2016 Yearbook

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U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP September 17-22, 2016
1 Jim Butler Fort Madison 71
Alt. Vern Boenish Cedar Rapids 73
Don Kuehn Kansas City, Mo. 73
Robert Pomerantz Des Moines 74
Thomas Norton Muscatine 76
John Peters Muscatine 76
Patrick Ryan Marshalltown 76
Andy Burton W. Des Moines 77
David Studer W. Des Moines 77
Ron Peterson Urbandale 78
Matt Steddom Marshalltown 78
Tom Christensen Waterloo 79
Tom Schill Gowrie 80
Dan Warren Bolingbrook, Ill. 80
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Name City (Par 72) Total
U.S. Senior Amateur Quali er
Finkbine Golf Course- Iowa City, Iowa
August 31, 2016
Jim Butler made it to the match
play portion of the U.S. Senior
Amateur Championship in 2007
and was hoping for a similar
performance at the 2016 event
Sept. 17-22 at Old Warson Country
Club in St. Louis.
But it wasn’t in the cards for the
veteran from Fort Madison, who
will turn 65 this year.
Butler, the 2007 and 2009 Iowa
Golf Association Senior Player of
the Year, struggled with rounds of
81 and 77 for a 16-over-par 158
total and did not make the cut.
While Butler, who lost in the
second round of match play in
2007 in Kansas, didn’t make the
cut this time, it didn’t take away
from his experience.
“Old Warson Country Club is a
fantastic place,” Butler said. “It
rained and that made a course
that was already 7,000 yards even
longer. The course was long and
wet. It wasn’t the driver-wedge
course that I’m used to playing.
It was more of a driver-hybrid
course. I’m not used to that and it
made it very difficult for me.
“I didn’t get off to a very good start
and shot 81 the first day. I played
better the second day, but I didn’t
have a single birdie in 36 holes,
which is very rare for me. I feel
like my short game kind of let me
down. But I had a great time, got
to play at a great venue and got to
meet up with a lot of old friends.”
Butler qualifies for 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur
Butler, the 2005 IGA Senior
Amateur and 2009 IGA Senior
Match Play champion, qualified
for the U.S. Senior Amateur by
winning a qualifying tournament at
Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City
by two strokes. Butler was the only
player at par or under, shooting a
1-under 71.
“I played very well that day and
was fortunate enough to get the
one qualifying spot,” Butler said.
Butler’s best memories of this
year’s U.S. Senior Amateur?
“The highlight for me was the
banquet,” Butler said without
hesitation. “I got to sit with three
former champions — Marvin Giles
III, Doug Hanzel and Paul Simson.
Those guys are good, really good. It
was like si�ng with royalty.”
Jim Butler (L), 64, of Fort Madison
qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur
Championship a�er firing a 71.
65
By Matt Levins, The Hawkeye