2019 Players of the Year

U.S. Kids Golf presented the 2019 U.S. Kids Golf Player of the Year Awards during the PGA TOUR Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on February 25, 2020.

This year’s winners are Lily Peng, who turned 11 on February 23, from San Ramon, Calif., and John John Santospago, age 10, of Charlotte, N.C. Players attend The Honda Classic at PGA National Resort where the young players received their awards.

The award is presented to the top-rated boy and girl for their competitive golf season. To be eligible, players must earn Player of the Year honors at a U.S. Kids Golf Local Tour in the United States. This is done by winning the USKG Local Tour points’ standings and competing in four or more events within a season, from the previous year's summer season through the current year's spring season. Players must participate in an 18-hole age group during the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship (Girls 10 and older, Boys 9 and older).

The National Player of the Year Award winner is the highest finisher at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship who meets the above criteria. In the event of a tie, the lowest score relative to par at the event determines the winner.

Peng finished tied for 5th in the Girls 10 division for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, and Santospago finished in a four-way tie for second in the Boys 10 division for the 2019 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, N.C.

“We are very proud of Lily’s and John John’s accomplishments made throughout the year in competitive play,” stated Dan Van Horn, President and CEO for U.S. Kids Golf. “The U.S. Kids Golf National Player of the Year Award is our highest honor that we can bestow on these great junior golfers, and we look forward to watching their golf games develop in the future.”

The two young golfers had very similar beginnings with the game of golf. Both were introduced to the game by their fathers, Santospago at age four and Peng at age five. Both started their tournament careers at age seven.

In the past four years, Peng won 15 local tournaments: four USKG Local Tour Championships; the 2018 U.S. Kids Golf Canadian Invitational in the Girls 9-10 Age Group; the 2018 U.S. Kids Golf Latin American Championship in the Girls 9 age group; and two top-20 finishes in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in 2018 and 2019.

A 5th grader at Dorris-Eaton School in San Ramon, Calif., Peng is coached by Jim Collins, Director of Instruction at Diablo Country Club and U.S. Kids Golf Bay Area Local Tour Director. During U.S. Kids Golf tournaments, her father Tie can typically be found “on Lily’s bag” as her caddie. In addition to golf, her hobbies include skiing, playing tennis and swimming.

Peng’s favorite golfers are Tiger Woods and Lexi Thompson, and she has aspirations of playing NCAA Division 1 golf before graduating college and playing on the LPGA Tour.

“This is a huge honor for me, and I want to thank U.S. Kids Golf and their local tours for helping me build up the skills and confidence to become the U.S. Kids Golf Player of the Year,” Peng said.

John John Santospago began playing tournament golf at age seven, after watching the Netflix documentary “The Short Game.” In the last three-plus years, he won nearly 50 tournaments, and finished in the top five of each of the three U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in which he participated.

Coached by Jason Sutton, Director of Instruction at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., Santospago is currently in the fifth grade at Olde Providence Elementary School, also in Charlotte. His favorite professional golfers are Jordan Spieth and Nelly Korda.

Like Peng, Santospago is accompanied “on the bag” by his father, John. He is a three-sport athlete, and when not playing golf, he plays baseball and basketball. When he grows up, he hopes to play on the PGA TOUR or become a major leaguer, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It is an honor to win the U.S. Kids Golf Player of the Year Award, and I am excited to be accepting the award at The Honda Classic,” stated Santospago.

Winning the National Player of the Year Award will offer Peng and Santospago an exemption for all U.S. Kids Golf events through age 18.

Previous Players of the Year

2018 Players of the Year

Aditya Das
Saanvi Kotti

2017 Players of the Year

Patmon Malcom
Cindy Song

2016 Players of the Year

Shawn Coultoff
Karoline Tuttle

2015 Players of the Year

Yae Eun Kim
Luke Clanton

2014 Players of the Year

Taylor Roberts
Narayan Mohan

2013 Players of the Year

Mimi Chen
Michael Thorbjornsen

2012 Players of the Year

Yujeong Son
Michael Thorbjornsen

How Do I Become the National Player of the Year?

The U.S. Kids Golf National Player of the Year awards will be given each year to one boy and one girl. To be considered for the National Player of the Year award, the player must finish first in their Local Tour, having the season’s highest points total, and also participate in an 18-hole age/gender group during the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. The National Player of the Year award winner will be the highest finisher at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship who also met the first criteria of winning Player of the Year for their Local Tour.

About U.S. Kids Golf:

U.S. Kids Golf is the world’s leading organization for growing, promoting, and enhancing golf among youth and families. Founded in 1997, U.S. Kids Golf offers three distinct lines of clubs in up to ten sizes, hosts more than 1600 tournaments–including the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship held annually in Pinehurst, North Carolina–and has over 1500 members as part of its Coaches Institute. Additionally, the organization is active in several projects and campaigns designed to grow the sport among important demographics. In 2018, U.S. Kids Golf was recognized by the National Golf Foundation as one of the “Top 100 Businesses in Golf” based on influence, innovation, and social awareness, among other criteria.

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