Due to heavy rain Friday morning’s Singles Matches of the Iowa Cup were canceled. With the score knotted at 10-10 after yesterday’s Four-Ball and Foursome play, as winners of last year’s event the Iowa PGA Section retains the Iowa Cup. This is the fourth year in a row the ‘Pros’ have won the Iowa Cup.
Click here for full results from play at Crow Valley Golf Club
After morning Four-Ball and afternoon Foursome play the 52nd Iowa Cup Matches, between the Iowa Golf Association and Iowa Section PGA, are deadlocked at 10 points a piece.
A trio of players for the IGA side were part of two winning points, including Jay Thornbrugh, Ben Epperly and Dusty Drenth. Brian Johnson, Chris Black, Jeff Schmid and James Henry were all part of wins in both the morning and afternoon for the Iowa Section PGA.
Singles matches will be contested in the morning at Davenport’s Crow Valley Golf Club with pairings being posted online soon.
Click here for a full recap of today’s action.
After consultation with the course superintendent we have determined that the golf course is unplayable due to the amount of rain the course received overnight. It would not be possible to allow golf carts on the course without causing extensive damage during Sunday’s round.
We were fortunate that we were able to have everyone complete Round 1. Results may be viewed online by clicking here (Flighted results will indicate shop credit earned).
If you earned shop credit, you may redeem that at the Sunnyside Country Club Professional Shop any time prior to next year’s tournament.
For those players who were supposed to play their second round on Sunday, you have two options available to you:
– Schedule a comped round of golf anytime between now and the start of the event next year (Available for both husband and wife). If you plan on scheduling another round of golf, please make that arrangement with the Sunnyside Country Club Professional Shop by calling (319) 234-1707.
– You may receive a $40 refund. If you do want a refund, please let IGA staff know by September 29th, 2019.
The year was 1968 and the Iowa Cup was born that fall. In what was then a stroke play event, both the Iowa Section PGA and Iowa Golf Association met at newly-minted Des Moines Golf & Country Club. The amateurs would capture the cup that year – by the margin of one stroke.
Fast forward to 2019 – the Iowa Cup continues for the 52nd time and is now a match play, Ryder Cup style event. It will be contested this fall at Davenport’s Crow Valley Golf Club (pictured above) on Sept. 26-27. The Iowa Golf Association and Iowa PGA Section, winners of the last three matches, named honorary captains for their teams – Bill Eby (IGA) and Mark Lemon (Iowa PGA), who both have served their respective associations in many ways. Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Member Lonnie Nielsen (Class of 2010), a tremendous amateur and professional golfer originally from Belle Plaine, will serve as an overall honoree of the matches.
Eby is the current Vice President of the IGA and has worked as a volunteer course rater for nearly a decade. He currently chairs the IGA’s Handicap Committee and was awarded the Sean Flanders IGA Volunteer of the Year award in 2014.
Lemon has been a member of the PGA for over 36 years. He was the longtime PGA professional and owner of Airport National Golf Course in Cedar Rapids and is a veteran Iowa Cup Matches participant. Mark has served on various Iowa PGA committees throughout the years. He has also served on the IGA’s Herman Sani Scholarship selection committee for numerous years.
“Many of us IPGA Pros developed our tournament skills and passion for golf while playing in the fun and competitive IGA events as amateurs before turning pro,” Lemon said. “Both organizations promote and grow golf through many ‘golf related programs & tournaments’.
Nielsen grew up playing on sand greens and went on to attend the University of Iowa. He won several amateur events in Iowa, including the 1975 Iowa Amateur, and was named Iowa Player of the Year that year. He turned pro in 1976 and competed for a brief time on the PGA Tour highlighted by two top ten finishes before pursuing a career as a club pro. Nielsen was a dominant player in the Western New York Section PGA winning its Section Championship nine times and the Match Play Championship 10 times from 1984 through 2002
Nielsen played the PGA Champions Tour full time beginning in 2006 winning two titles and has amassed almost $5 million in winnings. Nielsen’s best year was 2008 when he finished 11th on the money list with over $1.2 million in cash.
Nielsen will be unable to attend the matches this year was quite thrilled when hearing of the honor.
“Fifty-two years of the Iowa Cup Matches – wow,” Nielsen said. “That says something right there. I am very humbled to be chosen as the overall honoree of the 2019 Matches.”
Nielsen commented that Iowa will always be special to him.
“Even though we left Iowa in 1984, Iowa has never left my heart,” Nielsen said. “When people ask me where I’m from, I still proudly say Iowa! Sometimes I think of playing on sand greens at the Belle Plaine Country Club – never dreaming I would win twice on the Champions Tour. I want to wish both teams good luck. The Iowa Cup Matches represent the best of what golf is about.”
Eby, who will lead the charge for the IGA and is from Davenport, said he is looking forward to welcoming players and staff from both sides to his side of the state.
“I feel fortunate to represent the IGA in this event as Captain,” Eby said. “I am excited to welcome the IPGA And IGA representatives to Eastern Iowa. We appreciate everyone making the trip and I look forward to visiting the players and staff from both sides.”
The Iowa Cup Matches’ schedule will be as follows:
-Thursday (Sept 26) morning – Four-Ball Matches
-Thursday afternoon – Foursome Matches
-Thursday evening – Player’s dinner
-Friday (Sept 27) – Singles matches
-The Cup will be presented to the winning team following play on Friday
IGA Team
Aaron OBrien
Andrew Huseman
Ben Epperly
Dusty Drenth
Dusty Stewart
Ethan Mechling
J.D. Anderson
Jay Thornbrugh
Jon Brown
Jon Olson
Jordan Even
Nate McCoy
Matthew Weeks
Sam Zoske
Scot Cook
Sterling McIlravey
Bret Taylor (Senior)
Joe Bates (Senior
Ron Peterson (Senior)
Terry Cook (Senior)
IPGA Team
Aaron Krueger
Ben Montgomery
Brian Johnson
Brian Lorenz
Chad Callan
Chad Proehl
Chris Black
Darin Fisher
Davis Sutton
Jay Giannetto
John Panek
Judd Gibb
Matt Erger
Michael Scott
Ryan McClintock
Tracy Vest
Bryan Luedtke (Senior)
Jeff Schmid (Senior)
Jeff Smith (Senior)
Jim Henry (Senior)
Follow the 2019 Iowa Cup Matches online here: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2200196
Brad Clark (Durham, NC) and Michael Christensen (Minneapolis, MN) earned medalist honors at Monday’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Sectional Qualifier held at Des Moines Golf & Country Club. The side of Clark / Christensen (pictured right) posted a round of 65 (-7), which included seven birdies and no bogeys.
A quartet of sides finished at 66 (-6) but would have to wait almost 24 hours to determine the second qualifying spot due to severe weather that rolled through West Des Moines on Monday evening into Tuesday morning.
The side of Nathaniel McCoy (Ankeny) / Ben Herrera (Adel) would make birdies on the first two playoff holes on Tuesday to earn the final spot into the championship. The First Alternate position went to the side of Ben Pettitt (West Des Moines) / Nate Pettitt (Urbandale) and Jon Brown (Adel) / Jon Olson (Ankeny) took Second Alternate.
“We punched our ticket,” McCoy said. “Ben is one of the best there is.”
The 2020 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with be held at Philadelphia Cricket Club, May 23-27.
After going out in 37 (+1) in the final round of the 24th IGA Four-Ball Championship at Pella’s Bos Landen, Justin Schulte and Nate Dunn (pictured above) knew they needed to get going if they wanted any chance at the trophy.
Get going they did – In the tune of a back nine of 29 (-7) to win the championship by a shot over the hard-charging side of Jamie Faidley / Patrick Breitbach, who shot a nifty 65 (-7) of their own on Saturday. Schulte / Dunn made birdies on #10-14 and #16-17.
“We finally started getting looks (on the back nine),” Dunn said. “We had a couple on the front we didn’t make. Justin made a nice 15-footer on #12. We just started hitting them close.”
Schulte commented the putt on #16 that put them back into the lead was a good one as well. Schulte / Dunn would finish the two-day event at a 133 (-11).
“I made about a 40-footer there,” Schulte said. “We didn’t know (at the time) where we were (in relation to the lead).
A trio of teams would finish three shots back at 136 (-8).
In the Senior Division, Gene Elliott / Todd Rose (above) put together a round of 65 (-7) on Saturday to win by four shots over the side of Terry Cook / Joe Palmer and Jay Slings / Andy Burton. Elliott / Rose posted rounds of 66-65 – 131 (-11) in victory.
“That’s all we needed,” Elliott said after Rose made his par putt on their last hole.
By way of a playoff that ultimately lasted three holes, the side of Jim Butler / Rob Christensen (above) outlasted Dave Sergeant / John Peters and Jim Campbell / Richard Gorbell. All three teams finished at 141 (-3) for the championship. Christensen’s par on the third playoff hole proved to be the difference. Campbell / Gorbell were eliminated after the first playoff hole when they failed to make par.
The sides of Jesse Westrum / Ryan Bishop and Justin Schulte / Nate Dunn lead the way after the first round of the 24th IGA Four-Ball Championship at Bos Landen Golf Club with rounds of 67 (-5). The two-day event was rescheduled from the spring due to weather. Players were welcomed to better conditions today than earlier in May, with the sun breaking out later in the morning and into the afternoon.
Both leading sides made seven birdies on the against a pair of bogeys. A trio of sides sit just a shot back of the lead, which includes Jon Brown / Sam Zoske, David Combs / Ethan Mechling and Dusty Stewart / Jeff Collett.
In the Senior Division Gene Elliott / Todd Rose, who posted 66 (-6) lead by a stroke over Andy Burton / Jay Slings. A pair of sides are two shots back of the lead and will look to make a move in tomorrow’s final round.
The Super Senior Division is led by the side of Dave Sergeant / John Peters, who posted 69 (-3), with Jim Campbell / Richard Gorbell in pursuit two shots back.
Tomorrow final round will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Iowa won the Director’s Cup for the third time in the event’s history on Thursday at St. Joseph Country Club in Country Club Village, Missouri.
The team – Brian Allison, J.D. Anderson, Dennis Bull, Scot Cook, Nate McCoy and Jon Olson – accumulated 25 1/2 points to win the cup for the first time since 2011. The host squad from Missouri was second with 20 1/2 points while Nebraska (19) and Kansas (7) rounded out the scoring.
Iowa took command during the partner play on day one (Wednesday) when they tallied an astounding 16 of a possible 18 points. Day one consists of Four-Ball play in the morning and Foursomes (alternate shot) in the afternoon. Scoring is Nassau format with 3 points available in each match (1 pt for Front 9, 1 pt for Back 9 and 1 pt for Total 18). After day one, Iowa had amassed an eight point cushion over the other three states.
In the Singles session on Thursday, Missouri and Nebraska both gained ground on the Iowans, scoring 13 points and 11 points, respectively. But that was not enough to overcome the lead Iowa had built. Iowa had 9 1/2 points during Singles and Kansas scored 2 1/2.
The Director’s Cup is a goodwill competition that is staged every other year and consists of round-robin Four-Ball, Foursomes and Singles matches between teams from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. It began as the Tri-State Director’s Cup in 2000 and when Missouri was added in 2015 it became known as simply the Director’s Cup.
The 2019 Directors Cup Matches begin today from St. Joseph Country Club, Country Club Village, Missouri. This goodwill competition is staged every other year and consists of round-robin Four-Ball, Foursomes and Singles matches between teams from Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. Each team consists of 6 players.
Today’s matches will include four-ball in the morning session and foursomes in the afternoon.
Team Iowa consists of Nate McCoy, Jon Olson, Brian Allison, Dennis Bull, J.D. Anderson and Scot Cook.