2021 IGA Yearbook

Just a few months later, Gene would also collect his second major title winning the U.S. Senior Amateur at the Country Club of Detroit. Elliott would join Paul Simson of Raleigh, NC as the only two players to ever accomplish this feat in the same year. Elliott was recognized as the top Amateur Golfer of the Year by Global Golf Post and ranks first in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Our hats off to Gene on his accomplishments and historic season. In many aspects of the game of golf, we hear the word “consistency” used. It can describe everything from a player’s putting stroke, golf swing, how they play from event to event, or even what time they play on a Saturday morning. By definition I’d say our Women’s Player of the Year, Leanne Smith, would be just that. Consistent. Leanne’s participation in 2021 included the IGA Women’s Match Play Championship, Iowa Women's Forever 39 Match Play, Women’s Mid-Am Series #3, and the IGA Women’s Club Team Championship…and as consistency would have it… she finished first in all of them! Leanne compiled 1,050 points in 2021 propelling her to back-to-back Women’s Player of the Year honors. Congratulations on this great accomplishment and we can’t wait to see what 2022 brings. In addition to Leanne Smith of Indianola (Women’s) and Joe Palmer of Norwalk (Senior), we awarded five other individual Player of the Year honors in their respective divisions. I would like to congratulate Nate McCoy of Ankeny (Men’s), Hogan Hansen of Waverly (Junior), Paige Hoffman of West Des Moines (Junior Girls’), Laura Leszczynski of St. Mary’s (Senior Women’s), and Pat Ryan of Marshalltown (Super Senior). New in 2021, the Iowa Junior Amateur and Junior Girls’ Amateur Championships were contested over 54 holes at Coldwater Golf Links. The Rules & Competitions Committee approved expanding the events from 36 to 54 holes which enhances the event in several ways. The 2021 Champions were Tatum Depuydt of Marion and Hogan Hansen of Waverly. Next year’s Championships will be contested at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, which will offer a great test of golf. In 2021 we also welcomed back USGA Qualifying to the IGA schedule. As you may remember the USGA suspended all regional qualifying in 2020 due to the global pandemic. Staff and volunteers conducted seven Local and Sectional Qualifiers for USGA Championships, which includes the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Senior Amateur, U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Hosting these qualifiers is not only an honor for the Iowa Golf Association but a great chance for us to see our fellow Iowans qualify and compete in USGA Championships. Looking ahead, you can expect to see a continued effort to not only grow the game but retain players from the golf spike the pandemic has created for us. This retention will be an important factor for the future of the game we all love. Lastly, thank you to the players, IGA staff, committees, and volunteers for a great season. I appreciate your dedication to golf in Iowa and look forward to seeing everyone on the course in 2022. Please be sure and sign up to play one of our championships and enjoy all the great golf courses Iowa has to offer. (L to R) Repeat Players of the Year, Leanne Smith of Indianola and Joe Palmer of Ankeny (Senior Men's)