Billy Horschel was named the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America’s Charlie Bartlett Award, given to a playing professional for “unselfish contributions for the betterment of society.”

Horschel, 38, an eight-time PGA Tour winner, and his wife, Brittany, created the Horschel Family Foundation to “inspire hope, provide healing, promote health and honor our soldiers.” Horschel’s foundation supports the K9s for Warriors program in his native north Florida and teamed with the PGA Tour to create the PAR program – privacy, access, resources – which attempts to remove barriers that prevent individuals from seeking mental-health and addiction assistance. Horschel also hosts the Billy Horschel APGA Invitational on the APGA Tour, which works to bring greater diversity to golf by supporting Blacks and other minorities for careers in golf.

“I don’t do it for recognition,” Horschel told the GWAA. “I don’t do it for any award, but for the golf writers to see that and see the effort that my wife, Brittany, and I have made means a lot.”

Horschel joins a list of Charlie Bartlett Award honorees that includes Patty Berg, Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Lorena Ochoa, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods.

The Bartlett has been given annually since 1971 to a playing professional for unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Bartlett, of the Chicago Tribune, was the first secretary of the GWAA and served 21 years until his death in 1967.

“You look at the names on the list that have received the award, the hall-of-famers, the great players,” Horschel said. “They’ve been just as successful on the golf course as they have been off the course making a difference in this world. To be able to add my name to that list, I could have never imagined. When our time is done in this world, if we can make a difference in one person’s life, then we’ve lived a really good life.

“When you look at your life, some people get a better shake than other people, and I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve accomplished a lot of things and I’ve been able to be successful. One thing my wife, Brittany, and I have talked about from the very beginning was making sure we give back and help out people who aren’t nearly as fortunate. Those values were instilled in me by my parents. We didn’t grow up with a lot of money. One thing my parents showed me was we can help other people.”

Horschel won 51.8 percent of the vote of GWAA members. Lizette Salas and Karrie Webb also were nominated.

Horschel will be recognized on Wednesday, April 9, at the 51st ISPS Handa GWAA Annual Awards Dinner at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans, Georgia, on the eve of the 89^th Masters.

The GWAA also announced three other annual award winners to be honored at the dinner:

Ben Hogan Award

Chris Kirk took a leave of absence from the PGA Tour in May 2019 to address issues of alcohol abuse and depression. He returned to competition after more than six months of treatment and regained his exempt status in 2021 via a major medical extension. In 2023, he won the Honda Classic for his fifth tour title and was named the PGA Tour’s Courage Award winner later that season. Kirk, 39, a Tennessee native who lives in Georgia, opened last year by winning The Sentry, his sixth Tour victory.

The Ben Hogan Award has been given annually since 1954 to an individual who has continued to be active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness. Hogan, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, recovered from a near-fatal 1949 accident in which he was hit by a bus and won six of his nine major titles in the next four years.

Kirk earned 44.1 percent of the GWAA vote. The late Grayson Murray and Madelene Sagstrom also were nominated.

Jim Murray Award

Lydia Ko has been an open book with the media throughout her LPGA career, sharing details on her health, wedding, relationships, and even her pets. Ko, 27, a South Korea native who was raised in New Zealand, frequently elaborates in interviews and press conferences longer than the allotted time, often providing details and explanations that add color and intrigue to the media's coverage. Ko is thoughtful, kind and generous with her availability despite the demands on her time given her LPGA Hall of Fame achievements. Ko, a three-time Olympic medalist, owns 30 worldwide victories, including three major championships and 22 titles on the LPGA Tour.

The Jim Murray Award has been given annually since 2002 to a professional player for his/her cooperation, quotability and accommodation to the media, and for reflecting the most positive aspects of the working relationship between athlete and journalist. It is given in the spirit of the late Pulitzer Prize winner Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times.

Ko earned 61.2 percent of the GWAA vote. Brittany Lincicome and Mark O’Meara also were nominated.

William D. Richardson Award

As CEO of The First Tee for 18 years, Joe Louis Barrow Jr. helped grow the organization to include more than 1,200 golf courses, 9,000 schools, and 1,000-plus after-school locations. He also served on boards for the National Golf Foundation and American Junior Golf Association and was honored with The First Tee's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

The William D. Richardson Award has been given annually since 1948 to recognize an individual who has consistently made an outstanding contribution to golf. Richardson, of The New York Times, was instrumental in the founding of the GWAA.

Barrow earned 33.3 percent of the GWAA vote. Bill Coore, Steph Curry and Rees Jones also were nominated.

Others to be honored on April 9 by the GWAA:

• Scottie Scheffler, Nelly Korda and Ernie Els, the respective male, female and senior players of the year for 2024

• Lewine Mair, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based columnist for Global Golf Post who will receive the PGA of America’s Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award

• Fred Vuich, winner of the PGA's Lifetime Achievement Award in Photojournalism

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Billy Horschel, Lydia Ko, Chris Kirk, Joe Louis Barrow honored by GWAA