MARK O'MEARA TO RECEIVE 2017 GOLD TEE AWARD

Elmsford, NY   (March 30, 2017) — Hall of Famer Mark O’Meara will receive one of golf’s most important honors—the Gold Tee Award—from the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association at the 66th National Awards Dinner on Monday, June 26, at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, New York.

“We are thrilled to honor Mark with our Gold Tee Award,” said MGWA President Bruce Beck.  “He has 34 professional victories and has won two majors—but more importantly, embodies everything that is right about the game of golf—humility, respect and class. What a privilege to present him the MGWA's most prestigious award.” 

O’Meara claimed the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1979 and turned professional the following year. While he had already established an impressive resume, his 1998 season solidified a Hall of Fame career as he claimed The Masters and The Open Championship in the same year.

He has won an impressive 16 times on the PGA TOUR and owns more than 30 career wins worldwide. O’Meara has represented the United States in every major international team competition (including the Ryder Cup, Dunhill Cup and Presidents Cup) and earned Player of the Year honors from both the PGA TOUR and PGA of America. He spent nearly 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking from their debut in 1986 to 2000. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2014 and was inducted in July 2015.

The Gold Tee Award, the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s highest honor, is awarded to an individual whose career achievements exemplify the best spirit and traditions of the sport of golf.  The Gold Tee has been presented to such luminaries as Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam. In more recent years, Paul Azinger (2013), Fred Couples (2014), Nick Price (2015), and Davis Love III (2016) have all been honored with this esteemed award.

 Since 1952, the MGWA has recognized the game’s greatest players, contributors, and organizations at its National Awards Dinner – the longest-running and often the largest golf dinner in the U.S. each year. This annual event is attended by nearly 700 guests, representing golf’s leading organizations (PGA of America, PGA TOUR, LPGA, USGA and the Met Golf Association) and corporate supporters (Rolex and MetLife), Met Area Clubs and Club leaders, as well as local and national golf media. The Dinner is hosted by MGWA President and emcee Bruce Beck, lead sports anchor at WNBC-TV, News 4 New York.

The MGWA has raised over 1.5 million dollars for Caddie Scholarship programs in the Metropolitan New York area; the MGA Foundation; and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship at Columbia University. 

For tickets or additional information, please contact Kate Keller at (914) 347-4653 or kkeller@mgagolf.org.