April 30— Pittsfield’s Donnie Troy isn’t quite ready to give up his two year stranglehold on the Berkshire County men’s player of the year trophy.

Just ask him.

“It’s at home,” said Troy, a junior at Eckerd College (Fla.). “I think it’s in my bedroom. My mom keeps it pretty clean. I have no plans to give it up though.”

And why would he?

On the heels of a dominant 2006 campaign in which he qualified for the U.S. Amateur, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mass. Amateur and won the Men’s Allied to clinch player of the year honors, Troy will return from college in mid-May with a revamped swing and a singular focus.

“I’m excited,” Troy, 21, said. “I’ve been very frustrated with how I’ve been playing but I’ve improved a lot. I’m not going to worry about anyone. I’m just going to take care of myself.”

But Troy’s not the only one thinking about Troy.

“Donnie’s raised the bar, a lot like Tiger has,” said Wyantenuck’s Andy Congdon, who ran 2^nd to Troy in last year’s standings. “And the rest of the crew has to raise their game.”

The 26-event Men’s Player of the Year schedule begins on May 18^th at the Stockbridge Classic.

Troy’s not the only Player of the Year who stood head and shoulders above the competition in 2006.

Thanks to six victories in 2006, Waubeeka’s Kathy Duguay captured the Women’s POY by 430 points over runner-up Sheri Lublin, of the Country Club of Pittsfield.

Three of her wins came in Women’s Allied events, including the Women’s Allied Individual Championship, which awards 275 points to the winner, the most of any local event. Berkshire Hills will host that event on August 22^nd this year.

Worthington’s Doug Reed couldn’t match Duguay’s victory total, but he did claim the Senior POY trophy by 459 points, the largest margin since the awards were established in 2005.

“I haven’t got a club out of the bag yet,” Reed said, noting the bad weather. That’s what I usually do. I’ll just go to the range and hit a couple thousand balls.”

Wyantenuck’s Liam Billard took the most circuitous route of any POY winner on his way to claiming the Junior POY. His 379 point margin over fellow Monument Mountain Senior Davis Mullany was built largely upon six top 10’s on the Northeastern New York PGA Junior Tour, including a win in the season-ending Tour Championship.

The Berkshire County Junior Allied Monday Series provides the most opportunities for junior golfers to earn points. The six-event schedule begins July 2^nd and awards 40 points to winners.