Press Releases

HANK GOLA ELECTED MGWA PRESIDENT

For Immediate Release

Elmsford, NY (January 7, 2025) ---Longtime golf journalist Hank Gola has been elected to a two-year term as President of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association by the MGWA Executive Committee.  “It’s an honor to take the reins of the MGWA from Brian Crowell, who has steered the organization so capably over the last four years,” said Gola.  He continued, “The MGWA has held an important place in the great game of golf for over 70 years and I look forward to building on that legacy through our charitable donations, annual awards dinner and support for aspiring golf journalists.”

Gola succeeds Brian Crowell, who served as the Association’s President for four years.  Said Crowell, "It has been an honor to lead a charitable organization that celebrates the legends of our sport, and those who bring us their stories. The MGWA has a remarkable history and we're very fortunate to have Hank leading our Association for the coming years."

Returning as Vice Presidents are Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post and Bill Pennington, a veteran sportswriter formerly at the New York Times. 

Also re-elected as Executive Committee members: Dan Berger, DMB Media Network; Lori Ann Cerullo, WMGA; former MGWA President Brian Crowell, CBS Sports/Sirius XM Radio/Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point; Martin Davis, The American Golfer;  Patrick Donnelly, Sirius XM Holdings; Damon Hack, The Golf Channel, Pete Kowalski, Kowalski Sports and PR; Ann Liguori, Ann Liguori Productions; Bill Meth, JB Sports Service; Peter Morrice, Golf Digest; John Paul Newport, Freelance; Patricia Norton, On Course Strategies; Jimmy Roberts, NBC-TV and Chuck Stogel, Freelance.

Gola has had an illustrious career in the newspaper industry, covering golf, the NFL and soccer for the NY Daily News, NY Post, Morristown Daily Record and The Herald-News of Passaic over a 44-year span from 1974 – 2015. He’s currently a contributing writer for The Met Golfer.  He’s authored four books, the most recent of which, Ryder Cup Rivals, will be published in summer 2025.  Gola served on the GWAA Board of Directors from 2004-2015 and won multiple writing awards from that organization, in addition to an Associated Press Top 10 award in 2007 for a series on Tiger Woods.  He joined the MGWA in the mid-1980’s and has served on the Board of Directors for the past six years, most recently as Vice President.  He was recognized with the MGWA’s prestigious Lincoln Werden Golf Journalism award in 2018.

An avid golfer, Gola has played over 945 courses worldwide.  As captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup Media Team, he boasts a 4-1 record over Europe.  A member of North Jersey Country Club, he serves on the Club’s Golf and Historical Committees.  He also serves on the Garfield (NJ) High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee.

Gola and his wife Lillian, have two children, Henry and Julianne, and are the proud grandparents of Rose, Ruby, Elliot and Iris.

The MGWA has celebrated the game of golf and promoted golf journalism since its inception in 1952, and its National Awards Dinner has been one of the highlights of the golf calendar since then.  It has honored – and been attended by – some of the  greatest names in the sport: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, JoAnne Carner, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, and Annika Sorenstam, to name just a few.  This highly anticipated event is supported by golf’s leading organizations and corporate supporters, Met Area clubs and club leaders, as well as local and national golf media. Through the Dinner and other events, the MGWA has raised millions of dollars for Caddie Scholarship programs in the Metropolitan New York area, the MGA Foundation, and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship. 

For more information, contact Robin Sauerhaft, MGWA Executive Administrator, at: rsauerhaft@mgagolf.org