It was an active spring for local golfers who won tournaments, awards and the hearts of many. Here is the latest from the northern Kentucky golf world featuring some of the top players and pros in the area.
ELDRIDGE, WALTERS HONORED BY KPGA
The Kentucky PGA Section has recognized 13 individuals serving in various capacities in the Kentucky golf industry. All received a special annual award from the KPGA after careful consideration. Each award focuses on a specific part of the industry, with the honored individuals demonstrating success in their respective categories. Among those celebrated at the 2025 KPGA Spring Member Conference were a pair of local professionals, Aaron Eldridge and Tom Walters.
Eldridge, working at Traditions Golf Club in Hebron, is the KPGA Assistant Professional of the Year. The award recognizes overall excellence as an assistant professional both as a player and instructor.
Walters, head golf pro at Summit Hills Country Club in Crestview Hills, won the Bill Strausbaugh Award. The honor recognizes PGA professionals who distinguished themselves through their day-to-day efforts mentoring fellow PGA pros to improve their employment situations and serve the community. Walters golfed at Northern Kentucky University.
The 70th Golf Professional of the Year is Eric Gilliland at Louisville’s Audubon Country Club. It’s one of the highest honors the PGA bestows. Gilliland has held his position since 1999. He’s received numerous accolades from the Kentucky PGA, including a previous Golf Professional of the Year in 2004 and three Bill Strausbaughs.
Elsewhere around the links:
KENTUCKY POINTS STANDINGS
Here’s the latest in a smattering of Kentucky points categories heading into this week’s action.
The KPGA Larry Gilbert Player of the Year points leader is — who else — Aaron Eldridge, the area’s hottest golfer. He has totaled 1,672.50 points with two victories in four events. Eldridge, 39, has an outright win at Pro-Senior #1 and a tie for first at the Pro-Assistant/Pro-Pro. He placed second at the Bill Long Mega Pro-Am and third at the Pro-Lady.
Eldridge is 438.50 points ahead of the appropriately named Daniel Iceman, who has coolly accrued the digitally sequential total of 1,234 points in four events. Iceman is from Shelbyville’s Weissinger Hills Golf Course. The next highest local golfer is Andrew Stephens from The Stephens Golf Center in Burlington. He’s 14th with 431.08 points in two events. He tied for fourth at Pro-Senior #1 and tied for eighth at the Pro-Assistant/Pro-Pro.
The Senior Player of the Year points leader is Summit’s Tom Walters. The affable and mighty capable 51-year-old has 2,321 points through three events. Walters finished second at the Bill Long Mega Pro-Am Senior. He tied for second at the Pro-Lady Senior and tied for fourth at Pro-Senior #1.
In the amateur category, Burlington’s Jared Baysinger is the local leader in the Tom Musselman Award points race for senior men. He has amassed 100 points, good for a three-way tie for 20th place.
The local leader for the Dale Barnstable Award for men’s masters is Covington’s Scott Caldarelli. He’s in a tie for 31st place with 27.33 points. The Herb McGuire Award going to the top men’s mid-amateur has a familiar name as the local leader. It’s Alexandria’s Eric Fuldner. He’s tied for 17th with 75 points.
THE WOOLWINE WATCH
Dixie Heights High School golf standout Jack Woolwine has had some early success on the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association 1905 Junior Tour. Woolwine, a rising junior at Dixie, won the age 16-18 division at the New Vienna Junior Challenge at Snow Hill Golf Course. He outlasted the 13-player field with a score of 78. That was good for a one-shot advantage over Tripp Johnson from Moeller High School in Cincinnati. Woolwine went up against 12 other Ohio golfers his age and older and beat them all.
Woolwine, 10th at last season’s KHSAA Region 7 tournament, leads the 1905 Junior Tour Boys 16-18 Division player of the year standings. He tops the group despite being one of the division’s youngest golfers. Woolwine, 16, has 480 points in five events with one victory. In addition to his win in New Vienna, he tied for second at both the Elks Junior Open and Walden Junior Open. He finished in a tie for fourth at the Notah Begay III Local Qualifier.
Woolwine tied for sixth at the Winton Woods Clash & Future Champions World Championship Qualifier. Future Champions Golf (FCG) is an international junior tour that hosts competitive events for youngsters, including qualifiers like the Winton Woods Clash, which feed into larger tournaments such as the FCG Callaway World Championship. Basically, if you’re a young, rising golf standout, FCG is one of the big stages to prove your game.
WOTHERSPOONÂ TOPÂ LOCALÂ ATÂ KENTUCKYÂ AMATEUR
Former Cooper golfer Rylan Wotherspoon tied for 11th at the 111th Kentucky Amateur Championship, a three-day event at Lexington Country Club. The University of Cincinnati player carded 3-under-par 216, 10 shots behind winner Warren Thomis (206). Thomis earned an exemption at the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship August 11–17 at The Olympic Club’s Lake and Ocean Courses in San Francisco, Calif.
WALTERS & CO. RUNNERS-UP AT PRO-LADY
The foursome of pro Tom Walters and ladies Elise Baynum, Katie Haag and Dawn Brewster from Summit Hills finished second at the KGA Pro-Lady Tournament. The group was the highest finisher among local participants. The next highest local group was the foursome of pro CJ Jones and ladies Lauren Obermeier, Courtney Seyfried and Susan Broussard of Triple Crown Country Club. They tied for seventh.
Jones and Walters tied for fourth in the Pro-Lady low pro standings, both at 2-under 70.