AGA/GAP Men’s Player of the Year: Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club

“Consistency” is a buzzword for Eric Williams when he speaks about his continued success on the Anthracite circuit. It is, after all, the impetus behind an eighth Player of the Year Award (2009-11, 2013-14, 2016-18). He earned 955.5 points — 120 ahead of Scranton Municipal Golf Course’s Michael Thomas. 

“It’s always nice to be recognized by the Anthracite Golf Association for your play. It means a lot,” Williams, 46, of Honesdale, Pa., said.

“I pride myself on being consistent in the area. It’s [also a result of having] a lot of good partners in the better-ball tournaments we have here. But individual stroke play is where I pride myself on good play.”

It’s also where Williams shined in 2018. He earned co-runner-up honors in the 10^th AGA/GAP Spring Stroke Play at Glenmaura National Golf Club, finished as runner-up in the 15^th Stroke Play Championship at Fox Hill Country Club and tied for fourth in the Men’s Coal Scuttle Championship at Country Club of Scranton (Old) and Wyoming Valley Country Club. A fourth appearance in U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying ranks as a seasonal highlight, too.

“They were good rounds of golf. Consistent, nothing fancy,” Williams, who owns a lumber brokerage company, said. “I’m very familiar with the courses that we play. All I try to do is make pars, some birdies here and there and see what happens at the end of the day.”

A penchant for competitive golf keeps Williams, a longtime Honesdale Golf Club member, on the Anthracite tee sheets.

“That’s what I love. I don’t play much golf if I’m not playing in tournaments,” Williams said. “As I get older, the competition gets harder and harder. This year, I was so happy that the Anthracite Golf Association merged with the Golf Association of Philadelphia. It became more professional up here. Not to say it wasn’t professional before. It just makes [the experience] a lot better for me. It opened up more events in the Philadelphia area that I could play in.”