LWGA Announces
Inaugural Golf Award
COOPERSTOWN—The Leatherstocking Women’s Golf Association recently announced the establishment of the LWGA Golf Award and the selection of its inaugural recipient, Rimma Bravin, a graduating senior from Cooperstown High School. This milestone award, created in 2026, reflects the LWGA’s commitment to promoting and growing the sport of golf among women in our community, officials said.
Bravin was selected from among eligible female members of the Cooperstown Central School golf team who are graduating and pursuing higher education. She exemplifies the values the LWGA seeks to honor: a positive attitude with a lifelong love of golf.
The LWGA Golf Award was established to celebrate young women who have demonstrated not only athletic participation, but a genuine passion for golf as a lifelong pursuit. The award recognizes the lessons the sport imparts—sportsmanship, resilience, honesty, and personal growth—and the role those lessons play in shaping future leaders.
Each year, the recipient will be selected in May and introduced to LWGA members at the association’s spring meeting. The award will then be formally announced at the Cooperstown High School graduation ceremony in June.
The award consists of a $500 cash award, paid directly to the recipient for use toward educational expenses such as a laptop, books or tuition, as well as a complimentary LWGA membership for the season following graduation, awarded to recipients who are Leatherstocking subscribers.
The award is open to female members of the Cooperstown High School golf team who are graduating and have plans to pursue a higher level of education, including college, trade schools, military service or other post-secondary paths.
Recipients are chosen by the LWGA Award Committee based on a written essay and a conversation with CCS golf coach Tom Parker. Applicants submitted a one-page essay exploring how golf has influenced their lives, challenges they have faced, and how the game of golf can be translated to the game of life.
Rimma’s essay was exceptional and hit all the values that matter, according to the LWGA Award Committee, which stated, “Golf teaches us resilience, persistence and how to meet challenges with grace. The LWGA is thrilled to honor a young woman who embodies these values and carries them forward into her future. We look forward to watching Rimma, and how she will apply those values beyond the golf course.”
The Leatherstocking Women’s Golf Association is a membership organization that promotes the sport of golf among women. Through camaraderie and competition, the LWGA fosters a welcoming environment for golfers of all skill levels.
