Senior at Assumption High School Honored with One of Kentucky PGA Junior Tour’s Most Significant Honors

LOUISVILLE, KY (December 14, 2021) – Ella Hardy has been named the recipient of the 2021 Jace Bugg Award. One of the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour’s top awards, this honor salutes a player who represents golf’s best qualities – outstanding sportsmanship, a positive attitude, and a true friend to his or her peers.

Hardy, a senior at Assumption High School in Louisville, was a popular choice for this award among the Tour’s staff. Throughout her time competing in Kentucky Junior Golf events, Hardy has frequently been seen with a smile on her face and a friendly attitude when talking with fellow players, their families, or the Tour’s staff members and officials. Her warm demeanor has been a constant aspect to her presence and has helped create the inclusive, welcoming environment junior golfers and their families come to find at tournaments.

“Ella has achieved all of the qualities that represent what the Jace Bugg Award means,” Michael Vick, PGA, Director, Junior Programs at Golf House Kentucky said. “Every time I see Ella, she is always making other junior golfers around her smile. I can’t remember a time where I’ve seen Ella with anything other than a warm, friendly attitude.”

In addition to being a role model for positive behavior, Hardy has also found plenty of success with her playing abilities on the golf course. That includes a 2020 season which featured four victories on the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour, leading to an eventual signing with Northern Kentucky University earlier this year. Hardy will be on the Women’s Golf team at NKU following her high school graduation this spring, but being a good person has always been at the forefront of her mind.

“This award means so much to me because it means people recognize me for who I am,” Hardy described. “I always try to keep a smile on my face and strive to be the best player, competitor and friend. I always look ahead to the next shot; it can always be better than the last one. If I’m having a bad day on the golf course, just because I am doesn’t mean everyone else needs to share it with me.”

The Jace Bugg Award is named in honor of the Henderson native who had a terrific Kentucky Junior Golf career leading to a professional career that included two victories. Sadly, Bugg was diagnosed with leukemia which led to him passing away in 2003 at the age of 27. The award was first distributed in 2005 and has recognized a player meeting these characteristics every year since, with Hardy becoming the seventeenth recipient. More information and the full list of honorees can be found by clicking here.

About Kentucky Junior Golf

Kentucky Junior Golf is part of the Kentucky Golf Foundation, one of three organizations that comprises Golf House Kentucky. Kentucky Junior Golf includes the state’s top tournaments and programs for the state’s golfers aged 18 or younger, featuring the Kentucky PGA Junior Tour, Youth on Course, the Youth on Course caddie program, PGA Jr. League, and Drive, Chip & Putt. Kentucky Junior Golf is dedicated to introducing Kentucky’s youth to the game of golf, providing resources to further enjoyment within the sport, and developing the skills necessary for players to thrive both on and off the golf course.

Media Contact

Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703