AGA NEWS 2016
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ETSA M & N DSRIVI
BRYAN HOOPS
Hoops’ 1-2 punch in 2016: captures Open, Masters divisions
n BY JOHN DAVIS B
ryan Hoops is no stranger to Arizona Golf Association titles and Player of the Year awards, but he never has
racked up so many as he captured during his banner 2016 season. Hoops, a Chandler resident and
former Arizona State University golfer, won eight overall titles, including the Arizona Mid-Amateur and Senior Match Play and was named Player of the Year in both the Open and Masters divisions. “I’ve had a lot of wins in the past but
haven’t been able to focus on playing enough to win this type of award too often,” said Hoops, who also was Open Division Player of the Year in 2005. “I always seem to play well and
win titles but I was only playing in five or six events (a year) and that’s just not quite enough. This year, I had the opportunity to play more, not only in AGA events but national events, and accumulate the kind of finishes that it takes. So it was a very enjoyable year overall. It felt great to be able to play a little more than I have in the past, and turned out to be a pretty decent year.” Hoops, 48, is a Minnesota native
who attended St. Cloud State University 28 | AZ GOLF Insider | PREVIEW 2017
made 19 holes-in-one during his career and said five of them have come on par-4 holes. But the most enjoyable aspect of his career might be competing in AGA events, which began in 1997 when he regained his amateur status after “accidentally” qualifying for the Asian Tour “by playing in an event that I didn’t realize was a tour qualifier.” “My AGA experience has been
for two years before he decided a lifestyle change was in order. “I didn’t like the direction my life
was headed, so one night I pulled out a letter from (ASU) Coach (Steve) Loy,” Hoops said. “After reading it, I hopped in my car in the middle of the night and headed for Arizona. I didn’t even tell my parents I was doing it, and with guys like Phil (Mickelson) and Rob Mangini on the team, I really didn’t get to play, but it has worked out pretty well.” Along with the Mid-Amateur
and Match Play titles in 2016, Hoops also won the Masters Division of the Senior Stroke Play and was medalist in his U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier, marking the 12th
said, was a tie for 15th
great,” Hoops said. “It’s a little different when you switch from national events to state events, especially in the Open Division, because you have college kids and high school kids coming out and then you have middle-age guys and guys who have to work for a living and try to play as much as they can. It’s an interesting cross-section of golfers. “I love the competition, but the
best part about it is just getting together with friends and other guys who love the game. The camaraderie is what makes it great.” n
2016
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JEFF NEW
NIO R DIVISI
time he has qualified
for that event. He reached the Round of 32 before being eliminated. The only disappointment, he
in the Arizona
Stroke Play, but he had a good excuse for that finish. The morning of the event, his clubs were among the items stolen from his Range Rover. “I showed up with a set of clubs
that had been sitting in my garage for about six years that needed grips. I was missing the wedges and I had to borrow a putter,” Hoops said. “So it didn’t turn out too well, but it is what it is. I tried to make the best of it.” Hoops has an amazing golf resume. In addition to all of his titles, he has
J
eff New found one very big bonus when he moved to Scottsdale from Houston in 2012 – a state golf association equally as
formidable as the one he left behind. “I probably played in 200 Texas Golf Association events over the
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