The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is proud to announce that Daniel Ashelby of Wilmslow Golf Club has been proclaimed the 30th winner of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award, and Danny Patten of Lee Park Golf Club, is the third winner of the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award
The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards is a nationwide contest hosted by BIGGA and sponsored by Toro alongside its official UK distributor Reesink Turfcare.
BIGGA Head of Member Learning Stuart Green said: “Congratulations to Daniel and Danny, who showed outstanding passion and commitment, both during the finals of the awards and at every stage of the competition, to be crowned worthy winners of this year’s awards.
“To be crowned Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year isn’t just two days’ hard work; rather you must dedicate yourself to the greenkeeping profession every day of your working life and so both winners and everyone who made it to the finals should be incredibly proud of their achievements.
“Each year the finals of the competition get harder to judge, which gives me confidence that the future of the industry is in very safe hands.”
The runner-up in the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award was John Scurfield of Morpeth Golf Club. The runner-up in the Toro Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award was Liam Pigden of Burnham & Berrow Golf Club.
David Cole, managing director of Reesink Turfcare and award judge, said: “Every year the challenge of selecting one winner from each category becomes greater and greater for the judges. This tells us that the greenkeeping baton is being passed to safe hands by virtue of the commitment we see in front of us from students towards their career and personal education.
“Congratulations, not only to the winners and runners-up, but also to the whole group in reaching the final in what is a very competitive awards competition. You are all a credit to yourselves and to your golf courses.”
BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “We call the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards the most prestigious in the industry, but they are only made so by the commitment and dedication to the greenkeeping profession shown by those who have previously enjoyed success in the awards.
“Daniel and Danny join an incredible roster of past winners throughout the awards’ prestigious history, each of whom has done their part in elevating standards in the greenkeeping profession to new heights.
“Our thanks once again go to Toro and Reesink Turfcare for their support in hosting these annual awards, which remain a real highlight of the greenkeeping calendar.”
Applications for the 31st Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards will open in February 2019.