrabbit to open play ... His 54-hole total of 199 at that event is the lowest finishing total in school history.

Congratulations again Jace on a very successful year and thank you for your support of the MGA and golf in the state of Missouri.

Other players in the top five 2011 Player of the Year are Brad Nurski, St Joseph, Brian Haskell, St Joseph, Skip Berkmeyer, Wildwood and Justin Bryant, St. Louis.

The MGA congratulates him on a great season.  This is not the first time Groom has earned this honor. He was also the 2009 MGA Senior Player of the Year. How did he do it? He started the year playing in the Ozark Invitational and finishing 3rd to Jeff Johnson, Ballwin and Mike Shelbourne of Kentucky. He then competed in the Payne Stewart Invitational where he finished tied for 9^th.

Then he qualified for the 2011 Missouri Amateur Championship at Meadowbrook Golf & CC. Groom qualified for Match Play and in the first round (64) he competed against Brevin Giebler, Cape Girardeau and wins with a score of 3&2. Then he is up against the young and very talented Wilson Sundvold of Columbia and wins that match 4&3. He is then matched up to play Patrick Riordan, Wildwood in the Round of 16. The match was basically all square through 18 when Riordan birdied 19 a par 4 to win 1 up. (Missouri Amateur was played at Boone Valley GC, Augusta)

Groom then competed in the MGA Senior Amateur at Rivercut GC in Springfield. He had a great come back after the first day where he was tied for 15^th. He ended up finishing in 3^rd (73/70 143) behind Rich Gleghorn, Springfield (68/69 137) and Don Bliss, Chesterfield (70/70 140). Groom then won the Senior Amateur division Commerce Bank Missouri Open at Old Hawthorne (71/73 144) over Bliss (74/71 145). Click here for full results

Groom was also an integral part of the 2011 MGA Hieronymus CupWest team. The Matches were played at Dalhousie GC in Cape Girardeau. The West teams won both the amateur and senior amateur divisions.

Congratulations again Steve on a very successful year and thank you for your support of the MGA and golf in the state of Missouri.

Other seniors in the top five 2011 Player of the Year were Jeff Johnson, Ballwin, Rich Gleghorn, Springfield, BJ Curry, Sedalia and Karl Elbrecht of St Louis.