2025 Women's Player of the Year

2025 PAGA WOMEN’S PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

After years of runner-up finishes, Bucknell Golf Club’s Hannah Rabb finally got her name on a Pennsylvania Golf Association championship trophy this summer – and much more, as she was named the PAGA’s 2025 Carol Semple Thompson Women’s Amateur Player of the Year. Rabb, currently a sophomore on Penn State University’s women’s golf team, earned medalist honors at the 89^th Women’s Amateur Championship, shooting a four-under 68 on the final day  (the lowest round of the week) to top the leaderboard.

"I was really surprised, but I'm really grateful for it," said Rabb. "I've been playing in PAGA tournaments since I was probably 11 or 12 and in the Amateur for six years, so this summer was great. It's kind of cool now that I'm at Penn State to be PA Golfer of the Year and still playing in Pennsylvania."

Rabb finished at six-under-par to claim the Women's Am title at Valley Brook Country Club, where she masterfully navigated her way through a difficult setup.

"The course was definitely challenging," recalled Rabb. "There's a lot of up-and-down shots and stuff that I don't really experience that often. I had to get used to some big elevation changes because I don't really have a ton of that where I live over in State College. It took some time to get used to that but once I did I tried to just put together my usual every day of golf."

Rabb also finished tied for third at this year's PAGA Junior Girls' Championship, where she previously had been runner-up for three consecutive years (2022 to 2024). She transferred to Penn State after a freshman season at James Madison University and continues to work tirelessly on her golf game.

"I think my putting improved tremendously from my season at JMU and then to summer golf," said Rabb. "I made a lot more putts inside 10 feet, which is huge. I've always been pretty consistent hitting fairways and I don't normally score really big numbers. It helps only having a bogey on the score card compared to a double or triple to recover from. I'm a pretty even-keeled type of golfer, with not too many birdies and not too many bogeys. I think like everyone, it's that one good hole or one good shot that keeps us all coming back. That feeling of "Oh wow, I just made a 25-footer for birdie, that was pretty cool!" It keeps us coming back the next day and the next day, even if you have a bad round."

Joining Rabb as a 2025 year-end award winner is Valley Brook Country Club’s Annie Vanzant, who earns the Connie Shorb Senior Women’s Player of the Year Award after her victory in the Senior Division of the 89^th Women’s Amateur Championship by three strokes on her home course.

“You know what, it was a huge surprise and it’s a wonderful honor,” said Vanzant. “ I just had two really good days of golf which is usually hard for me to do so that was really fun. I was fortunate enough to have it happen because it’s very rare for me. I’ve been playing at Valley Brook for over 30 years and people expect you to play well at your own course because you know it so well. So I think it puts a little extra pressure on you, but I played with great ladies in both rounds and we’re all so grateful to be able to play physically and have that desire to compete. It also helps that you’re out there playing with such nice people, it’s fun and I appreciate it a lot more.”

Vanzant, who was elected as the PAGA’s first female President back in 2022 and just completed her three-year term, has worked at Oakmont Country Club for 26 years and appreciates the opportunity to constantly be around the game.

"I like to play golf more than anything," said Vanzant. "I can't wait to get to my ball to hit it. That's how I always feel. It's my favorite thing to do and I like to do it in a competitive atmosphere when I can. Once you find your passion, it's not a job, it's not work, and you just can't wait to do it, and that's what golf is for me. And to have a job that includes golf heavily, I've just been so fortunate to be involved in the golf world the way I am."

Rounding out the trio of 2025 women’s golf awards is Super-Senior Player of the Year Diane Cardano-Casacio of Cedarbrook Country Club. She eked out a three-stroke victory over 2024 Super-Senior Player of the Year Barb Pagana in this year’s Amateur at Valley Brook. She held on for a wire-to-wire win and carded an 80, the lowest round of the week in the division, to lock up medalist honors.

"I just turned 65 so it's a different feel -- last year I was the oldest in the Senior Group and now I'm the youngest in the Super-Senior," said Cardano-Casacio. "In the Senior Division maybe I could go 200 off the tee but the younger players were hitting 250 so I really had to focus on having a better short game. I'm really honored to be Golfer of the Year. I haven't played in a lot of these tournaments in the past because I didn't like to travel much unless it was around Philadelphia. But I realized how important it is to stay in shape and playing in all these tournaments really sharpens my game. The key to staying at the highest level and being the best version of myself is putting myself in these situations where I'm traveling at a tournament and I don't know anyone, I've never played the course before, but I just go. So to go through all that and have it work out this year was really cool."

Cardano-Casacio continues to improve on her game and was grateful for the support of the golf community at this year's Amateur.

"It was so well organized and the host club was amazing," stated Cardano-Casacio. "Like I said, I always find it challenging to have to travel in the summer to play a course I've never seen and play with people that I don't really know well. But everyone was supportive and made us feel comfortable, which was really nice. You may think that a lot of these tournaments might be very cutthroat but it's the opposite and it's always a really great group of gals who are willing to give advice. I've had success in the last three years and dropped my handicap several points, but it's always a process and I've just focused on playing better. It doesn't happen overnight -- it really takes time -- but it's been great."