Five Empire State Players Recognized on GGP 8th All-Amateur Teams

November 15, 2022

JAMESVILLE, N.Y. -- Global Golf Post announced its 9th All-Amateur team for 2022, with several players currently residing, or originally from New York State who received recognition. This year, the selections were limited to 100 players who were recognized across six different teams including amateur, mid-amateur, and senior amateur teams for both men and women.

Related: View GGP Issue (11/14/22)

The popular digital golf publication made their selections based on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, tournament results and national rankings.

The five individuals recognized with New York ties were: 

Aliea Clark, of New York, was selected to the Women’s Mid-Amateur, First Team after once again finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in 2022 (she also did in 2021 as the 64th seed in match play). She also qualified for match play at this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, and finished top five at The Farrell invitational.

Bob Royak, of Alpharetta, Georgia (originally from Guilderland, New York) was selected to the Men’s Senior Amateur, First Team after winning the Coleman Senior Invitational at Seminole in 2022, along with runner-up finishes in the Chanticleer and International Senior Championship. He was a semifinalist in the U.S. Senior Amateur (which he won in 2019), and posted top-five finishes in the National Senior Am Hall of Fame, Crump Cup and Golfweek Player of the Year Classic. He won the 1979 NYS Junior Amateur at Soaring Eagles Golf Course.

Bailey Shoemaker, raised in West Edmeston and now resides in Dade City, Florida, was selected to the Women’s Amateur, First Team after a standout year. She was a semifinalist at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, qualified for and made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open, made the cut at the Shoprite LPGA Classic, was a co-runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Four-Ball, and won the Florida Women’s Amateur. The three-time NYS Girls’ Junior champion is heading to University of Southern California in 2023.

Brad Tilley, of Easton, Conn. (originally from New York and a member at Sleepy Hollow CC), was selected to the Men’s Mid-Amateur, First Team after winning the Westchester Open, the Met Amateur and the inaugural playing of The Farrell at Stanwich Club in CT. The 2019 NYS Mid-Amateur champion also registered a top 5 in the Coleman Invitational at Seminole and reached the quarterfinals of the Crump Cup at Pine Valley. 

Kevin VandenBerg, of Pulaski and winter home in Naples, Florida, was selected to the Men’s Senior Amateur, First Team after wins in the Senior Porter Cup and Heron Creek National Senior Invitational, along with high finishes in prominent national events such as the Jones Cup Senior, SOS Senior Masters, National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame and Florida Senior Azalea. He also claimed the 65th NYS Men’s Senior Amateur in September, this year’s Syracuse District Senior title, and qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur.

Clark, Royak, Tilley and VandenBerg were all selected to the GGP All-Amateur teams in 2021. Royak and Tilley also both appeared on the 2019 teams as well (no 2020 team was selected due to COVID-19).