Year: 2022

Peck lights up Carroll CC, wins by one over McCoy

June 13, 20220 commentsNews

Sunday afternoon at the 2022 Carroll Amateur was a hot one, and the boys from Ankeny did not cool down the temperature. Connor Peck (right) and Nate McCoy were red-hot all weekend, but a four-under back nine in the final round gave Peck the edge over McCoy.

Peck earned his second career Carroll Amateur victory with a three-round total of 200 (72-64-64). He was four shots back going into the second round, where he carded an eight-under 64 to get three shots back on McCoy heading into the final round.

It was all square after McCoy made bogey on the first hole in the final round. After that point, Peck and McCoy battled all afternoon. McCoy had a one-shot lead going into the seventh hole, but Peck’s birdies on seven and nine pushed McCoy to second and Peck caught fire.

With back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11, Peck took a two-shot lead going into the final seven holes. However, McCoy did not back down as he matched Peck’s birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15. McCoy got one back on the 18th where Peck made bogey, but it was not enough to over-come the red-hot Connor Peck.

Spencer Clatt, of Gilbert finished in third place, one shot ahead of the fourth place Hogan Hansen, of Waverly. Kolby Shackelford took fifth place with a 211 total.

Sean Davis knocked off Ron Peterson in a playoff for the Senior Division. Davis fired back-to-back rounds of 70 to push him into a tie with the first-round leader, Peterson. The two competitors went to the second playoff hole where Davis earned the victory.

Jeff Panek, of Johnston, placed third with a 143 two-round total. Carroll’s own Mike Eckerman placed fourth with a 145 tally. Gary Ellis, of Norwalk, rounded out the top-five with a 75 in the first round and a 74 in the final round.

In the Super Senior Division, Carroll’s Jim Madsen won by four shots. Madsen carded a 75 and a 76 for a 151 tally to top Brian Fell, of Ames.

Fell put the pressure on Madsen in the final round. Madsen had a seven-shot lead on Fell, but with a final round 73 Fell was able to cut into that lead.

Tom Schill, of Gowrie, and Mike Ninneman, of Ames, finished in a two-way tie for third place with 156 totals. To finish the top-five, Curt Burns and Dan Trerotola, both from Des Moines, carded 158 totals.

Championship Final Results
1. Connor Peck 72-64-64=200
2. Nate McCoy 68-67-66=201
3. Spencer Clatt 75-64-69=208
4. Hogan Hansen 71-69-69=209
5. Kolby Shackelford 73-68-70=211

Senior Division Results
1. Sean Davis 70-70=140
2. Ron Peterson 68-72=140
3. Jeff Panek 69-74=143
4. Mike Eckerman 69-76=145
5. Gary Ellis 75-74=149

Super Senior Division Results
1. Jim Madsen 75-76=151
2. Brian Fells 82-73=155
T3. Tom Schill 82-74=156
T3. Mike Ninneman 74-82=156
T5. Curt Burns 82-76=158
T5. Dan Trerotola 81-77=158

Buerman wins fourth career Women’s Forever 39 Match Play title

June 10, 20220 commentsForever 39 Match Play

Flight Winners – (From left) Julie Buerman (Championship), Kathy Fortune First Flight), Jane Suiter (Second Flight) and Ardrae Parmenter (Third Flight).

Julie Buerman (above left) claimed the 59th Iowa Women’s Forever 39 Match Play Championship on Thursday afternoon at Pella Golf and Country Club. The road for Buerman was not easy, as she played three of the toughest competitors. 

Buerman’s championship run began after defeating the 2022 Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur champion, Laura Leszczynski, 1 up. She followed it up by de-throning the defending champion and 2021 IGA Women’s Player of the Year, Leanne Smith in the semifinal round. At this point, Buerman looked unstoppable. 

“Nine-hole matches are tough because you have to make a move quick or maintain,” Buerman said. “You just have to hang in there. The nine-hole matches are fast, so if you get down it is hard to get back up.”

The stroke play competition before the matches started seemed to benefit most players, including Buerman. 

“I have not played here before so the stroke play was kind of my practice round,” Buerman said. “The greens out here are small, but they roll well. The course was in great condition.”

In the championship match, Buerman knocked off the 2022 IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1 champion and the stroke play competition medalist, Fiona Watson, 2&1. Buerman recorded her first win of the season and enjoyed every moment.

“It is hard to win golf tournaments and it is fun to play well,” Buerman said. “There was a great field out here this week, lots of great competition. This is a great tournament; it is a lot of fun to play. Everyone is so friendly, but everyone is so competitive and everyone wants to win. It is just fun to see everybody and be able to play and have a great time.”

In the First Flight Bracket, Kathy Fortune ended up winning over Kelly Grimes in a 14-hole final round match. Fortune defeated Carroll Dethrow, 2&1, and Michelle Klein, 2&1, on her way to the final round.

The No. 7 seeded Jane Suiter secured the victory in the Second Flight Bracket over the No. 1 seeded Julie Hartman. Suiter had to go through Paula Klyn and Jennifer Corkrean to get to the final match, which she won 2 up.

Ardrae Parmenter won the Third Flight Bracket after defeating Ila Gilbert, 3&1. The match was close, until Parmenter closed out Gilbert on the eighth hole. Parmenter beat Becky Schwiete and Donna Vroom on her way to the final round. 

In the championship consolation match, Leanne Smith defeated Janece Schwarzkopf, 2 up. Michelle Klein beat Nicki Clayton in the First Flight Consolation Match, 4&3. In the Second Flight Consolation Match, Jennifer Corkrean topped Noreen Christians in 10 holes while Susan Mitchell knocked off Donna Vroom, 4&2.

Championship Flight Final
Julie Buerman def. Fiona Watson 2&1

First Flight Final
Kathy Fortune def. Kelly Grimes 14 Holes

Second Flight Final
Jane Suiter def. Julie Hartman 2 up

Third Flight Final
Ardae Parmenter def. Ila Gilbert 3&1

Two advance to U.S. Junior Amateur from Otter Creek GC qualifier

June 7, 20220 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

Following qualifying out of Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny, Nate Stevens (right) and Michael Takacs are headed to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship, July 25-30. Stevens fired an impressive 64 (-7) to earn medalist honors and Takacs conquered a three-person playoff to seal the second qualifying spot.

Stevens, of Northfield, MN, carded a 33 on the front nine with three birdies and he caught fire as he turned to the back nine, recording four-straight birdies on holes 10, 11, 12 and 13. Stevens posted a 31 and took medalist honors by five shots.

“I hit driver on all the par fours and fives, it was pretty open” Stevens said. “I was expecting the wind to blow a little more to toughen it up a little, but it didn’t. I was able to free-wheel it a little and hit driver everywhere so that was nice.”

Even with a rain delay pausing his red-hot round, Stevens did not let that affect him. He made pars on 17 and 18 to secure the win and his spot in the 2022 USGA Junior Amateur Championship.

“I just finished up on 16 (prior to the delay) and I was the only guy in my group to finish it before the delay,” Stevens said . “When we got back out there, I just took a couple practice swings and just belted a driver on 17. Every bone in my back cracked, but we made it through.”

Takacs (left), of Iowa City, began his round with a clean 35 that included a birdie on the 8th hole. As the round went on, Takacs continued to stay at one-under par, but he knew he needed to snag another birdie.

“I thought four-under par was going to do it,” Takacs said. “I was just thinking when you make a birdie you have to make another one. You can’t be satisfied with one birdie.”

On the 18th hole, Takacs made birdie to get him to two-under par right before the horn blew for the delay. This birdie pushed Takacs into a playoff with Davis Wotnosky, of Wake Forest, NC, and Brock Snyder, of Ames.

“I finished right as they were blowing the horn.,” Takacs said. “I had a long wait for everyone to finish and also the thunderstorm to clear through. I wanted to keep the ball in play during the playoff and just give myself a chance.”

That he did, Takacs made a four-foot tester to save par and earn the second qualifying spot on the first playoff hole.

Wotnosky was able to take the 1st Alternate honors with a bogey on the first playoff. Snyder earned 2nd Alternate honors.

Medalist/Qualifer
Nate Stevens – 64

Qualifier
Michael Takacs – 69

1st Alternate
Davis Wotnosky – 69

2nd Alternate
Brock Snyder – 69

Ruthey charges back in final round, wins 2022 Southeast Iowa Amateur

June 6, 20220 commentsChampionships

Port Byron’s Anthony Ruthey (above left with PGA Professional Darin Fisher) completed an impressive comeback to win the 2022 Southeast Iowa Amateur, held at The Preserve on Rathbun Lake in Moravia. Ruthey defeated the first-round leader, Dylan Ellis, of Parkersburg, in a playoff to win the tournament.

On day one, Ruthey tallied 15 pars to go along with two birdies and one bogey. He began the second round seven shots back of Ellis after posting his first-round score of 71.

With a pair of birdies to start round two, Ruthey started to catch fire. He carded a two-under 34 on the front nine and followed it up with three-under 33 on the back. Ruthey’s second round 67 was just enough to sneak into a playoff with Ellis and ultimately win the tournament.

Ellis went low in the first round, firing an eight-under 64 that included two eagles on hole two and 14. On the front nine, Ellis recorded a six-under 30 and started to pull away from the field. A couple bogeys on day two and a low round by Ruthey placed Ellis in a playoff.

J.D. Anderson, of Johnston, earned his fourth top-five finish this season after placing third with a 141 (70-71) total. Pella’s William Simpson finished in fourth place, one shot ahead of a tie for second between Cale Leonard, of Ottumwa, and Jay Gregory, of Lineville.

In the Senior Division, Tony Newkirk (right) of Des Moines won by two shots over Dave Gaer. Newkirk carded a 68 in the first round and posted a 73 in the second to finish at three-under par for the weekend.

Down five going into the final round, Gaer cut Newkirk’s lead down to one, but a bogey on the 18th gave Newkirk a two-shot victory.

Bill Corrick, of Fairfield, and Albia’s Joe Bates finished in a tie for third place. The recent IGA Senior Match Play Champion, Jeff Collett tied with Legrand’s Troy Underhill for fifth place.

Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, won the Super Senior Division by four shots over Bruce Neeley of Independence. Ryan was down one going into the final round, where he fired a two-under 70 to overtake the lead.

Jim Campbell, of Albia, finished in third place at six-over par. He was two shots ahead of Kevin Halbmaier who held on to fourth place. David Studer, of West Des Moines, rounded out the top-five with a 154 (78-76) total.

Open Division
1. Anthony Ruthey 71-67-138 *Won Playoff*
2. Dylan Ellis 64-74-138
3. J.D. Anderson 70-71-141
4. William Simpson 72-70-142
T5. Cale Leonard 74-69-143
T5. Jay Gregory 70-73-143

Senior Division
1. Tony Newkirk 68-73-141
2. Dave Gaer 73-70-143
T3. Bill Corrick 74-73-147
T3. Joe Bates 72-75-147
T5. Troy Underhill 74-74-148
T5. Jeff Collett 74-74-148

Super Senior Division
1. Pat Ryan 75-70-145
2. Bruce Neeley 74-75-149
3. Jim Campbell 77-73-150
4. Kevin Halbmaier 78-74-152
5. David Studer 78-76-154

Watson wins Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1, Clayton takes Net Division

June 6, 20220 commentsChampionships

Fiona Watson (left), of Des Moines, began her 2022 season on the right track with a playoff victory at the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1 held at Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo. Watson tied the Waterloo native, Lindsay Burry with a 51-point total (Stableford scoring format). The two competitors went into a playoff that lasted four holes before Watson was crowned champion.

Watson posted a 75 on the day with a 34 on the front nine that included three birdies in her first six holes. She took advantage of the par fives by playing them at two-under par. 

Defending champion, Tabitha Schumacher finished in third place. Schumacher recorded 50 points and was one point away from making it a three-person playoff. Kelly Nelson, of Waterloo, and Tish Boothe, of Des Moines, rounded out the top-five with scores of 49. 

Urbandale’s Nicki Clayton (right) brought home the Net Division trophy with a 55-point tally. Clayton stayed one point ahead of the second-place finishers, Kathy Fortune and Carroll Dethrow. Lindsay Burry and Kelly Nelson tied for fourth place in the Net Division. 

 

Mid-Am Gross Division
1. Fiona Watson 51 *Won Playoff*
2. Lindsay Burry 51
3. Tabitha Schumacher 50
T4. Kelly Nelson 49
T4. Tish Boothe 49

Mid-Am Net Division
Nicki Clayton 55
T2. Kathy Fortune 54
T2. Carroll Dethrow 54
T4. Lindsay Burry 53
T4. Kelly Nelson 53

 

Collett wins 20th IGA Senior Match Play title, Norton takes Super Senior bracket

June 6, 20220 commentsIGA Senior Match Play

It was a revenge tour for this year’s IGA Senior and Super Senior Match Play champions. Jeff Collett prevailed in the Senior Division, earning his first IGA (Senior Division) victory. On the Super Senior side of the bracket, Tom Norton was unbeatable, winning his first career event as well.

Collett’s road to the final match was not easy – with many of the top seniors standing in his way, Collett focused on one match at a time.

“It was pretty difficult, considering I had to play Curtis Holck in the first match,” Collett said. “He is one of the best seniors around, so I knew that it was going to be a long tournament. I barely got through him and I barely got through Jay (Slings). It was survive and advance for me, it was a grind.”

New to the Senior Division, Collett had been looking for his first breakthrough. Collett has always been competitive, but with many high finishes he knew a win was due. 

“I have been close,” Collett said. “I was second in the Mid-Amateur the last two years and second in the four-ball last year. I have always thought I needed to do something just to get over the hump, and I think it was my putting that was going to get me over the hump just to start winning.”

Putting and strength stood out this week for Collett. In the championship match, Collett faced off against a former IGA Senior Match Play champion, Ron Peterson, who gave Collett high praise for his short game.

“I’d say we have kind of similar games for as old as we are,” Peterson laughed. “We still have enough speed and we hit it farther than most of the players we face, so I would say that is a strength of his game, not just off the tee with driver, but it helps out of the rough with irons. He also had a lot of really nice short game moments.”

Peterson completed one of the most challenging feats out of anyone. In his quarterfinal match, Peterson knocked off the 2021 IGA Senior Player of the Year, Joe Palmer. Since Palmer’s victory at the 2021 IGA Senior Match Play, he has recorded 14-straight match play wins, including a win against Collett last year.

“Someone like Joe, a player of his caliber you have to have your best and fortunately I did,” Peterson said. “That mentality started with my win against a good friend of mine, Chris Kramer. That mentality continued into my match with Joe.”

The championship match between Collett and Peterson was tied through the first four holes. Collett proceeded to fire back-to-back birdies on five and six to go 2 up in the match. Peterson threw in a birdie on nine to start the back nine one down. 

Collett would not let his lead slip away. He carded an eagle on the 10th hole to take back his two-hole lead. Not long after, Collett won the 12th hole to go 3 up in the match. Peterson got one back on the 13th, but Collett was too comfortable and closed the match out 3&2. 

On the Super Senior side, Tom Norton (above) grabbed his first win on the IGA circuit as he took down Tom Schill in the championship round. Norton was the IGA Senior Match Play runner-up twice to Iowa Golf Hall of Famer Gene Elliott and the five-time IGA Senior Match Play Champion, Palmer. 

“Winning this tournament feels really good,” said Norton. “I think the golf course suits me, I have always liked this golf course and I have played good here. The course is in great shape and the greens are in great shape and fairly fast.”

Norton praised Schill as a strong competitor who would not back down. That showed in the final round as Schill was down three holes early in the match, but brought it back to one down going into the 11th hole. 

“Playing someone like Tom is a grind; you know you can’t hit any bad shots,” Norton said. “Fortunately, I rolled in a few putts on him today, but he played really well and he is a great competitor.”

Norton wrapped up the match with a conceded birdie on the 17th hole and the two competitors shook hands as their road came to an end. Schill left with great sportsmanship and a chip on his shoulder for next year and Norton headed home as a winner for the first time. 

IGA Senior Match Play Champion
Jeff Collett def. Ron Peterson 3&2

IGA Super Senior Match Play Champion
Tom Norton def. Tom Schill 3&1

President’s Bracket Champion
John Justus def. Tim McKnight 5&3

Several with Iowa ties chase U.S. Open dream

June 6, 20220 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

The challenge of qualifying for the U.S. Open awaits several players as they compete in the final U.S. Open qualifying round. The players named below are attempting to qualify for the 122nd U.S. Open to be played at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on June 16-19. Final qualifying results and links are listed below.

Rockville, Md. Woodmont Country Club
Chris Baker, Iowa State University Graduate
Charles Jahn, University of Iowa Graduate

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/8092343960367827921

Jupiter, Fl. – The Club at Admiral’s Cove
Gene Elliott, Norwalk

https://www.fsga.org/Tournament/PairingInfo/24776

Columbus, Ohio – Wedgewood Golf and Country Club / Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club
Sean McCarty, Solon
Jack Lundin, Sioux Falls, SD. (Qualified at Blue Top Ridge in May)
Alex Schaake, University of Iowa Graduate
Tommy Vining, Ankeny

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/3624380

Springfield, Ohio – Springfield Country Club
Troy Merritt, Osage (born)
Timothy Lim, Drake University
Mac McClear, University of Iowa
Carson Schaake, University of Iowa Graduate
Connor Peck, Ankeny

https://www.usopen.com/qualifying/final/springfield-country-club-ohio.html#!&tab=results

Bend, Oregon – Pronghorn
Jeff Swegle, West Des Moines

https://www.usopen.com/qualifying/final/bend-oregon-pronghorn-resort.html#!&tab=results

Semifinals set at 20th IGA Senior Match Play

June 3, 20220 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play

Day two of the 20th IGA Senior Match Play Championship concluded Thursday afternoon at Fort Dodge Country Club. Many of the top-remaining seeds prevailed and will move on to the third and final day of the championship. 

The defending champion, Joe Palmer, continues his march at a sixth IGA Senior Match Play title after knocking off the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member, Jon Brown in 19 holes. Palmer secured his spot in the final four and will take on the No. 14 seed, Ron Peterson. 

Peterson beat the Senior Division’s 2022 IGA Mid-Amateur Champion, Chris Kramer, to move on to the semifinal round. Peterson will have to take down the five-time Senior Match Play Champion, Palmer, for a chance to earn the second Senior Match Play title of his career. 

Jay Gregory, who earned the No. 1 seed after winning the stroke play competition, defeated Bob Brummel, 2&1 in the round of 16, and Brian Persson, 4&2 in the quarterfinal round. Gregory will advance to play the No. 4 seed Jeff Collett (pictured above) in the semifinal round.

Collett won his morning match over No. 13 seeded, Jay Slings in 19 holes. In the afternoon, Collett defeated Terry Cook in a long 21-hole match. Gregory and Collett will battle it out for a spot in the final round. 

The Super Senior Division’s No. 1 seed, Tom Norton, earned victories over Iowa Golf Hall of Famer, Dave Sergeant, and the No. 9 seed, Pat Ryan. Norton will move on to play Steve Kahler in the semifinal round.

Kahler defeated the two Iowa State Cyclones in his matches today. In the morning wave, Kahler knocked off No. 12 seed Mike McDonald on the 18th hole. An upset over the No. 4 seed Jim Madsen pushed Kahler into the final four Super Seniors left. 

Tom Schill, the No. 2 seed, had to beat Joel Yunek, of Mason City, and the Gowrie native, Ned Palmer to put himself in the final four. Schill will have to face off against the 2006 IGA Senior Match Play Champion, David Studer. 

Studer advanced to the semifinal round with wins against No. 22 seed Randy Studer and No. 19 seed Tim Taylor. Studer will look to advance to the final round with an upset win over Tom Schill Friday morning. 

The semifinal and the championship matches will take place Friday morning. You can follow along using our live scoring feature as we crown the champion of the 20th IGA Senior Match Play at Fort Dodge Country Club.

Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Jay Gregory
No. 2 Joe Palmer
No. 4 Jeff Collett
No. 14 Ron Peterson

Super Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Tom Norton
No. 2 Tom Schill
No. 5 Steve Khaler
No. 6 David Studer

President’s Bracket Champion
John Justus def. Tim McKnight 5&3

Matches underway at 20th IGA Senior Match Play

June 2, 20220 commentsChampionships

The first round of matches at the 20th IGA Senior Match Play Championship wrapped up Wednesday afternoon. The championship made its second return to its home at Fort Dodge Country Club since the Iowa Golf Association began managing the championship.

In the Senior Division, defending champion Joe Palmer, of Norwalk, and Jay Gregory (pictured above), of Lineville, tied for first place in the stroke play portion of the tournament. Heading into match play, Gregory earned the No. 1 seed and Palmer took the No. 2 seed.

Gregory and Palmer both won their afternoon matches and will move on to the round of 16. The No. 4 seed Jeff Collett, of Ottumwa, won a 19-hole match against the 2022 Classic champion, Curtis Holck, of Ankeny.

The No. 30 seeded Robert Dickerman, of Marion, took the No. 3 seeded Dave Henry to the final hole where he won the match 1 up. Iowa Golf Hall of Famer, Jon Brown of Adel, won a close match against Waterloo’s Tom Christensen. 

Another upset was Marion’s Todd Hingtgen’s victory over Jeff Panek, of Johnston. Hingtgen holed out twice in his round, winning the match 1 up on the final hole. 

Muscatine’s Tom Norton won the Super Senior Division stroke play portion by three shots over Tom Schill, of Gowrie. Both competitors earned the top two seeds and byes in the first round of match play. 

Bob Hartzler, who claimed the No. 3 seed in the stroke play competition, defeated his opponent, Richard Jones of Fort Dodge, 3&1. The No. 4 seeded Jim Madsen, of Carroll, knocked off John Kinsey, of Alleman to move on to the Round of 16. 

Two early upsets put the Fort Dodge native, Terry Miller, and Randy Studer, of West Des Moines on watch. Miller took down the No. 10 seed Rob Christensen and Studer ended the No. 11 seed Mark Hogenson’s run early.

John Justus, of Marion and Tim McKnight, of Indianola, battled it out in the President’s Bracket. Justus took home the trophy after defeating McKnight 5&3. 

The second and third round of the championship will begin Thursday morning. You can follow the players as they battle for the Senior Match Play Champion title. 

President’s Bracket Champion
John Justus def. Tim McKnight 5&3

Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Jay Gregory
No. 2 Joe Palmer
No. 4 Jeff Collett
No. 5 Tony Newkirk
No. 6 Chris Kramer
No. 7 Mike Gaul
No. 9 Brian Persson
No. 10 Jon Brown
No. 11 Brian Verduyn
No. 12 Terry Cook
No. 13 Jay Slings
No. 14 Ron Peterson
No. 15 Troy Underhill
No. 16 Bob Brummel
No. 25 Todd Hingtgen
No. 30 Robert Dickerman

Super Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Tom Norton *BYE*
No. 2 Tom Schill *BYE*
No. 3 Bob Hartzler
No. 4 Jim Madsen
No. 5 Steve Khaler
No. 6 David Studer
No. 7 Ned Palmer
No. 9 Pat Ryan
No. 12 Mike McDonald
No. 13 Rick Gorbell
No. 17 Dave Sergeant
No. 18 Joel Yunek
No. 19 Tim Taylor
No. 22 Randy Studer
No. 23 Terry Miller
No. 25 Rick Leyendecker

Clausen becomes first local golfer to claim Lake Creek Amateur

May 31, 20220 commentsChampionships, News

Aaron Clausen (left) holds the trophy after winning the 2022 Lake Creek Amateur at BVU Lake Creek on Sunday, with Clausen is Joe Powell, coach of the Buena Vista University golf teams and director of golf at BVU Lake Creek.

Storm Laker battles wind, elite field in carding two rounds under par

Storm Lake resident Aaron Clausen became the first local golfer to win the Lake Amateur on Sunday, May 29, after carding rounds of 71 and 70 to claim the title by two strokes over former champion J.D. Anderson, of Johnston, in an event completed under gusty conditions at Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek over the weekend.

The Lake Creek Amateur, which began in 1973 during Lake Creek’s second year, is a points event used by the Iowa Golf Association to help the sport’s state organization determine its Player of the Year.

Clausen, who played in “The Am” as a Storm Lake High School student, worked in the past few years to reclaim his amateur status. He finished in third place one year ago, then got over the hump this weekend to earn the trophy, the only golfer playing both rounds under par.

“The conditions were tough as the wind kept blowing,” Clausen said. “But those are the kinds of conditions that always test golfers here. The greens were rolling, and the pins were fair. Overall, it was a great test.”

Clausen shot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday to hold the first-round lead with Freddy Bullock, a Dordt University golfer from Sioux Center. Clausen then shot 9-hole scores of 34 and 36 on Sunday for a 2-under-par 70, enough for a two-stroke cushion over Anderson, who had rounds of 73 and 70.

The champion’s opening nine holes on Sunday included five birdies, one bogey, and one double-bogey, which took place on the par-five No. 4. His most important shot, he said, occurred on the first hole of the final nine holes, a 10-foot par save on the 10th.

“Making that putt for par on no. 10 was huge,” Clausen said. “It helped me continue the momentum I had from those birdies on the opening nine holes.”

From that point forward, the former Creighton University golfer used less club on most shots while still swinging aggressively. He parred seven of his final nine holes while earning a birdie after dropping an 18-footer on No. 13. The lone blemish on his card in the final nine holes was the result of a tough three-putt bogey on the challenging No. 15 green.

When Anderson’s par attempt on No. 17 stayed on the lip. Clausen’s title was all but secured.

“The putt stayed there, and people told me to wait a second to see if the wind would push it in,” said the affable Anderson, a two-time Lake Creek Amateur winner, and two-time Iowa Player of the Year. “I could see it wasn’t going to fall, it was one rotation away.”

Anderson and fellow competitors such as Nate McCoy, of Ankeny, the reigning Iowa Golf Association Player of the Year, praised Clausen and the rest of the field for competing on a course and Lake Creek’s signature greens made demanding, but fair, due to winds of up to 40 miles per hour.

“The wind really made it challenging,” said Senior Division champ Bret Taylor, of Booneville. “In this kind of wind, you’ll have a lot of 3- and 4-foot putts for par and bogey. The golf course has always been good and a lot of fun. With the wind you could tell it would dry out. The greens played great.”

Taylor, who hadn’t been in Storm Lake for “The Am” in more than a decade, said he’ll return to play again. Earning the Senior Division title gave him the 57-year-old some measure of satisfaction as he had finished in second place in the Open Division four times previously. Super Senior Division champ Joel Yunek, of Mason City, joined Taylor in saying he’d be happy to return to a course that, in mere weeks, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Yunek topped Tom Schill, of Gowrie, in a three-hole sudden-death playoff to earn his championship.

For his part, Clausen said he’d savor the title, one that he, in effect, shares with his community, and the staff and grounds crew at BVU Lake Creek, members led by BVU Lake Creek Director of Golf Joe Powell and Superintendent Bob Leinbaugh, locals who worked throughout a cool spring season in readying the 151-acre links layout.

“I’ve been out here playing a long time and figured at some point, someone (locally) would break through and win,” he said. “I’m really happy to win it as I have a lot of pride in this course. I’m equally proud that so many great golfers across Iowa continue to return to our community for the tournament. It’s great to be a point event and in the conversation in helping determine the IGA’s Player of the Year.”

The Lake Creek Amateur just this year returned to official points-event status for the IGA, the organization that honored BVU Lake Creek by naming it Iowa’s 18-Hole Course of the Year in 2021.

The year 2021 was also a game-changer for Clausen and his wife, Kelsey, as they welcomed identical twins into their family in late September. The girls, Rosemary and Lenora, were with their mother at the end of the rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Their dad gave each a kiss following the competition.

“This is their first golf tournament,” Aaron said with a smile. “It was so special seeing them after I putted out on the last hole. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.”

Click here for full results

 

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