The accolades for Billy Horschel and his work for charity on the First Coast continue to pour in.
On the day before Horschel and his wife Brittany were honored on Feb. 20 with the Deane Beman Award at the First Coast Celebration of Golf banquet at the TPC Sawgrass, the Golf Writers Association of America announced that Horschel will receive the Charlie Bartlett Award, given annually to a pro golfer for “unselfish contributions for the betterment of society.”
Bartlett was the first secretary of the GWAA and served for 21 years until he passed in 1967. The Bartlett Award has been given out since 1971. Past Bartlett Award winners have been Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Billy Casper.
Horschel, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident and University of Florida All-American has won eight PGA Tour titles and two on the DP World Tour. His charities include the Horschel Family Foundation which he and his wife created in 2023 to support mental health, addiction assistance and K9s for Warriors; Feeding Northeast Florida and lending his name and support to the Advocates Professional Golf Tour (which supports minorities who are pursuing a career in golf) and the American Junior Golf Association.
“You look at the names on the list that have received the award, the hall-of-famers, the great players,” Horschel told the GWAA in a statement. “They’ve been just as successful on the golf course as they have been off the course making a difference in this world. To be able to add my name to that list, I could have never imagined. When our time is done in this world, if we can make a difference in one person’s life, then we’ve lived a really good life.
Horschel and his wife were announced as the Beman Award winners on Nov. 29, 2024.
Another First Coast resident is being honored by the GWAA with the William D. Richardson Award, former First Tee CEO Joe Louis Barrow Jr. In 18 years of guiding the First Tee, Barrow led the organization’s growth to more than 1,200 golf facilities, 9,000 school programs and 1,000 after-school sites. He was the Beman Award winner in 2018.
Horschel and Barrow will receive their awards at the GWAA annual dinner in Augusta, Ga., on April 9, the day before the first round of the Masters. Also honored will be GWAA players of the year Scottie Scheffler (men’s professional), Nelly Korda (women’s professional) and Ernie Els (senior professional).
Chase Johnson wins APGA event
Chase Johnson shot 68 at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley on Feb. 20 and won the Advocates Professional Golf Association Black History Month Classic by one shot over Marcus Byrd.
Johnson, a West Palm Beach resident who opened with a 67, finished at 5-under 135 and earned $7,500 for his fourth APGA victory in the last two seasons.
San Jose pro gets spot at Atlantic Beach
Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth has received a sponsor exemption into the EPSON Tour’s Atlantic Beach Classic March 6-8 at the Atlantic Beach Country Club.
The EPSON Tour is the path to the LPGA, with the top 15 players on the points list at the end of the season earning LPGA cards for 2026.
For tickets and other information, visit atlanticbeachclassic.com.
Florida State Golf Association roundup
Chuck Kirk of Middleburg and Thomas Congelton of Jacksonville shot 2-over 146 and finish seventh in the FSGA Winter Series Four-Ball mid-amateur division at the Country Club of Ocala. John Lobb and Keith Nagy (140) were fifth in the senior division, Bart Abstein and Billy Lodise (141) were sixth and Bryan Benton of St. Johns and Brian King of Fernandina Beach (143) were seventh. Thomas Donovan and Mark Taylor of Jacksonville (140) tied for second in the super-senior division and the teams of Bill Hardaker of Atlantic Beach and Mike Vallencourt of Orange Park; and Brad Rollinson of Ponte Vedra Beach and John Milton of Jacksonville (both at 142) tied for fourth. … Therese Quinn of Jacksonville and Lin Culver of Palm Coast shot 2-under 142 and finished fourth in the middle division of the Women’s International Four-Ball at Club Adena in Ocala. Tama Caldabaugh and Carolyn Creekmore (145) were eighth. … Charlie Hipp of St. Johns and Jonah Nacional of St. Augustine both came close in Florida Junior Tour events, finishing second by two shots to the winners. Hipp was 5-under 139 in the Capital City Open in Tallahassee, an FJT 13-15 event and Nacional was 4-under 140 in the Rockledge Open, a 16-18 event. Brady Dougan of Jacksonville (147) tied for fourth and Ambrose Kinnare (149) of St. Augustine was eighth in Tallahassee, and Lily Wachter of St. Augustine (153) tied for fourth in the girls division. Cooper Franklin of Ponte Vedra (142) was third in Rockledge and Ryan Houck of Fleming Island (146) tied for eighth.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Billy Horschel to receive GWAA Charles Bartlett Award during Masters week
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