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IGA SENIOR MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Tournament Club of Iowa, Polk City
Elliott comes out on top at Senior Match Play
Gene Elliott had his game on cruise control at
this year’s IGA Senior Match Play Championship
held at the Tournament Club of Iowa. The 2015
Player of the Year earned the number one
overall seed, and strung together five wins to
bring home his second-consecutive match play
title contested at TCI (he won last year’s regular
IGA Match Play at TCI).
Elliott posted a two-under, 69 in the stroke
play round to lock up the number one spot. He
would then go on to defeat Mike Gaul 7 and 6,
and Pat Ryan 4 and 3 to reach the quarterfinals.
Matt Steddom gave Elliott his closest match of
the tournament, however, it was Elliott that
came out on top, 3 and 2.
In the semifinals, Elliott wasted no time in
toppling Tom Schill by a 6 and 5 margin. In the
championship match, the West Des Moines
resident clinched the title on the 16th-hole with a 4 and 3 victory over
Rob Christensen. In match play action, Elliott never once reached the
17th-hole.
This was Elliott’s second victory of the season,
and his sixth-top 10 in as many starts.
Elliott would go on to win
the Player of the Year and
the Senior Player of the
Year titles.
After missing the cut for
the Championship Bracket, Jamie
Blackburn battled back in
the President’s Bracket to
take home first-place. In
the title match, Blackburn
defeated Bob Hartzler, 3
and 1.
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Gene Elliott of West
Des Moines