Year: 2020

Palmer leads 42nd Iowa Senior Amateur, Ryan paces Super Senior Division

Norwalk’s Joe Palmer is in familiar territory at the 42nd Iowa Senior Amateur Championship.

Palmer, who has captured three Iowa Senior Amateur crowns (2013, 2015, 2018), leads by two strokes heading into today’s final round at Crow Valley Golf Club. Palmer’s round of 70 (-1) in the second round included six birdies.

Sitting in second place, Gene Elliott, of West Des Moines, has four Iowa Senior Amateur titles to his credit (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019) and will look to add a fifth title to the trophy case.

Not to be forgotten, Jeff Collett (Ottumwa) and Tom Norton (Muscatine) just three shots back of Palmer, while Dave Gaer (Des Moines) and Terry Cook (Norwalk) will look to make a move as they both sit just four shots off the pace.

In the Super Senior Division, Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, leads Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, by a shot heading into today’s action. First round leader John Brown, of Urbandale, sits in third place, five off the lead.

Click here for a recap of scoring

Verduyn leads at Crow Valley GC, Brown sets pace for Super Senior Division

Polk City’s Brian Verduyn set the pace in the opening round of the 42nd Iowa Senior Amateur, posting an even par round of 71. He leads by two at Crow Valley Golf Club, with a group of four sitting just two shots of his lead.

Defending champion Gene Elliott is in a tie for 6th place and is three shot back of Verduyn.

Urbandale’s John Brown also shot even par and leads the Super Senior Division by a pair over Pat Ryan of Marshalltown. Second rounds play begins Tuesday morning with the field being cut at the end of the day for Wednesday’s final round.

Click here for a recap of scoring

Schaffer / Smith capture IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series event at A.H. Blank GC

The third event of the 2020 IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series was contested at A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines, Iowa this past Saturday, August 22nd. The event was played in a four-ball (2 Gal Best Ball) format and featured teams of ladies from across the state.

The side of Erin Schaffer & Leanne Smith, of Johnston and Indianola (pictured right) respectively, captured the title following a sudden death playoff victory on Saturday. The duo’s round of 73 was matched by the team of Michelle Klein & Kelly Nelson, and the players headed to the first tee to decide who would be crowned champions.

All four players struck solid tee shots into the fairway and looked to be in good position to make a run at birdie. Ultimately, only one birdie was made, as Erin Schaffer calmly rolled in her birdie putt to seal the deal on the first playoff hole.

Finishing in third place both overall and in the Net Division was the team of Kelly Grimes & Sue Harmon, who rallied on the back nine to post a round of 76 (+4).

In the Net Division, Jane O’Hollearn & Mary Nelson, of Johnston & Ankeny respectively, finished three shots clear of the field with their net score of 62 (-10). Finishing in second place was the side of Nicki Clayton & Julie Hartman, who made three birdies collectively en route to posting a net score of 65 (-3).

Click here for recap of scoring

Huseman / Peck catch fire late, win 24th IGA Four-Ball in a playoff

Ankeny’s Connor Peck and Andrew Huseman (pictured right) were down to their last shot at the 24th IGA Four-Ball Championship.

Luckily enough what looked to be their last shot turned into a playoff victory at Whispering Creek Golf Club in Sioux City.

Down two shots with only one hole left, after the side of Ethan Mechling / J.D. Anderson posted -14 for the tournament, which included six birdies in their last seven holes to overtake then-leaders Corey Mathey and Jackson Sitzmann, Huseman’s third shot into the par 5 18th hole found the bottom of the cup and force a playoff at 130 (-14).

“We made a nice birdie on the 17th hole as well,” Huseman said. “I was fortune enough to hit a one in a million shot to force a playoff.”

On a day when several teams looked to be staking claim to the title, Huseman and Peck just tried to stick to their game after making the turn at -3 for the day.

“I was looking at the scoreboard a little bit (online),” Peck said. “You still have to go out and golf your ball. You can’t control what the other guys are doing. We just tried to stay after it, but also stay patient.”

They got after it – not to mention making up five shots in their last six holes in route to a final round 64 (-8). An eight-foot birdie putt by Peck on the first playoff hole would seal the deal.

“I wasn’t worried about running it past the hole,” Peck said of his playoff birdie putt. “My partner was already in for four, so that took some pressure off. We ham and egged it the last nine holes. It was a lot of fun.”

Dave Gaer and Matt Weresh posted rounds of 67-68 (-9) to win the Senior Division by a shot over Kirk Macumber and Curtis Holck. In the Super Senior Division Jamie Blackburn and Pat Ryan made a back nine charge to win by two over Ken Krause and Bill Mathers.

Click here for a full recap of scoring

Holck / Milligan race out to lead at 24th IGA Four-Ball Championship

Cody Holck (above left) and Xan Milligan (above right) have played a ‘few’ rounds at Sioux City’s Whispering Creek Golf Club, site of the 24th IGA Four-Ball Championship, during their college days.

That experience paid off today.

Holck, a 2019 grad of Morningside College, and Milligan, who is slated to graduate in 2021 from Morningside College, teamed up on Wednesday to post a round of 63 (-9). The duo made nine birdies and an eagle between them, to go against only a pair of bogeys on the card.

Following on the heels of Holck / Milligan are IGA veterans Jon Olson / Jon Brown and another Morningside Mustang duo of Samuel Storey / Jonny Douglas, who both shot 65 (-7). Just three off the pace include a pair of teams – Connor Peck / Andrew Huseman and Corey Matthey / Jackson Sitzmann.

Matt Weresh / Dave Gaer lead in the Senior Division by a shot over Curtis Holck / Kirk Macumber. Weresh made an ace on the 11th hole on Wednesday to help the team climb to the top of the leaderboard.

Jamie Blackburn / Pat Ryan lead the Super Senior Division by three strokes over Ken Krause / Bill Mathers and Wes Hogeland / Mark Mershon.

Click here for a full recap of scoring

Echo Valley CC wins 59th IGA Women’s Club Team, UGCC takes Net Division

The 59th IGA Women’s Club Team Championship was held Monday at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course and featured low rounds in both the Net and Gross Divisions.

Briarwood Golf Club’s Mikayla Olson took home medalists honors, for individual gross, after firing -2, 70. Her round featured five birdies, including two on her last three holes. Echo Valley Country Club’s Leanne Smith finished runner-up after her even par round of 72.

After watching one of their own be edged out in the Gross Individual Competition, Echo Valley CC captured the Gross Division title, by one, over Briarwood Golf Club. Echo Valley shot a +5, 221 with Briarwood Golf Club firing a 222.

In the Net Individual Division, Urbandale Golf & Country Club’s Krista Lindholm took home the title after shoot -5, 67. Urbandale G&CC also won the team portion of the Net Division by firing -11, 205. They tied with the LPGA Amateur Golf Association but won in via scorecard playoff.

Click here for recap of scoring

Youth on Course – Opening Doors, Changing Lives (Rebrand)

Youth on Course recently reached a milestone of over 1,000,000 rounds of golf played!

Click here to watch the congratulatory video featuring Stephen Curry, Tom Watson, Annika Sorenstam and many more.

 

Youth on Course has been rebranded with a new logo and slogan, but the same great mission.

THE STORY BEHIND THE “Y” IN YOC.

We’re proud to share with you a renewed visual identity for Youth on Course, one which is vibrant yet approachable and aligns with our commitment to transforming the lives of young people through golf.

At the forefront of our brand’s re-emergence is the symbol of the flagstick.

Our flagstick symbolizes what’s possible with opportunity, confidence and the support of a network behind our members at every turn. It serves as a beacon of hope, a connector to our members’ goals and a symbol of our community.  …click to read more

Zach Johnson named PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award recipient

Photo courtesy of The R&A / Getty Images

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Zach Johnson was recently named the recipient of the PGA TOUR’s Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company. Johnson will be honored on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the TOUR Championship. The ceremony will be televised live on Golf Channel as part of a “Golf Central” special from 7-7:30 p.m. ET at the Southern Exchange in downtown Atlanta.

The Payne Stewart Award is presented annually by the PGA TOUR to a professional golfer who best exemplifies Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship. Stewart, an 11-time winner on the PGA TOUR and World Golf Hall of Fame member, died tragically 21 years ago during the week of the TOUR Championship in 1999.

Click here to read more from the PGA TOUR

Swegle finishes in a flurry, wins 71st Herman Sani Tournament

Professional Jeff Swegle (pictured above), of West Des Moines, grew up watching several of Iowa’s finest players win the Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises. Following a dazzling eagle-birdie-birdie finish, he has now joined their ranks, clinching the 71st Herman Sani Tournament victory after firing a final round of 66 (-6) for a 54-hole total of 204 (-12). 

“It feels great”, Swegle said. “I’ve grown up with a lot of guys who have had success at this tournament – the elder statesmen now. It’s awesome to come back and compete against them and be able to win. It’s a great feeling.”

Swegle found himself 4-under par on the day after 13 holes, before back-to-back bogies temporarily derailed his comeback bid. Swegle didn’t flinch. He holed out from the bunker for eagle on the par-4 sixteenth and followed it up with birdies on the final two holes to secure his victory. 

He stressed the importance of avoiding errors while taking advantage of the birdie opportunities that Hyperion Field Club presents.

“I didn’t really keep mistakes off the card today, but I was able to make the birdies I needed,” Swegle said. “I was just trying to stay away from mistakes.”

Iowa Golf Hall of Famer Jon Brown, of Adel, carded a bogey-free round of 67 (-5) on Sunday to win the Amateur Division and finish second overall in the Open Division with a 54-hole tally of 205 (-11). In a three-way tie for third overall at 208 (-8) were PGA Professional Sean McCarty (Solon), Jon Olson (Ankeny), and Nate McCoy (Ankeny). 

IGA veteran Joe Palmer, of Norwalk, captured his third Senior Division title for the third time in the event (2013, 2017, 2020) with his wire-to-wire victory, posting rounds of 69-71-72 for a 54-hole total of 212 (-4). Norwalk’s Terry Cook finished runner-up, carding a final round of 70 (-2) to finish four strokes off of the lead. 

West Des Moines’ David Studer sealed the deal in the Super Senior Division, posting a final round of 75 (+3) to win three-shots clear of the field with a 54-hole total of 217 (+1). Two-time defending champion Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, finished runner-up with a three-day tally of 220 (+4).

Click here for a recap of scoring

Follow those with Iowa ties at the 2020 U.S. Amateur

The par-4 eighth hole at Bandon Dunes golf course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. on Saturday, June 15, 2019. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

The first two rounds of stroke play qualifying for the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship begin today, Monday (Aug. 10) and Tuesday (Aug. 11), at 7,214-yard, par-72 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Dunes) and at 6,850-yard, par-71 Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Trails), in Bandon, Ore.

Below are players with Iowa ties and their tee times (PST).
Monday (Aug. 10), BT, Hole #1 / Tuesday (Aug. 11), BD, Hole #1 – 8:39 a.m. / 12:52 p.m. – Tripp Kinney, Des Moines (Iowa State University)

Monday (Aug. 10), BD, Hole #1 / Tuesday (Aug. 11), BT, Hole #1 – 9:23 a.m. / 1:36 p.m. – Eugene Elliott, West Des Moines

Monday (Aug. 10), BD, Hole #1 / Tuesday (Aug. 11), BT, Hole #1 – 9:56 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. – Lachlan Barker, Australia (Iowa State University)

Monday (Aug. 10), BD, Hole #1 / Tuesday (Aug. 11), BT, Hole #1 – 11:13 a.m. / 7 a.m. – Alex Schaake, Omaha, Neb. (University of Iowa)

Also – Indianola’s Jake Marvelli will be caddying for Tanner Owens this week in Oregon.

The U.S. Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 10 and 11, after which the 264-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will be six rounds of match play, starting Aug. 12. The quarterfinals and semifinals are slated for Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15, respectively. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, Aug. 16, starting at 9:30 a.m. PDT.

Click here for more information on this year’s event

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