Most competitive amateurs start their year with visions of success. They put in the work, of course, but expectations for a breakout season can get lofty in January and February. The thing is, not every golfer reaches those goals. Most don’t, in fact.
But some do.
As we unveil the 2021 Texas Players of the Year, we wanted to look at what types of players get themselves into contention for an honor like this in such a talent-rich state like ours. The Player of the Year awards are determined by yearlong point races for performances in TGA and USGA Championships. But what are the ingredients that comprise a player of that caliber?
Much of it is intangibles. It takes exceptional skill, obviously, but also discipline, drive, pride, and an internal spark that grows into a flame when it’s time to fight against a loose swing, balky putting stroke or a particularly challenging course.
Exhibit A this year could be Burleson’s Lewis Stephenson, the Texas Senior Player of the Year. He knows what it takes better than most; he’s won the award three times now.
During the first round of the Texas Senior Amateur at Westwood Golf Club in September, Stephenson was struggling. His iron play was uncharacteristically off. He wasn’t missing greens necessarily, but he wasn’t hitting it close to the hole, either. A series of 70-foot putts led to too many three-putts.
He was visibly upset with himself after posting an 80. He was eight strokes over par and four shots on the wrong side of the projected 36-hole cutline. Many amateurs at that point might have packed it in and accepted their fate of a short championship week.
But not Stephenson.
He turned his frustration into determination and summoned the inner drive he’s used to win big tournaments in the past. That spark inside him became a blaze, and he fought his way back into contention with a 2-under 70 in the second round. He made the cut comfortably by three shots.
“I just wanted to have a little bit of pride in myself,” said Stephenson, who was the Senior Player of the Year in 2016 and 2018 as well. “You’re not going to play great in every tournament, but I wanted to make the cut.”
Stephenson, one of the most thoughtful amateurs in the state, said he’s been impacted by some of his peers who have won Player of the Year honors in the past. Stephenson said he’s paid close attention to what those players do and have done, and that’s helped the mental side of his game.
“When I started playing competitively years ago, I played with guys like Rob Couture,” Stephenson said. “I’d go home to make notes on the way he handled himself. I remember years ago at Austin Country Club for the Texas Amateur, Aaron Hickman shot 85-68. And I’ve remembered that for a long time. I didn’t know him then, but I knew his name. At Westwood, I told myself to have that kind of attitude and pride in myself.”
It worked.
Stephenson followed up his resilient 2-under score with another 70 in the final round. In 36 holes, he went from staring at a missed cut to a top-10 finish against the best senior amateurs in Texas. Stephenson finished tied for sixth place, which earned him just enough points to win Player of the Year. He edged out Houston’s Gary Durbin, who won his second Texas Senior Amateur in September.
Stephenson clipped Durbin by five slim points to win Player of the Year.
“It came down to one stroke over the entire year,” Stephenson said. “Part of it is watching other guys I respect, and the other part is having enough pride in yourself to not cash it in when things aren’t going your way. You have to keep fighting.”
Congratulations to all our Players of the Year. Each of them displayed the type of pride and fight that Stephenson described. For those who finished a little short of their goals, next year is just a few weeks away. You’ll have the opportunity to get after it again soon. Good luck!
