Brightwell Named VSGA Co-Player of the Year

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Nov. 15, 2012

Charlottesville, Va. – The Virginia State Golf Association has recognized Cavalier junior Elizabeth Brightwell (Nellysford) as its co-golfer of the year. She shared the honor with Amanda Steinhagen, a junior at Longwood.

Brightwell was the second low qualifier for match play at the VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship. She won four matches before falling in the final to UVa teammate Lauren Coughlin. Brightwell, a VSGA member at Farmington Country Club, also placed second at the VSGA Virginias Women’s Stroke Play, firing a blistering 7-under-par 65 on the final day to account for the low round of the championship.

In team-match competition, she represented the Virginias team at the Virginias-Carolinas Women’s Team Matches and was second among points leaders in the VSGA Women’s Division player rankings.

She finished UVa’s fall season second on the team with a 74.17 stroke average.

Last spring, Brightwell made her first appearance in the NCAA Championships and helped Virginia to its second consecutive fourth-place finish.

She was one of only two players on the team to start all 10 events – Brittany Altomare was the other. She finished a season-best 12th at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships.

In addition to excelling on the course, Brightwell performed well in the classroom. She was presented with the program’s William C. Eacho Memorial Award, which is given to the team member who exemplifies the highest qualities of leadership, cooperative spirit and unselfish service. Brightwell was also named to the National Golf Coaches Association of America All-American Scholar Team as well as being selected to the All-Academic team for women’s golf.