2021 IGA Yearbook

year, and true to form, great venues produce great championships. 2016 Sani Scholar, Charles Jahn pulled off a dramatic victory over an incredibly strong field. Jahn had to deal with Mike McCoy firing an amazing 29 on the back nine en route to a tournament-best 63. Ultimately, Jahn fired a final round 67 to hold off 2021 Player of the Year Nate McCoy by two strokes. Speaking of Nate, he used some late-season heroics to secure the 2021 POY honors over Iowa Golf Hall of Famer, Jon Brown. Nate qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur in Nantucket, Mass., which was held in late September. He needed to make the top 64 Match Play field to secure the IGA POY honors. Nate holed a 20 footer on his last hole of Stroke Play to make the top 64 and win POY in dramatic fashion. Chad won’t give me enough space in the yearbook to list everything, but do you see what I mean? Amateur golf in our state was the equivalent of must-see tv this year! I’d like to personally thank both Tom Newbanks and Cary Cochran for their time and service on our board of directors. Your thoughts and contributions have helped shape our policies and have provided a platform for future growth and success for the association. I’d also like to congratulate Leighann LaRocca on her appointment to secretary on our executive board. That appointment means Leighann will become the first female president in the history of our board in just a few short years. We’re long overdue, and I can’t think of a more deserving individual. For those of you who don’t know, the IGA Foundation is the charitable arm of the IGA. Among other things, the foundation administers the Sani and Griffel Scholarships, the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame selection, our Partners Program, and Youth on Course. The foundation has a very special place in my heart. I was a Sani Scholar in 1996, and I’ve had the honor of serving as the chair of the Sani Selection Committee for the past 5 years. This past December, we lost two individuals who were a huge part of the Sani in Mark Lemon and Jim Mackay. Mark was a 1973 Sani Scholar and served on the Sani Selection Committee for multiple decades. I have some wonderful memories of Mark from my junior golf days in the Waterloo Junior Golf Association when he was the head golf professional at Irv Warren in Waterloo. Jim was the longtime emcee of our Sani Scholar banquet, serving in that role for over 20 years. Mark and Jim, you’ll be dearly missed by all of us. As I think back on all the great moments on and off the course this year, I’m constantly reminded of the amazing staff we have at the IGA. I hope all of you reading this realize just how lucky we are. Whether it’s administering our tournaments, handling rules situations, hosting banquets, or releasing new episodes of “Greenside” (the IGA’s fantastic new podcast that covers all things golf in our state), our IGA staff is truly best in class. Chad, Katelynn, Nate, Clint, and Ben…thanks for your incredible professionalism and hard work. To our Board of Directors, our Boatwright Interns, our committee members, and the countless volunteers that take the time to help make our events successful…thanks for everything you do. I remember getting a call from Bill Dickens around 10 years ago. He asked me if I’d like to get more involved with the Sani and the IGA. When I said yes, I had no idea how that phone call would shape my involvement in the game here in Iowa. I’m humbled and honored to serve this board and to support the IGA. I wish you all the best in 2022, and I hope to see you all out on the course! Charles Jahn, 2021 Iowa Am Champion