2019 Yearbook.indd

40 | J on Brown defeated Jordan Even in a four- hole playoff to win the 117th Iowa Amateur Championship played at The Ridge Golf Club, Sioux Center to claim his second state amateur title. Brown won the 2006 Iowa Amateur Championship at Whispering Creek Golf Club in Sioux City. Fast forward over a decade, and he is back on top, and once again it happened in northwest Iowa. Charles Jahn, of Sperry, held the 36-hole lead (136) heading into the final round after firing a 66 (-5) in his second round. Jahn finished two over on the final day and one stroke out of the playoff. Brown stood one back (137) and Even four back (140) heading into the final 18. The rain came down and breezes picked up in the afternoon of the final round. Combine the more difficult conditions with the increased pressure of the final round and things got interesting. Even got off to a fast start with a birdie on the par-5 first and would go on to take advantage of the par-5's all day, recording a birdie on all four of them. His birdies were offset with bogies on the front nine, as he turned at even par. A lights out back nine that included a flurry of birdies got him into the mix and leading to a final round 68 (-3) in order to force a playoff with Brown. Brown went out in 1-over par on the front nine, with a lone birdie on the fourth against two bogies in the early holes. Brown stayed the course and made consecutive birdies on the two par-5's, holes thirteen and fourteen, on the back nine to claw his way back to even par on the day. A tap-in par on the eighteenth secured his spot in the playoff. After both finished at 208 (-5) for 54-holes, Even and Brown faced off in a sudden death playoff, rotating between the eighteenth and seventeenth holes. IOWA AMATEUR THE RIDGE GOLF CLUB, SIOUX CENTER JULY 26-28, 2019 Brown tops the f ield, claims second Iowa Amateur Tit le Jon Brown (Adel) poses with The Elliott Family Iowa Amateur Trophy