Global Golf Post, the first digital-only golf publication, is recognized as one of the leading authorities on all things golf. They have partnered with the USGA to promote amateur golf and recognize the best amateurs in the world.
Mariah Stackhouse and Alan Fadel were named as recipients of the 2014 Amateurs of the Year in America in their December 1st edition.
Stackhouse is a member of the Stanford University Women’s Golf Team and was the only African-American woman in the field for the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack at the age of 19.
Stackhouse posted scores of 79-84 on the extremely difficult Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak design and missed the 36-hole cut, but she has not allowed that to deter her plans.
She adheres to the motto: “The most important shot is the next shot.”
She competed in her first tournament at the age of six and tied for first place versus a field of nine year olds. After a very successful AJGA career, Stackhouse was recruited to attend Stanford University on a golf scholarship.
She is in her junior year at Stanford and was the first African-American woman to earn a spot on the Curtis Cup team in 2014.
She is a young lady with a strong golf game and a very positive attitude. We will soon see her striding fairways on the LPGA Tour.
Alan Fadel has had a memorable 2014. He won the Ohio Mid-Amateur for the third time and qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, as well as, the U.S. Senior Amateur.
After two rounds of 70-67 on the Big Canyon Golf Club in Newport Beach, California in September, Fadel won medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Amateur and entered the match play portion as the No. 1 seed.
He was inducted into the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame in August along with John Cook, Don Nist and the legendary Frank Stranahan.
The 60-year-old Fadel has been recognized for his work off the golf course, as well. He was instrumental in initiating the inaugural Concession Cup, a biennial event that features a team of Mid-Amateurs and Seniors from the U.S. versus a team from Great Britain & Ireland. Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin served as the Honorary Captains and the event generated significant monies for charitable donation.
He is also the President of the Board for The First Tee of Lake Erie and is currently raising funds to build a state-of-the-art training facility near the downtown Toledo, Ohio area.
In awarding its highest award, Amateur of the Year in America, to a young African-American woman and an elder Caucasian, Global Golf Post demonstrates that golf can provide a place for a diverse group of people to meet, communicate and enjoy an athletic competition in a sportsmanlike manner.