The 2011 PDGA Players and Rookies of the Year Announced!

Valarie Jenkins of Capitola, CA has won her fifth PDGA Player of the Year title, and she has won them all consecutively from 2007 to 2011. This is a new record for consecutive female POY titles and Valarie also now ties Juliana Korver for the most POY titles ever by a female player.  During the 2011 PDGA Tour, Val entered four PDGA Majors, won three of them, and finished second at Pro Worlds.  She entered eight National Tour Elite Series events, won four of them, and her worst finish in the other four was tied for fourth on her way to winning the Women's NT Points Series title. Val also entered eight SuperTour events winning five of them while her worst finish was third place.  Val also helped lead the US to victory at the 2011 Presidents Cup. Second in the female 2011 POY standings was 2011 World Champion Paige Pierce of Plano, TX proving that her Rookie of the Year title last year was no fluke.

Nikko Locastro of Winifield, MO has won his third Player of the Year title in 2011 (also consecutively) which ties him with David Greenwell for third place on the all-time male POY titles list behind Ken Climo (11 POY titles) and Barry Schultz (5 POY titles).  Nikko is also third on the all-time male consecutive POY title list behind Ken Climo (7 in 1994-2000) and Barry Schultz (4 in 2003-2006).  During the 2011 PDGA Tour, Nikko finished in the top ten of the three majors he entered with a fourth place finish at Pro Worlds.  Nikko played in eight National Tour Elite Series events, won two, placed second in two more, and his worst finish was a tie for 9th on his way to winning the Men's NT Points Series title.  Nikko also played in twelve SuperTours, winning six of them, placing second or third in three more, and his worst finish was tied for eighth.  Nikko placed second in the Players Cup World Match Play event and helped lead the US to victory at the 2011 Presidents Cup. 2011 World Champion Nate Doss of Capitola, CA was a close second in the 2011 Player of the Year standings.

The female Rookie of the Year title was won by Catrina Allen of Phoenix, AZ over five other finalists including Emma Rose Hanley, Miranda Fulton, Stephanie Vincent, and Maggie Drews.  Catrina played in a total of 38 events on the 2011 PDGA Tour and she placed in the top six of all three PDGA Majors she entered.  She played in eight National Tour Elite Series finishing in the top 4 at five of them, and her worst finish was 9th on her way to finishing fourth in the Women's NT Points Series.  Catrina also placed in the top five of all 15 SuperTours she entered in 2011 while winning eight of them.  She also won seven of the eleven B and C-Tier events she entered. The stats from Catrina's impressive rookie year were so good that she almost made it onto the finalist list for the Player of the Year award.

The male Rookie of the Year title was won by Ricky Wysocki of Fort Mill, SC over six other finalists including David Wiggins, Jr., Seppo Paju, Ben Squires, Teemu Nissinen, and John Tompkins.  Ricky played in a total of 44 events on the 2011 PDGA Tour winning one of the two PDGA Majors he entered. He played in seven National Tour Elite Series events, placed second at two of them, and finished eighth in the Men's NT Points Series.  Ricky placed in the top 6 at six of the ten SuperTour events he entered and he won one of them.  He also finished in the top four at 22 of the 24 B and C-Tier events he played in and won 13 of them.  Ricky also placed fifth at the Players Cup World Match Play event.

Here are the final standings for the 2011 Player and Rookie of the Year awards:

The 2011 PDGA POY/ROY awards will be presented at the PDGA Awards Banquet during the 2012 PDGA Pro/Am World Championships in Charlotte, NC in July.

For further details on the 2011 POY/ROY calculations go to: 2011 POY/ROY Final Calculations

For details on the new points system for the 2012 POY/ROY awards go to: 2012 POY/ROY Points System