2019 Yearbook.indd

| 29 Smith birdied the first hole to claim a 1 up lead, and Olson brought the match back to all square with a birdie on the second. That theme would continue. Through the first 12 holes only two were halved, including a total of five holes for the entire 18-hole match. Olson latched onto a 2 up lead with a birdie on the par-three fifteenth and a par on the sixteenth, and retained the lead to win the title. No player held an advantage greater than two holes throughout the whole match. “I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to that,” Olson admitted regarding the final match status as the round progressed. “It had to be exciting, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention. He got off to a really good start and impressed me. This is a really important win for me.” Olson, who preaches controlling what you can control, commented that sometimes in match play certain situations can impact a players decision. “Sometimes you want to hit first out of the fairway, sometimes you don’t,” Olson said. “I only went at #13 once this week, during the qualifying round. I never went after (the drivable par-4) #14. It’s always about focusing on what you can control. I try to control my thoughts and if that’s going well I am happy. This one is for my family and I am really thankful.” Grand View's Tyler Smith took Olson to the final hole in the championship match From Left: Jon Olson (Ankeny), Match Official, Nate McCoy of the IGA , and Tyler Smith (DSM) Tyler Smith and his caddie line up a putt on the par-4 seventh