GARTH COLLINGS WINS GOLF MANITOBA GOLFER OF THE YEAR AND BETTY GRANT HONORED AS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

(Winnipeg MB Tuesday, October 20^th / 09)– Breezy Bend Country Club’s Garth Collings was awarded the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award for the fifth time this past Monday at Golf Manitoba’s Annual Awards Dinner at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

Collings, now a 15-time nominee, won the Manitoba amateur for the third time, had a runner up finish in the mid-amateur, won the mid-masters category (40-and-over) and was a member of two provincial teams (willingdon cup and mid-amateur). He finished tied for 10^th at the Canadian mid-amateur and 5^th at the national mid-masters. He also won the Grey Owl Championship for a record eighth victory. Collings is currently ranked 21^st on the RCGA Order of Merit.

The other finalists for this premier award for amateur golf in Manitoba were TYLER MANCINI of Pine Ridge and RYAN PITZEL of Rossmere.

Six players earned honourable mentions for their strong 2009 campaigns: Tammy Gibson of St. Boniface, Jill Hardy of the Golf Manitoba Public Player Club, Don Jackson of Portage, Scott Markham of Niakwa, Jesse Skelton of Breezy Bend and Lindsay Stewart of Selkirk.

The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award dates back to 1975, and was presented for the 35^th time on October 19^th.

A second prestigious award was presented on Monday night to Betty Grant of the Windsor Park Ladies Golf as the third recipient of the annual Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award. Betty has been a volunteer since 1997 both with the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association (MLGA) and Golf Manitoba. She served on the MLGA Board of Directors as Rules Assistant, Rules Chair and Teams Director and currently serves on the Golf Manitoba Officials Committee. She works as a Rules Official at Golf Manitoba events and is very well respected by fellow officials, volunteers, competitors and staff.

Betty is a founding member of the Windsor Park Ladies Golf Club which was formed in 1977 where she has served terms as Secretary-Treasurer, President, Sports Captain, and approx. 20 years as Rules Chair. She was also responsible for drafting the club's constitution.

She is also an original member of the Crescent Drive Thursday Ladies’ Group where she has served as Secretary – Treasurer and Sports Captain.

A passionate player of the game, she is two time winner of the CLGA / RCGA Pin Rounds at Windsor Park and well as the CLGA / RCGA low net twice in the Club Championship. Betty is also an eight time club champion of the Crescent Drive Thursday Ladies’ Group.

When she is not volunteering for Golf Manitoba or playing golf, she spends some of her time volunteering as a starter at the Southwood G&CC.

“Betty Grant exemplifies what it means to be a volunteer for Golf Manitoba,” said Harvey Goehring, new president of Golf Manitoba. “Her passion for the rules of golf is very evident and her professionalism on the golf course is a true asset to our association. Betty’s diligence and dedication in all she does is beyond belief.”

Along with the Distinguished Service Award, Golf Manitoba also recognized all volunteers within the Association for their years of service to the association. Recognition was given to those individuals reaching the five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five plus years of service benchmarks.

Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario for the benefit of all participants.