Month: August 2017

Briggs take lead at 39th Iowa Senior Amateur

August 31, 20170 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

A packed leaderboard is what you’ll find at Burlington Golf Club after two rounds of the 39th Iowa Senior Amateur Championship. A total of 5 players are within three or less shots of the lead.

In the lead is Burlington’s Scott Briggs (pictured above) at 143 (-1). Chasing him going into tomorrow’s final round is Gene Elliott (144), John O’Neill (145) Joe Palmer (146), Terry Cook (146) and Tom Norton (146). Briggs and Palmer shared low round of the day with 69 (-3). Briggs’ round included five birdies today, while Palmer made four birdies and an eagle.

It’ll be a race to the finish you could say as Palmer, Elliott and Cook represent the top three in the IGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year race.

In the Super Senior Division a trio of golfers share the lead at 147 (+3). Tied at the top are Jim Butler (Ft. Madison), John Peters (Muscatine) and Rob Christensen (Marshalltown), who will battle for the title in tomorrow’s final round. Ft. Dodge’s Dave Sergeant sits four back of the lead.

Sergeant and Christensen represent 1st and 2nd in the IGA Super Senior Men’s Player of the Year standings.

Click here for a full recap of scoring.

John O’Neill makes his par on #17 during the second round.

Joe Palmer will look to catch Scott Briggs in tomorrow’s final round.

Elliott makes six birdies, leads 39th Iowa Senior Amateur

August 30, 20170 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott (pictured above), fresh off an appearance in the Round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Amateur, didn’t let off the gas in the opening round of the 39th Iowa Senior Amateur at Burlington Golf Club. Elliott’s opening round 69 (-3) leads by one shot over Burlington’s own John O’Neill. Gary Ellis (Norwalk) and Tom Norton (Muscatine) shot 72 (E) and are three strokes back of the pace.

Elliott was able to string together a total of six birdies on the day, including 4 in a ten-hole stretch.

O’Neill, who grew up just a pitching wedge away from the first hole at BGC, put that ‘knowledge’ of BGC to work. His day began with 13 straight pars and included 16 pars overall mixed in with a pair of birdies.

In the Super Senior Division (65 and older) another ‘local’ is atop the leaderboard. Fort Madison’s Jim Butler put together a 71 (-1) round of his own that included five birdies. Butler managed only three pars on the front nine, but still turned in 35 (-1) thanks to four birdies. John Peters (Muscatine) sits just three back of Butler at 74 (+2).

Click here for a recap of scoring.

Elliott reaches Rd. of 32 at U.S. Senior Amateur

August 30, 20170 commentsUSGA

Iowa’s Gene Elliott (pictured above), following stroke play qualifying scores of 77-69, earned the #15 seed into match play at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship being contested at The Minikahda Club, Minneapolis, Minn.

In his opening round match, Elliott got off to a quick lead and never looked back, dispatching Virginia’s Patrick Tallent 6&4.

In the Round of 32 Elliott raced out to another quick lead, 3 up through 7 holes, on Keith Decker (Virginia). Holding a 3 up lead through 13 holes, Elliott would see his lead dwindle to all square (AS) through 16 holes. Decker would ultimately win the 18th hole to win the match 1 up.

Click here to see recap from the event.

BGC welcomes 39th Iowa Senior Amateur

August 30, 20170 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

The 39th addition of the Iowa Senior Amateur Championship begins today (Aug. 30) at Burlington Golf Club.

BGC is a Packard designed championship golf course that has hosted several state amateur events in the past. According to those who have played the course, it is fun for the eye as it winds up and down the hills of the Mississippi River bluffs. Many of the holes at BGC demand approach shots to slightly elevated greens. The course also includes a handful of risk/reward holes.

Defending champion Gene Elliott is in the field as well as many other of the top players from the IGA Senior Player of the Year race. Last year, Elliott chased down Jay Gregory at Ames Golf & Country Club to win this event. Elliott arrives at BGC from a Round of 32 appearance at the U.S. Senior Amateur earlier this week.

Click here to follow scoring updates from the event.

Anderson, Cook take titles at Briarwood Amateur

August 28, 20170 commentsChampionships, News

J.D. Anderson and Terry Cook were the victors at the 2017 Briarwood Amateur.

Anderson, of Johnston, won the Open Division by three shots over David Combs of West Des Moines and Brian Allison of Norwalk.  Anderson opened the 36-hole event with a 5-under-par 67 then closed with a 68 to finish at 9-under 135.  Combs went 71-67 while Allison reversed that with 67-71 as they both finished at 6-under-par 138.

The win moves Anderson into first place in the IGA Player of the Year points race.  He currently has an 85 point lead (1005 to 920) over Gene Elliott of West Des Moines.

On the Senior side, Cook, of West Des Moines, played impressively over the two days.  He fired an even-par 72 to open then finished strong with a 3-under 69.  His 3-under total of 141 was two shots clear of Jay Slings of Ankeny and Ron Peterson of Urbandale.  Cook is currently 3rd in a tight race for the IGA Senior Player of the Year.

Click here to view full results of the 2017 Briarwood Amateur.

Mauchaza wins 84th Iowa Open

August 28, 20170 commentsChampionships, Iowa Open

The winner of the 84th Iowa Open held at Blue Top Ridge at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort was Nyasha Mauchaza (pictured above) of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Nyasha posted rounds of 65-70-67 (-14, 202 total). His winning score was one better than Nathan Yankovich’s three-day total.

Low amateur for the event was Ames’ Nick Voke of Ames, who posted a 207 total (-9), which was two better than Jeff Swegle.

Click here to see full results and to view each division’s recap (drop-down menu).

Iowa Women’s Am Champ Snyder on a roll

August 25, 20170 commentsNews

Britta Snyder won the Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship in dominating fashion a few weeks ago (click here to read about that win).  That performance seems to have propelled her to a higher gear.

The 15-year old from Ames has won two straight AJGA championships, giving her three wins in her last three events (Iowa Women’s Am win being the first).

She won her first AJGA title on August 10th at the Junior at Forest Lake just outside of Detroit, Michigan.  Snyder fired a final round 1-under par 70 to finish three shots clear of second place.  She shot 72-75-70 to finish a 4-over par 217 over the Forest Lake Country Club layout. (view complete results here)

Two weeks later she won the Randy Wise Junior Open at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan (ended Aug 24) with scores of 75-72-73 (4-over 220).  It was good enough for a two shot victory. (view complete results here)

The victories have propelled her to the top of the IGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year standings.  She has already verbally committed to play collegiately at Baylor University.

Iowans at USGA Senior Amateur

August 24, 20170 commentsNews, USGA

Gene Elliott, of West Des Moines, and Sam Billmeyer, of Ankeny, are in the field this weekend at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship, being played at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.  This marks the first year Elliott was eligible to play in the 55 or older event.

While Billmeyer made it through the qualifying round held at Briarwood Golf Club, Elliott was exempt due to his top-500 ranking in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.  An additional Iowan has at least a chance of getting into the field as well – Joe Palmer, of West Des Moines, is first on the alternate list for the USGA and could possibly be asked to play if someone is forced to withdraw.  Palmer plans to be on-site and ready should that happen during the first day of play.

The championship begins with stroke play qualifying on Saturday, August 26th.  The top 64 after 36 holes of qualifying make the match play draw.

You can follow all the scoring by clicking here.

2017 Solheim Cup Breaks Previous Attendance Record

August 22, 20170 commentsNews

Above – Thousands cheering for their team at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on #17.

After a full week of incredible golf, celebration and patriotism at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, the official attendance for the 2017 Solheim Cup has been tallied. The global golf event attracted 124,426 fans from August 14-20, 2017. This number surpasses the last attendance record for the Solheim Cup, set in 2009 at Rich Harvest Farms in Illinois. Additionally, the large crowds on Friday broke the event’s single-day attendance record.

“Watching the crowds stream into Des Moines Golf and Country Club was a thrill,” said Chris Garrett, Tournament Director. “Running the Solheim Cup was a dream realized for me. Knowing we were able to bring in record crowds and create more fans of golf, the LPGA and the Solheim Cup make the success of the event even sweeter.”

The record-breaking crowd was comprised of thousands of ticket holders from around the globe. More than 50 percent of attendees came from outside of the state of Iowa including fans from more than 25 countries. Those patriotic fans were big spenders too. Fans purchased more than $2 million in merchandise – breaking yet another event record.

Click here for more on the 2017 Solheim Cup

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