2018 Yearbook

48 Iowa Junior Amateur Coldwater GL, Ames August 7-8 The 2019 Iowa Junior Amateur was contested at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames, August 7-8. The course had been shortened to a par 69 after heavy rains caused flooding on the holes adjacent to the Squaw Creek. This had no effect on the players as this was as fiercely a contested championship as ever. In the (16-18 Division) a tightly fought battle began between a number of players. First round scores of 69 (-1) were shot by Ian Johnston (Swisher), Conner Neighbors (Cedar Rapids) and Mitchell Rice (Pleasant Hill). Burke Pitz (Des Moines) was just a shot back along with four others who were within three. Things got interesting at the start of the final round as one of the leaders, Rice, suffered a devastating triple bogey on the first hole. It was a loss he was unable to overcome and he fell back in the middle of the pack. Johnston and Pitz played very steady to open up the front nine. Johnston would remain at 1-under through 27 holes and Pitz gained a shot by birding the par 5, #7 to stand at 1-under with Johnston. Lurking was Brock Snyder of Ames, who was quietly keeping pace only a couple shots back. As the leaders made the turn, Johnston would quickly lose his lead after bogeying the 10th hole. He would then go another shot down after Pitz made birdie on the long 13th. Although this lead was comfortable it proved to not be enough for Pitz. He saw his two shot lead diminish on the 15th after he made bogey and John- ston birdied. The remaining three holes are some of the most difficult on the course. Johsnton was able to play them at even par which proved to be enough as Pitz made another bogey on the 16th. Johnston finished the championship with rounds of 68-69 (-1) to edge out Pitz by a single stroke. Neighbors and Snyder tied for third place, just three back of Johnston. Griffen Parker, who ultimately finished 5th, shot the low round of the tournament with 67 (-2) in the final round at Coldwater Golf Links. Dillon Burr put together a pair of solid rounds to capture the title in the Boys’ 14-15 Division. Burr, after open- ing with 70 (+1) in the first round, never trailed and won by three shots over Hogan Hansen, who put together a 71 (+2) of his own in the final round. In the Boys’ 12-13 Division Reid Hall was the champion by two over Joseph Currans after shooting 76. Jett Love- anh shot 43 to outdistance himself by six from Mason Gatchel in the Boys’ 11 & Under. Johnston overcomes slipup, wins first Junior Amateur Burke Pitz Brock Barnhart