Golfer of the Year
The top golfers in the area compete in various local and state tournaments, compiling points that determine who gets the title.
Rockford Register Star photos
Eric Burch defended his Golfer of the Year crown in 2008, while Hui Chong Dofflemyer earned her first.
The Golfer of the Year award is determined by points earned for finishing in the top 10 in the area's biggest tournaments, with bonus points awarded for qualifying and finishes in the most prestigious state and national tournaments.

Golfers earn 10 points for winning a local tournament, plus bonus points for how many strokes they win by. A five-stroke victory would bring 15 points. A playoff win would earn 10. Second place earns nine points, third eight, down to one for 10th. Golfers who tie split the points. The men's Golfer of the Year consists of the Atwood, Ballard, Ledges, Rockford Men's City, Aldeen Cup, Winnebago County Amateur and Gold Medal tournaments. The 72-hole Men's City points are doubled, because that tournament is twice as long as any other.

The women's competition includes the Ballard, Rock River District Golf Association 18-hole tournament, the Women's City, the RRDGA 36-hole event and the Gold Medal. Women's City points are doubled. Since it's match play, bonus points are earned by holes won; a 1-up victory is worth two bonus points, a 3-2 win brings six points.

Golfers can earn bonus points in the Illinois Open, the State Amateur, the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Public Links. For the men, golfers earn 5 points for qualifying for the State Am or Illinois Open. State Am points are awarded to the top 20 places (first place is worth 20). The Illinois Open points are awarded to the top 40 golfers (40 points down to 1). In the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur, golfers get 10 points for making it past regional qualifying and another 20 for making it past sectionals to the tournament itself. They earn 10 points for making it to the U.S. Public Links. The finals of all three national tournaments award the top 40 places.

The same works for the Women's U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Public Links and Illinois Women's Open. Players earn five bonus points for entering the State Women's Amateur and two points for each match won in the championship flight. Match play wins in all other flights count one point each.