GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com, the preeminent media destinations in the world of golf, have been prominently recognized by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA), with 5 of their creators honored in 6 different categories in this year’s GWAA Writing Contest.
Leading the way was veteran journalist Michael Bamberger, who added two first-place honors to his distinguished career.
Bamberger received the award for Best Long Feature for “9/11 in New York City from Long Island club,” a powerful account of National Golf Links caddie Kevin Williams on the 24th anniversary of his death in the terrorist attacks.
In the same category, GOLF.com achieved a rare 1-2-3 sweep. Oliver Horovitz earned second place for “Bhutan might be world’s most pleasant golf destination,” followed by Bamberger’s “Tiger 2000 was best run ever” in third.
Bamberger also secured first place in the Short Profile category for “RIP, Fuzzy, a man in full,” a reflection on the life of the late Fuzzy Zoeller.
He further added a third-place finish in the Commentary/Analysis division.
The two victories increased Bamberger’s career first-place total to 12 and marked the 3rd consecutive year he has earned at least one top GWAA honor.
Another 1st-place award for GOLF.com went to Nick Piastowski, who won the Short Feature category for “A golf course marshal was dying“.
Then he felt his best friend’s paw.” The story chronicles Marine and Army veteran Hank Ford’s recovery from PTSD, aided by golf and his three-year-old yellow lab.
Sean Zak captured second place in the Short Profile category for “She won 5 majors, then switched from righty to lefty,” and received an Honorable Mention in the Long Feature category for “What I learned playing 36 U.S. Open holes in 36 hours.”
Josh Berhow earned second-place honors in the Long Profile category for “Rachel Heck didn’t need pro golf.
She wanted something more,” along with an Honorable Mention in the News/Game Story category for “In hours after US Open, Spaun’s best moment was unscripted.”
“I could not be more proud of our immensely talented group of writers and of the amazing honors that were bestowed upon them by the Golf Writers Association of America,” said Jason Adel, CEO of GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. “Nick Piastowski, Sean Zak, Josh Berhow and our stalwart Michael Bamberger are among the best in the business and are richly deserving of these awards.”
In print and online, GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com continue to elevate their standing as go-to destinations for authoritative, engaging coverage of the game.
Across magazine, digital, and multimedia platforms, their teams inform, educate, and entertain golf’s largest audience with a steadfast commitment to making the game more enjoyable and accessible.
“It is with great pride that I congratulate our fine writers, editors, and the entire team who make GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com the premier destination for education, product information and editorial content,” said Howard Milstein, GOLF’s publisher and Chairman of 8AM Golf. “We are honored by these awards and look forward to continuing our success in the years to come.”
This year’s Writing Contest winners will be formally recognized at the 52nd annual ISPS Handa GWAA Awards Dinner on April 8 at Augusta Country Club, held on the eve of the 90th Masters Tournament.