BY HOWARD WARD

Golf Writer

It may be a new year, but some things just never change. At least as far as the Richard S. Tufts Senior Player of the Year awards in the Carolinas Golf Association are concerned.

Yep, it's Patty Moore again for the sixth straight year in the Women's Division. And it's Paul Simson for the fourth consecutive year in the Men's Division.

There are four first-time winners in other divisions, however.

The awards are given to the No. 1 golfer based on the CGA amateur rankings at the end of the calendar year in each of four categories - Men, Women, Senior Men and Senior Women.

The winners will be honored during Carolinas Golf Night and CGA Annual Meeting at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines Friday, Feb. 12.

Mark Anderson, of Beaufort, S.C., claims his first Carolinas Men's Player of the Year award following a 2009 tournament campaign that established him as one of the best amateur players in the country.

The 23-year-old won two championships, including the individual title at the USGA Men's State Team Championship at The Country Club of St. Albans in St. Louis, Mo., that led the South Carolina team to a tied-for-fourth finish and an impressive six-stroke victory at the South Carolina Amateur Championship held at Berkeley Hall Plantation in Bluffton.

Other top finishes for the former University of South Carolina standout include a tie for third at the Players Amateur, round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Championship, a tie for ninth at the Dogwood Invitational and Palmetto Amateur, a tie for 12th at the Sunnehanna Amateur and a tie for 16th at the Northeast Amateur.

Cydney Clanton, of Concord, earned her first Carolinas Women's Player of the Year honor. The 20-year-old Auburn University junior had impressive showings at three of the biggest women's amateur tournaments in the country.

Her highest finish of the year was runner-up at the Women's North & South Amateur played at Pinehurst Resort. Clanton advanced to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship in June. At the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, Clanton made it to the round of 16.

Simson, a Raleigh insurance executive, previously won the award in 1998, 2005 and 2008. The 58-year-old had an outstanding year on both sides of the Atlantic, claiming three victories and competing in the British Senior Open, British Seniors Open Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur championships.

His victories came in the North & South Senior Amateur Championship played at Pinehurst Resort, the Society of Seniors Dale Morey Championship held at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tenn., and the North Carolina Senior Amateur in May contested at the Country Club of Asheville.

A 20-time CGA champion, Simson's other top finishes include second-place at the British Senior Open Amateur Championship, a tie for 10th at the National Senior Hall of Fame and a round of 16 showing at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

Simson will be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May.

Moore, of Charlotte, won her sixth consecutive Carolinas Senior Women's Player of the Year honor, which is the longest streak in the short history of the Tufts Awards.

The 59-year-old's season included one victory and finishing no worse than tied for third at any of the senior women's rankings events. Her late-season win at the Southern Women's Senior played in Texas sealed a close race.

Moore's other top finishes were second-place showings at both the Carolinas Women's Senior Championship and North Carolina Women's Senior Championship, third at the Eastern Women's Senior Championship and tied for third at the North & South Women's Senior Championship. She also won the Moore County Women's Amateur title for a record sixth time.

Moore, a 13-time CGA champion, was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame as voted by the Carolinas Golf Reporter's Association in 2009.

Andy Knox, of Cary, earned the Carolinas Junior Boys Player of the Year honor, beginning with wins at the CGA North Carolina Junior and the Joe Cheves Junior. He finished second at the CPGA Charles Tilghman Junior and fourth at the CGA Carolinas Junior.

The 17-year-old high school senior at Apex High School also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, where he reached match play. He represented the Carolinas in the Carolinas-Virginias Junior Team Matches for the past three years. Knox will play for UNC-Greensboro this fall.

McKenzie Talbert, of North Augusta, S.C., won the Carolinas Junior Girls Player of the Year award. She was impressive with a nine-stroke victory in the Charles Tilghman Junior played at The Surf Golf and Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach.

Talbert finished second at the WSCGA South Carolina Girls' Junior, The Blade Junior and Joe Cheves Junior tournaments, and also finished tied for third in the Vicki DiSantis Girls' Junior. She was a member of the winning South Carolina team in the South Carolina-Georgia Junior Challenge Matches and was named the Beth Daniels South Carolina Junior Player of the Year.

Boys & Girls: The annual Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina benefit golf tournament will be held at Pinehurst Resort's No. 8 Course Monday, March 8, at noon. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m.

The entry fee is $200 per player or $750 per team of four. The entry fee includes golf, cart, range balls, snakes, dinner and a chance to win a hole-in-one prize of a two-year lease on a new automobile provided by Bill Smith Mazda.

Breakfast will be provided by Starbucks, lunch by Golden Corral and a full dinner by JFR Barn.

Check may be made payable to BGHNC and mailed to Don Goulet, 200 Myer Farm Dr., Kenilwood Court, Pinehurst, N.C., 28374.

For information or to sign up an individual or team, call Ron Jones at 295-1819 of Carolyn Register at 295-2352.