Davis Love III wins GWAA Jim Murray Award for media cooperation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Davis Love III of St. Simons Island, Ga., has always been one of the most accessible PGA Tour players with the media.

The media will be thanking the two-time Players champion during the week of the Masters Tournament.

Love has been voted the recipient of the Jim Murray Award, named for the legendary columnist and annually presented by the Golf Writers Association of America to the player who "demonstrates cooperation and accommodation to the media."

Love will be honored at the GWAA annual banquet April 6 in Augusta, Ga.

Also receiving GWAA awards that night will be J.B. Holmes with the Ben Hogan Award, for a golfer remaining active in the game or making a comeback due to a physical disability or injury; and Dottie Pepper with the William D. Richardson Award, presented to an individual who has made contributions to golf.

Love said his father, noted teaching professional Davis Love Jr., told him early in his career that an adversarial relationship with the media doesn't help either party.

"He told me that if you make friends with reporters, you'll feel comfortable when you have to talk to them," Love said in a statement.

Holmes has come back to win the PGA Tour after two brain surgeries to repair defects in his cerebellum.

Pepper, who will become the first female golf analyst to work at the Masters this year, won 17 times on the LPGA Tour, has promoted junior golf as a member of the PGA of America board and has co-authored children's books that deal with bullying.

This article was written by Garry Smits from The Florida Times-Union and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.