The Met Golfer, Golf.Com Lead the Way in 24th Annual ING Media Awards

(ORLANDO, FL) – Winners in 11 categories were announced Wednesday in the 24th Annual ING Media Awards program at the PGA Merchandise Show.

The International Network of Golf, a non-profit, media-based networking organization, conducts the awards program for its members. ING membership is open to anyone in the golf industry and media.

A total of 42 First-Place and Outstanding Achiever awards were announced at the presentation press conference conducted in ClubING at the PGA Show. Total entries increased again for the sixth straight year.

Media Awards sponsors this year were Zero Friction Golf, Chase 54 apparel company, Nexbelt and PGA Golf Exhibitions. TV personality Mitch Laurance served as Emcee.

The Met Golfer and Golf.Com led the way with five awards each. The Met Golfer had four First-Place Winners, including being named the Top Publication of 2016. Other First-Place Winners from the New York-based magazine were: Jeff Neuman in the Opinion/Editorial category, Ken Van Vechten in the Equipment & Apparel Writing category and Ray Tennenbaum in the Profile Writing category. Golf.Com had one First-Place Winner, Jeff Ritter in the Competition Writing category.
First Place in the Radio Show category went to Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori, and the top TV Show honor went to The Traveling Golfer and host Tony Leodora.

There were several other multiple award winners (either First Place or Outstanding Achiever). They included freelance writer Tony Dear, freelancer Elisa Gaudet, Kevin Kane from Virginia Golf Report, Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News, Jeff Neuman of The Met Golfer, Jeff Ritter of Sports Illustrated, Jon Rizzi of Colorado Avid Golfer, John Steinbreder of Global Golf Post, Rich Styles of The Back 9 Boys radio show and Gary Van Sickle of Golf.Com.

An independent panel of three judges in each category determines first-Place Winners and Outstanding Achievers.  Judges use a point system with several criteria. Determinations are made by judges when possible without knowledge of the person responsible for the work, or of the other judges in the category. The number of Outstanding Achievers in a category is determined by total entries and scoring range in the category.

Each category is coordinated by a category chairperson, who is responsible for securing the three judges. Media Awards Committee chair is Cody Law of Golf Mesquite Nevada. For more information, visit.inggolf.com.

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS

BOOK AUTHOR  
1st Place: Joann Dost (“The Ultimate Round: Pebble Beach Golf Links”)
Outstanding Achiever: Taba Dale (“A Stroll On The Old Lady”).

BUSINESS WRITING 
1st Place: Kevin Kane, Virginia Golf Report (“All Dried Up”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, TheGolfNewsNet.com (“As Golf Envisions Recovery”); Elisa Gaudet, New England Golf Monthly (“Combining Modern Celebrity with Classic Concepts”); Sally J. Sportsman, Golf Range Magazine (“A Practice Made for Olympians”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Herb Kohler - At Home in the Home of Golf”).

COMPETITION WRITING 
1st Place: Jeff Ritter, Golf.com (“Beef Johnston: A Star is Born at British Open”)
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, TheGolfNewsNet.com (”The Bullets the USGA Dodged at Oakmont”); Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News (“Amateur Golfer with Major Drive”).

EQUIPMENT & APPAREL WRITING  
1st Place: Ken Van Vechten, The Met Golfer (“Go Ahead, Have A Fit”).
Outstanding Achievers: Jeff Ritter, Golf.com (“So long, Sasquatch: An Ode to Nike's Greatest Driver”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“PING Anser Anniversary”); Ed Travis, Golf Oklahoma (“Fiddling With Lofts”).

OPINION/EDITORIAL  
1st Place: Jeff Neuman, The Met Golfer (“In The Loop”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear, GolfChat.com (“For the Love of God, Hurry Up Will You!“); Kevin Kane, Virginia Golf Report (“Bulldog or Quiet Assassin”); Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News (“USGA Shows Poor Timing”); Les Schupak, Met Golfer (“Book Reviews”); John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Slamming Trunk Lids with Anchored Putters”); Gary Van Sickle, Golf.Com (“Golf’s Real Problem: We Stink At It”).

PROFILE WRITING
1st Place: Ray Tennenbaum, The Met Golfer (“Lost in the Sands of Time”).
Outstanding Achievers: Tony Dear,  Pacific NW Golfer (“Kidd Living La Dolce Vita”); Hank Gola, The Met Golfer (“Our Man in Rio “); Ken MacLeod, Golf Oklahoma (“Nancy Lopez Feature”); Jeff Ritter, Sports Illustrated (“The Bookie, the Barber and David Duval: A Scottish Love Story”); Jon Rizzi, Colorado Avid Golfer (“Living Large to Evergreen”).

PUBLICATIONS
1st Place: The Met Golfer-Feb/March 2016 Issue (Jeff Neuman, Editor).
Outstanding Achievers: Colorado Avid Golfer, June 2016 Issue; Golf Oklahoma, Oct/Nov 2015 Issue (Ken MacLeod, Publisher).

RADIO SHOW
1st Place: Sports Innerview, With Ann Liguori on NPR's WPPB Public Radio.
Outstanding Achievers: Back9Boys Golf Show, ESPN Coastal, Rich Styles Host; Golf.Com Radio, Jeff Ritter and Sean Zak, Hosts.

RADIO SEGMENT
1st Place: Rich Styles, Back 9 Boys, ESPN Radio, (“Ted Bishop Interview”).
Outstanding Achiever: Eddie Caiazzo, Golf Talk Live (“Producer’s Revenge”); Holly Geoghegan, The Golf Insiders, iHeart Radio, Orlando. (“Sean Foley Interview”).

TELEVISION SHOW
1st Place: Tony Leodora, The Traveling Golfer (“Quivira Los Cabos”).
Outstanding Achiever: Fred Greene, Golf Smarter TV (“Your Divot Doesn’t Lie”).

TRAVEL WRITING
1st Place: John Steinbreder, Global Golf Post (“Exotic and Intriguing Morocco”).
Outstanding Achievers: Elisa Gaudet, New England Golf Monthly ("Par Presidents, Keswick Hall's Full Cry and the Allure of Virginia”); Jon Rizzi, Colorado Avid Golfers (“A Flood of Opportunity); Gary Van Sickle, Golf.Com (“Sand Valley: Lost In Wisconsin”); Len Ziehm, Daily Herald (“Maybe it's time to think 'golf' at Mackinac Island”).