Batsel named CPGA male golfer of the year

By JAMES TUBB on December 23, 2025.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

Dillon Batsel’s year of golf has been recognized on a national level.

The Medicine Hat golfer was named the PGA of Canada’s male player of the year, winning the Mike Weir award. Batsel finished second at the PGA Championship of Canada and the PGA of Alberta Assistants’ Championship, third at the PGA of Alberta Zone Championship and eighth at the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada.

The player of the year is awarded to the member who attains the most points based on a criteria within the PGA of Canada player rankings for the calendar year. Batsel was surprised by the win, judging his season on wins more than anything, but he’s proud of his 2025 golf season.

“Pretty much every tournament I played in, I finished top four, which was really consistent and is something that I take a lot of pride in as well,” Batsel said. “I just wasn’t able to get over the hump and win any of those, but I had a really good year.

“For not winning any of the big events, this was a really nice consolation but it was a good year, so I was really happy to get the award.”

Batsel and Team Alberta did take first place at the Assistant’s Championship. He beat out Calgary’s Wes Heffernan and four other golfers for the player of the year award. Batsel thanks the ownership group at his home course Desert Blume Golf Club for their support throughout his career.

The 32-year-old feels his best golf is still ahead of him, and this season as well as the CPGA award furthers his motivation.

“It just kind of validates the things that I am currently doing and gets me motivated to go out and actually win some of these events,” Batsel said.

During his summer, Batsel recorded three holes-in-one, accomplishing a golfer’s dream shots at three different courses. He hit one at the CPGA Championship in July, one on a par-4 hole at Mickelson National Golf Club and another at the Blume. The burst of aces brings his career total up to six, with the par-4 shot crossing off a bucket list moment.

Batsel, the golf coach for the Medicine Hat College Rattlers and apprentice pro at Desert Blume, has his eyes set on crossing off more bucket-list items. He won the PGA of Alberta Championship in 2021, now he’s looking to complete the circuit.

He wants to win the PGA Canada Championship, the PGA of Canada assistants championship and the PGA of Alberta assistants championship.

“Those are four of the biggest tournaments that I play in every year and I would love to check each of those off before I’m done playing competitive golf,” Batsel said. “For me right now, that’s what keeps me going. Until those happen, I’ll be working pretty darn hard to make it happen.

“Even this year I played some great golf, but I did not feel like I played my best golf, which is nice. That doesn’t mean I think I can win every event, every year, but it does feel like the way that I played, there’s still a lot of room for getting better, and that excites me because I want to get better.”

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