Amateur Gross – Joe Zulli, Trump National Golf Club – Philadelphia
In last season’s Winter Series Player of the Year chase, Joe Zulli needed a miracle and got it in the tune of a final event comeback.
In the 2025-26 Winter Series season, Zulli left nothing to chance. He claimed his fourth Winter Series Amateur Gross POY honor (2017-18, 2022-23, 2024-25). He totaled 605 points, 210 points better than the runner-up Josh Isler of Stonewall.
“Anytime you win anything in golf is great,” Zulli, 41, of Bellmawr, N.J., said. “Even though I wasn’t able to win a specific tournament it was nice to win the POY because I was consistent. Winning in GAP is great because of the history of the organization.”
Playing in seven of the eight Winter Series events, Zulli didn’t finish any worse than sixth. His consistency pushed him to the top.
“Winning the Player of the Year comes down to playing in a lot of events. It is a numbers game,” Zulli said. “The race was tight again this year heading into the last few weeks. I didn’t really have any bad rounds the entire Winter Series.”
Amateur Net – Doug Conrad, Coatesville Country Club
Doug Conrad took the sight of a Winter Series event at his home club to be a sign.
After taking 20 years off from golf after getting out of the golf business where he served as an assistant professional at numerous GAP clubs, he ended up finishing at the top of both the Amateur Gross and Amateur Net Divisions in the first Winter Series event of the 2025-26 season last October at Coatesville.
Conrad earned 305 points to take the 2025-26 Winter Series Amateur Net Player of the Year.
“What helped me most was just getting back to playing competitive golf,” Conrad, 57, of Coatesville, Pa., said. “I am still happy to play with the younger guys at my age. I can still hit it almost as far as the younger guys and keep up with them for now. Playing competitive golf on a regular basis helps you stay consistent.”
In his first full season playing in the Winter Series events, Conrad was chasing the Amateur Gross Player of the Year, but an untimely disqualification for missing his tee time at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club took him out of the race.
“I am very happy to have won this Player of the Year,” Conrad, who delivers for Martin’s Potato Rolls and Bread, said. “Playing under the gun helps you have a nice competitive edge in the future. The events are enjoyable to play in. You meet a lot of great people and get to play in some nice places. Winning the award is a great honor.”
Senior Gross — Don Uhrig, LedgeRock Golf Club
The camaraderie compels. The consistency crowns.
In eight Winter Series events, Uhrig never finished outside the Top 5. He totaled 1,030 points to earn the Series Senior Gross Player of the Year Award, clearing closest chaser David West by 40.
“I’ve been in one of those grooves where you’re playing a little bit better. When that’s happening, you enjoy playing, especially if you have good company,” Uhrig, 64, of Reading, Pa., said. “The game has continued to get better. Plus, Andy Miller, a great teaching pro we have at LedgeRock, has been a tremendous asset to help me along.”
Uhrig scorched the campaign’s closing slate. He prevailed at Chesapeake Bay Golf Club, shared runner-up honors at Lebanon Country Club and placed fourth at Bellewood Country Club. Uhrig, who owns a construction company, also finished fourth alongside his brother David, a fellow LedgeRock member, in the better-ball-of-partners event at Five Ponds Golf Club.
“As you move along and your game gets better, your goals become higher,” Don said. “Go out, have fun with it and compete. I’m looking to push myself more than I have in the past and see where it takes me this year.”
Senior Net — Greg Smith, Radley Run Country Club
Any Winter Series setting must include Smith, a 10-time Amateur Net Player of the Year (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23).
Make the 2025-26 slate a figurative laboratory. Smith worked with Nick Biondi, Radley Run’s Director of Instruction, on his swing and Michael Little of Clubhouse 54 on his putting. The returns resulted in a second straight Senior Net POY honor. Smith totaled 965 points.
“I’m always searching for different techniques to swing the club faster,” Smith, 62, of Kennett Square, Pa., said. “Nick put me onto Mike. The strength of my game is putting. I used to think I was the world’s best putter. After seeing Mike, now I know I’m the world’s best putter because he’s improved my putting. The edges I used to burn are now falling in the hole.”
Smith, a professor of sport management at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, also credits former swing coach John Dunigan. His development is clear and continuing. Smith won at Bellewood Country Club and paired with Ed Aikin to prevail at Five Ponds Golf Club.
Perpetual progress for a work in progress.
“I might be outplayed, but I won’t be outworked,” Smith said.
Women’s Gross – Alison Kellock, Flourtown Country Club
Alison Kellock’s perennial Winter Series podium position persists. This year, the Flourtown Country Club member played in four events and totaled 370 points. Her efforts resulted in a successful title defense and a fourth Women’s Gross Player of the Year title. Her already impressive resume includes gross titles in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2024-25. Now, the scales are perfectly balanced between her gross and net titles (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24).
“It feels great,” Kellock, 60, of Oreland, Pa. said. “I was tenacious and I played in a lot of tournaments, [but it wasn’t] necessarily my finest play.”
This off season, Kellock joined Indoor golf Club and began taking short game lessons from Flourtown’s Director of Golf Tom Casey who teaches at Indoor. Since working with Casey, Kellock has observed a positive trend in her short game.
“I really applied my short game at the Chesapeake Bay (Golf Club) tournament which were my newfound skills from Tom, so that worked out,” Kellock said. “It’s always good to get a lesson and then after a while it starts working and then you feel great about it.”
Lowering her Handicap Index into the single digits is Kellock’s current golf goal.
“I do feel like that is an achievable goal for me and that’s where I want to be,” Kellock said.
Women’s Net – Lisa Connolly, USGA/GAP GC
As a snow sports supervisor and ski instructor at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Lisa Connolly focused more on skiing than on her golf swing this winter. The pause proved prudent. In this year’s Winter Series, Connolly, a USGA/GAP GC member, amassed 345 points across four events to capture the Women’s Net Player of the Year award.
“That time off allowed me to go with more of my natural swing and not overthink. It seemed to work, I felt like my swing was much smoother.” Connolly, 63, of Audubon, Pa., said. “I enjoy being in competition as opposed to social golf, which is awesome as well.”Connolly, who also operates her own personal training business, said her best performance of the Winter Series season came in the Chesapeake Bay Golf Club event. She also favored the Lebanon Country Club event for the golf course and overall playing experience.
“Sometimes, the personalities that surround you can make a world of difference as to how you play,” Connolly said.
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
