Queensland Golf Shines at Queensland Sport Awards

The Queensland golf industry enjoyed an exceptional night at the Queensland Sport Awards, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre last night.

Golf was successful in two categories, with Max Whitten taking home the Sport Volunteer of the Year Award while Jason Day won the coveted Sport Star of the Year Award.

Golf Queensland Chair Peter Castrisos said it was very pleasing for the Queensland golf industry to be recognised in such a way.

“We are thrilled that golf has featured so heavily in the Queensland Sport Awards this year. Having three finalists was a remarkable accomplishment for Golf Queensland and we are very pleased that Max and Jason were able to win in their respective categories,” Mr Castrisos said.

“All of our finalists were fantastic contenders in their categories and we are very proud of their achievements.”

Day’s mother, Dening, gratefully and gracefully accepted the award on her son’s behalf.

“We are ecstatic for Jason,” she said. “The year has been so wonderful and it has now ended on an even higher note.

“He has worked so hard for what he has achieved and so many people in Queensland have known him since his young days in amateur golf.

 Jason Day Sport Star of the Year
Max Whitten Sport Volunteer of the Year
Rebecca Kay Junior Sport Star of the Year

 Max Whitten has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Maleny Golf Club, Sunshine Coast, commencing play late June which has seen him fittingly earn the award for Volunteer of the Year. The course was 15 years in development and it was only Max’s efforts in the early years and during construction that made the course and club possible.

Max’s leadership, commitment, drive and enterprise has facilitated the construction of the course to meet an unmet demand for golf in the area.

Jason Day has had a stellar year, becoming the youngest and only the third Australian to hold the World Number 1 ranking.

In winning his very first major in August, Jason made history for the most shots under par in a major (20-under) with his record-breaking win at the BMW Championship catapulting him to the World Number 1 title.

In terms of his year so far, Day has lived up to his early promise he made as a junior Beaudesert Golf Club member; exclaiming “I want to take down Tiger.” Nine years later, Day’s resume for 2015 is impressive, but it’s more representative of a long, steady build-up where he has built his game to be unmatchable when it’s on song.

His five PGA tour wins, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and nine top-10 finishes was gold of the most consistent calibre.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists. The full list of winners can be found here.