By Brendan James | 5 December 2010

Golf Australia magazine has dominated the 11th annual Australian Golf Writers Association media awards, winning three gongs from the four categories it contested.

The treble takes the magazine’s haul to more than 15 writing and photographic awards since their inception in 2000.

For the third consecutive year, Golf Australia grabbed the Best Photojournalism Award. This was awarded to photographer Kerry Edwards for his spectacular image of two-time world blind golf champion, Jenny McCallum.

The journalist who penned that story, Do You See What I See?, Golf Australia contributor Rod Morri, collected the award for the Best Amateur Golf feature.

Not quite the Auld Claret Jug but the AGWA media awards were dominated by Golf Australia magazine

Golf Australia’s third award came via the Best Feature category, with acclaimed singer/songwriter and part-time golf writer, Lloyd Cole, collecting the prize. Cole, who has an international fan base from his years fronting the chart-topping Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, won the award for his entertaining narrative called MacKenzie, Melbourne & Me – which was his account of playing the famous Melbourne Sandbelt for the first time.

Golf Australia editor Brendan James was highly commended in the same category for his feature I’m A Survivor, which told of LPGA Tour player Wendy Doolan’s successful fight against breast cancer.

“Our continued success in these awards is testament to the high quality of the photography and writing we strive to deliver to our readers every month,” James said after the awards.

“I believe we have the best team of writers and columnists of any golf magazine in this country and these awards certainly support that view.

“Golf Australia’s domination of the photojournalism category for the past three years speaks volumes for the skill and dedication of the photographers we have out in the field and the great magazine design work that showcases their talents.”

Other winners included veteran Sydney Morning Herald golf writer Peter Stone, who collected awards in the categories Best Report (Newspaper) and Best Column.

Martin Blake, of The Age, received the award for Best Feature Story (Newspaper) for his piece on five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson, while radio reporter Graeme Bond, from Melbourne’s 3AW, was recognised in the Electronic Media (Radio) category for his coverage of the 2009 JBWere Masters.

The award winners were decided by a panel led by acclaimed sports journalist Jim Webster OAM, former Herald Sun editor Bruce Baskett and representatives from Golf Australia, the PGA of Australia, the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Australian Ladies Professional Golfers.

Link to original article online

Publication: Golf Australia

Publication date: 05/12/10