The Golf Digest Awards 2008

By Ron Kaspriske

December 21, 2008

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18 / Rotorua, New Zealand

Danny Lee

Lee supplanted Tiger Woods as the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur (18 years, one month). The South Korean-born New Zealander also won the Western Amateur.AMATEUR MEN1 Danny Lee2 Rickie Fowler3 Kyle Stanley4 Adam Mitchell5 Erik Flores6 Billy Horschel7 Zack Sucher8 Mike Van Sickle9 Rory Hie10 Sihwan Kim

Lorena Ochoa

Ochoa followed her eight-victory season in 2007 with seven wins in '08, including her second major (Kraft Nabisco Championship). Ochoa had 17 top-10 finishes in 22 events and led the LPGA Tour in driving distance (269.3 yards), scoring average (69.70) and greens in regulation (71.6 percent). "I think that it has been a better year than last year be-cause a lot of things have happened, and it's been more like an up-and-down year," she says. "And you learn a lot from that."

Diane Lang

For the third time in four years, Lang won the USGA Senior Women's Amateur. She is 22-1 in matches since becoming eligible for the event at 50. The first Jamaican to play on the LPGA Tour (1984), Lang regained her amateur status in 1989.HONORABLE MENTIONCarolyn Creekmore, Joan Higgins, Jackie Little, Patty Moore, Carol Semple Thompson

Camilo Villegas

He jumped from 56th in the World Golf Ranking in 2007 to seventh in '08, mostly because of his consecutive victories at the BMW and Tour championships. Villegas missed only three cuts all season, and his $4.4 million in earnings in 22 events was more than he made in his previous 65.‘ really felt comfortable this year. It made a huge difference in how I played.'

Amanda Blumenherst

Blumenherst won the U.S. Women's Amateur and made the cut at the LPGA Tour's Kraft Nabisco Championship and U.S. Women's Open. She went 3-1-1 for the victorious U.S. Curtis Cup team.AMATEUR WOMEN1 Amanda Blumenherst2 Azahara Munoz3 Tiffany Joh4 Anna Nordqvist5 Belen Mozo6 Stephanie Sherlock7 Alison Walshe8 Laura Crawford9 Ashley Freeman10 Meghan Bolger

Yani Tseng

In one of the most impressive debut seasons in LPGA Tour history, Tseng won a major (the McDonald's LPGA Championship), finished second at another (the Ricoh Women's British Open) and finished third on the money list. Tseng missed only one cut and had eight top-three finishes in 27 events. "Next year my goal is to win more tournaments, and I hope I can be player of the year," she says.

Buddy Marucci

The 2009 Walker Cup captain and 1995 U.S. Amateur runner-up to Tiger Woods won the USGA Senior Amateur. It was his first USGA title, but his 43rd individual USGA championship event, including 20 U.S. Amateurs. "I'm truly overwhelmed," he says.HONORABLE MENTIONPete Allen, Mike Bell, Ron Carter, Graham Cooke, Frank Ford III, John Grace, Jerry Hudgins, Don Marsh, Bill Zylstra

Tiger Woods

It was a bittersweet year for Woods. He won four PGA Tour events, including his 14th major professional championship in a mem-orable 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate at the U.S. Open. But he also missed the second half of the season after having reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Playing in only six tour events, Woods' worst finish was fifth at the WGC-CA Championship. He finished second at the Masters.

Katherine Hull

‘ was just a matter of time for my game to come around.'With a victory at the CN Canadian Women's Open and eight other top-10 finishes, Hull earned $1,045, 619 in prize money, going from 60th on the money list in 2007 to 13th in 2008. She finished the year making 16 straight cuts.

Cameron Peck

Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur plus three AJGA events, including the FootJoy Invitational and the HP Boys Junior Championship. At the FootJoy Invitational, he finished six strokes ahead of his closest competitors.AMATEUR BOYS1 Cameron Peck2 Cory Whitsett3 Jordan Spieth4 Evan Beck5 Andrew Yun6 Jeffrey Kang7 T.J. Vogel8 Anthony Paolucci9 Hyun Seok Lim10 Talor Gooch

Andres Romero

After his memorable performance at the 2007 British Open (third behind Harrington and Sergio Garcia), the Argentine joined the PGA Tour in '08 and won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The former European tour winner earned more than $2 million on the PGA Tour last season and made the cut in all four majors, including a T-8 at the Masters and a T-7 at the PGA Championship.

Alexis Thompson

Thompson won the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur and played in her second U.S. Women's Open (missing the cut with rounds of 75-77). She also won the AJGA Championship at the Traditions.AMATEUR GIRLS1 Alexis Thompson2 Victoria Tanco3 Jessica Korda4 Kristina Wong5 Danielle Frasier6 Karen Chung7 Jenny Shin8 Victoria Kiser9 Erynne Lee10 Kimberly Kim

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