TAMPA, Fla. – After a dominating season highlighted by two USGA events, Will Davenport has been named the 2024 Amateur and Mid-Amateur Player of the Year. R J Nakashian has captured Senior Player of the Year for the first time, while David Anthony earns his fourth Super-Senior Player of the Year honor.
Amateur and Mid-Amateur Player of the Year
The word dominating just scratches the surface when it comes to Davenport's year. Across six appearances in the FSGA events, he never finished outside the top 15, with four of those
performances landing him in the top three. Notably, he triumphed in the Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship (South) alongside partner Anthony Brodeur.
Davenport’s talents were tested not only at the state level but also on the national stage. Competing in the U.S. Four-Ball Championship and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, Davenport formed a strong partnership with Mike Smith. The duo advanced to the semifinals of the 9th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Philadelphia Creek Club. Later, Davenport went on another impressive run, reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Despite this victorious season, Davenport’s battle for the Player of the Year title was far from a runaway. The honor came down to a razor-thin margin of 23 points over Ty Capps, with the outcome decided at the Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Davenport’s T12 finish provided the necessary edge, while Capps fell just one putt short of securing the title.
In addition to those successes, Davenport secured second place in the Two-Man Shoot-Out with partner Michael Maxwell Jr. and claimed third place in the Foursomes Championship with Mike Smith. He also was named Captain of the South Team for the 15th Florida Cup, where he led his team to victory, breaking the overall tie in the competition's history, giving the South eight victories to the North's seven.
Senior Player of the Year
R.J. Nakashian was named Senior Player of the Year following a stellar 2024 season, which saw him claim victories at both the Senior Amateur Match Play Championship and the Senior Amateur Championship. In his four appearances with the FSGA that year, Nakashian never finished lower than fifth place.
His season kicked off with a thrilling victory, though it came down to the wire. Nakashian and Miles McConnell were tied after the final round, but Nakashian sealed the win with a birdie on the sixth playoff hole, setting his season up for a great start. His Senior Amateur Match Play Championship triumph was equally impressive, as he earned medalist honors in stroke play before defeating David Anthony, the Super-Senior Player of the Year, 1-up in a hard-fought final to secure the title. This came on the heels of advancing to the final in 2023, where he fell to Brian Keenan 1 down, after Keenan would eagle the final hole of the match.
An eight-time FSGA Championship, Nakashian also earned a spot at the 43rd U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, held at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, where he advanced to the Round of 32.
Nakashian’s outstanding performances earned him the Senior Player of the Year award with a commanding 5,507 points, ending Miles McConnell’s three-year streak of the honor.
Super-Senior Player of the Year
For the second consecutive year and fourth time overall, David Anthony was named Super-Senior Player of the Year. With 16 FSGA championships to his name, including a victory at this
year's Super-Senior Amateur Championship, Anthony continues to dominate. His win at this year’s Super-Senior Amateur Championship marked his fourth title of this Championship in the past five years. Anthony sealed the victory with a four-under-par, 68 in the final round and a tournament total of eight-under-par to grab the victory and outlast the field by eight strokes.
In addition to his championship success, Anthony finished as runner-up at the Senior Amateur Match Play Championship, narrowly losing to R.J. Nakashian on the sixth playoff hole. He also posted a top-five finish at the 2024 Foursomes Championship alongside partner Steve Sponder.
All three players will be honored at the FSGA’s Annual Dinner in Orlando in early February. The Annual Dinner celebrates the best players in the state, volunteers, board members and many other important individuals involved in the game of golf in Florida.
