Dobyns, Cairns capture 2015 Omega PGA and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year Awards

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Two-time PGA Professional Champion Matt Dobyns of Glen Head, New York, and Brian Cairns of Walled Lake, Michigan, have won the respective 2015 OMEGA PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year awards.

The twosome will be honored on Friday, June 24, at the 49th PGA Professional Championship at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, New York.

Dobyns, 37, the PGA Head Professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, New York, secured his first PGA Professional Player of the Year Award and is the third Metropolitan PGA member capture the national honor. Dobyns, who also won the 2012 PGA Professional Championship, added to his trophy collection in July by capturing the Walter Hagen Cup for a second time in the National Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club. He went on to win Metropolitan PGA Player of the Year honors.

With a victory in the second event of the PGA Tournament Series presented by GOLF ADVISOR on Dec. 4, Dobyns clinched the award. He won the Series money title with $9,840.75 in four events over the six-event schedule and was No. 1 in scoring average (68.25). Dobyns finished 30-under par over eight rounds in the PGA Tournament Series.

Dobyns finished with 1,150 total points, while Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, a four-time PGA Professional Player of the Year, was runner-up with 892.5. Dobyns joins Metropolitan PGA members Bruce Zabriski (1991, ’94, ’96, ’97, ’98) and Rick Hartmann (2000) in capturing the national award.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be PGA Professional Player of the Year. I’m surprised that I’m the third from the Met Section to do so, which shows how hard it is to win,” said Dobyns. “I am happy to represent our Section at the national level and I appreciated the support I received from friends in and outside the Section. This award shows you that there are many more components involved than winning a PGA Professional Championship.”

Cairns, a 51-year-old PGA teaching professional at Fox Hills Learning Center in Plymouth, Michigan, became the first Michigan PGA Section member to earn a national Player of the Year award in any division. This past season, Cairns finished with 813.55 points based upon finishing tied for fifth in the 2015 PGA Professional Championship and capturing Michigan PGA Player of the Year honors.

Don Berry of Rogers, Minnesota, was runner-up with 754.62 points; followed by Jim Carter of Scottsdale, Arizona, with 668.41; and Jerry Haas of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with 646.

“It’s been a lifelong dream. I don’t care if it’s the seniors or regular division. It was a dream year,” said Cairns, following confirmation of his award. “Fox Hills has been very nice to let me teach and play. Getting to play in the PGA Championship with Matt Jones was pretty nice when he was leading (after 36 holes). I got to say I teed it up in a major on a Saturday (because of a one-day rain delay).

“I didn’t realize that I’m the first from the Michigan Section to do this. It’s a helluva honor. We’ve had four players from our Section win the PGA Professional Championship. It’s a long haul to win Player of the Year.”

The final PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year standings were determined based on a point system involving national and PGA Section competitions from Jan. 1 through Dec. 18, 2015.

2015 PGA Professional Player of the Year

FINAL Standings (through 12/18/15)

PGA Section Total Points
1. Matt Dobyns, Glen Head, N.Y. Metropolitan 1150.000
2. Bob Sowards, Dublin, Ohio Southern Ohio 892.500
3. Rod Perry, Port Orange, Fla. North Florida 862.500
4. Alan Morin, Lake Worth, Fla South Florida 837.500
5. Ben Polland, Manhasset, N.Y. Metropolitan 822.500
6. Adam Rainaud, South Hadley, Mass. Connecticut 808.750
T7 Sean Dougherty, Leawood, Kansas Midwest 780.000
T7 Omar Uresti, Austin, Texas Southern Texas 780.000
9. Brian Cairns, Walled Lake, Mich. Michigan 696.250
T10 Scott Berliner, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Northeastern New York 645.000
T10 Garrett Okamura, Wailuku, Hawaii Aloha 645.000

2015 Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year

FINAL Standings (through 12/18/15)

PGA Section Total Points
1. Brian Cairns, Walled Lake, Mich. Michigan 813.550
2. Don Berry, Rogers, Minn. Minnesota 754.620
3. Jim Carter, Scottsdale, Ariz. Southwest 668.410
4. Jerry Haas, Winston-Salem, N.C. Carolinas 646.000
5. Sonny Skinner, Sylvester, Ga. Georgia 636.550
6. Brad Lardon, College Station, Texas Southern Texas 617.830
7. Rick Schuller, Chester, Va. Middle Atlantic 611.917
8. Kevin Burton, Boise, Idaho Rocky Mountain 550.000
9. Stuart Smith, Reno, Nev.. Northern California 525.000
10. Todd McCorkle, Birmingham, Ala. Dixie 479.000