With the 2024 Maine Golf tournament season now behind us, and with well over 100 days of competition in the books from this year’s schedule, we’re pleased to announce the men and women who have earned Player of the Year (POY) honors. Points are awarded in most Maine Golf tournaments throughout the season, from weekly Play Days that offer small amounts of points based on field size, up to the biggest championships of the year where the best players in the state shine and earn the most points available.
The 2024 Dr. Leonardo Buck Player of the Year award goes to Luke Ruffing, who made the most of a robust schedule to earn this honor for the first time in his career. The 28-year old from Manchester ended the year atop the points table after having a steady season across the state. Asked how it feels to win the honor, Ruffing replied, “it’s incredibly satisfying! I had Player of the Year circled on my preseason goals list and proceeded to check the standings after every single event, so I knew exactly what was needed. The intentionality was important, and being able to execute under pressure is such a great feeling.”
His biggest points haul in a major tournament came at the New England Amateur in New Hampshire this July, where he ended the tournament T8 after three rounds at Laconia CC. “That was a crazy week with 15 birdies and 2 eagles over 54 holes,” he recalls. “I closed with a 5-under par 67 to vault into the top 10. Playing well alongside some of the best players in New England gave me a great sense of accomplishment and a strong foundation to build on next year.”
Other top results for Ruffing were a 4th place finish in the Maine Mid-Amateur and a quarterfinal appearance in the Match Play Invitational. The Natanis member also won a lot of his POY points playing in the weekly Play Days across the state, in all winning 7 of the 20 one-day events he entered. Over the course of the season, his schedule included a staggering 27 events that offered Player of the Year points, where he was able to accumulate enough points to finish ahead of Eli Spaulding in the yearlong standings at the end of the wraparound season.
Ruffing credits his success to both his wife for her support of his playing and practice schedule, and to a newfound fitness regimen. “Through 3 years of speed training, lifting, and plyometrics, I’m now 205 pounds and swing the driver at 120 miles per hour,” he admits. “Distance matters and makes the game so much easier.”
In addition to the POY honors, Ruffing was also the winner of the yearlong Charlie’s Cup, which spans the entire season and honors the top player of the year in Maine Golf Play Days.
Click here to view the final standings from the 2024 POY race.