RDGA Men's Player of the Year

The Rochester District Golf Association began its Player of the Year Award in 1997 as an extension of the RDGA Match Play Championship - as a way of determining a seeding order, as well as a qualifying process, for the Championship.

A schedule of point values were determined for a number of competitive championships, whereby players would accumulate point totals for the entire season. Today, the RDGA Player of the Year Points Schedule consists of more than 20 events - from RDGA tournaments to State, local and USGA Championships - at which RDGA players can earn points towards the Player of the Year Award.

Throughout it's first 20 years, the Men's RDGA Player of the Year has been dominated by Stafford Country Club's Jim Scorse. Scorse - one of the most consistent competitors in RDGA tournament history - has earned the RDGA Player of the Year honors 15 times between 1997 and 2018 - including eight years in a row between 2007 and 2014.

In 2019, however, it was Chris Blyth of Mendon Golf Club who was announced as the RDGA Men's Player of the Year for the first time, finishing 55 points ahead of Scorse.

In early June, Blyth won the prestigious Country Club of Rochester Invitational, then proceeded to finish runner-up in both the RDGA District Championship John H. Ryan Jr. Memorial AND the New York State Men’s Amateur Championships in July, very nearly capturing both titles.

Following Blyth and Scorse in the 2019 Player of the Year point totals was Yarik Merkulov of Ridgemont Country Club. Merkulov returned to amateur competition in a big way in 2019, winning the RDGA District Championship and reaching the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship in August.