2021 IGA Yearbook

IOWA MID-AMATEUR FINKBINE GOLF COURSE, IOWA CITY MAY 7-8, 2021 El l iott Defends Tit le And Wins Sixth Career Iowa Mid-Am I owa Golf Hall of Famer Gene Elliott claimed a second straight victory at the Iowa Mid-Amateur. Elliott, who is now a six-time Iowa Mid-Amateur champion, had to battle a talented field and a tough Finkbine Golf Course. The West Des Moines native has had many experiences at Finkbine but admitted the course was not the same as he remembered from past years. “It wasn’t the same old Finkbine that I remember. It was really, really dry," Elliott said. "The greens were firm and fast. I have never seen them that fast at Finkbine and that goes back to high school. It looked like if you hung in there and made pars, you were going to be ok. I was very fortunate with the way things ended up.” After the first round of the championship, Elliott was three shots behind Nate McCoy, of Ankeny, who fired a 1-under 71. Elliott posted a 3-over 74 but knew that he was not out of it. In the final round, Elliott made seven pars on the back nine before bogeys on his final two holes. Turning in a 73 for the final round, Elliott knew that he was in contention. “Even with the poor finish I thought I was still in it,” Elliott said. “I had no idea if I would win or be in a playoff or lose by one. I really didn’t know.” After posting rounds of 74-73 (+3 147) for the championship, a playoff hole against Van Meter's Scot Cook was needed. The pressure was on for both contenders. “I left it short left (off the tee), but had a pretty straightforward chip up the slope,” Elliott said. "I did hit it about three and a half feet past the hole, which I didn’t want to do. Then Scot hit just a beautiful par putt after hitting it in the bunker, but it just slowly lipped on the high side. Then I got up and made my downhill (par) putt.” Luke Miller finished alone in third place after recording rounds of 73-75 (+4, 148). Miller, who is also a West Des Moines native, was in a tie for second place after the first round. In the Senior Division, Norwalk's Joe Palmer fought back Gene Elliott holds his sixth Iowa Mid-Amateur trophy.