GWAA salutes service, resilience and candour
Rolfing, Cauley and Lewis honoured on Masters week for defining contributions to the game
Mark Rolfing, Bud Cauley and Stacy Lewis will receive three of the Golf Writers Association of America’s highest honours on April 8 at the 52nd ISPS Handa GWAA Awards Dinner on the eve of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
Rolfing will be presented with the William D. Richardson Award, given since 1948 to recognise outstanding and consistent contribution to golf, while Cauley earns the Ben Hogan Award for perseverance in the face of serious illness or injury and Lewis receives the Jim Murray Award for excellence in working with the media.
A longtime NBC Sports and Golf Channel commentator, Rolfing is widely known as golf’s “Mr. Hawaii” for his deep ties to the PGA Tour’s two events in the state and his long-running efforts to grow the game. He has also been at the forefront of recovery initiatives in Maui following the devastating wildfires of 2023.
“I am overwhelmed at the honour I have been given to receive this year’s GWAA William D. Richardson Award,” Rolfing said. “As I reflect on my career, I am constantly reminded of just how many people were so generous with their time and helped me along the way.”
Cauley, 35, is being recognised for a career revived after adversity. He missed more than three years following a 2018 car crash that left him with multiple broken ribs, a broken left leg and a collapsed lung, before regaining his PGA Tour card with a tie for sixth at the 2025 Players Championship.
“To be recognised by the GWAA for overcoming the challenges I faced recovering from my injuries means a great deal to me,” Cauley said. “I’m very proud to add my name to the list of incredible past recipients.”
Lewis, a former world No. 1 and two-time major champion with 13 LPGA victories, is honoured for a media relationship shaped by honesty and accessibility. Once reluctant to face interviews, she became one of the LPGA’s most respected voices, valued for forthright views and an appreciation for the traditional post-round scrum.
“It’s an honour to be named the recipient of the Jim Murray Award,” Lewis said. “I’ve always believed that connecting with the media is an important part of being a professional golfer – not just to represent yourself, but to help tell the story of the game.”
The trio will be honoured alongside the GWAA’s players of the year – Scottie Scheffler, Jeeno Thitikul and Stewart Cink – with additional recognition given to lifetime achievement winners and annual writing contest recipients during Masters week.