2023 IGA Yearbook

10 RULES & COMPETITIONS E ach year it seems as though Iowa Golf gets bigger and better than ever before. 2023 was no different as Iowans once again excelled on the biggest stages. We watched as seasoned veterans made way for rising young stars to etch their names into the history of IGA Championships. We rooted as two of our state's greatest players, Zach Johnson and Mike McCoy, captained team USA in both the Ryder Cup as well as the Walker Cup; a feat so amazing it will probably never be duplicated. Golf has always been extremely competitive in Iowa, requiring players to always be sharp throughout the entirety of the season. This has shown time and time again in our Player of the Year (POY) races. 2023, however, saw large margins of victories from many of our recipients. First-time Player of the Year recipients Bob Brooks (Super Senior) and Braeden Nelson (Junior) left no doubt they were the best in their respective divisions as the two captured the year-long race more than 700 points ahead of the runner-up. Three other Player of the Year winners, Paige Hoffman (Women’s), Joe Palmer (Senior Men’s), and Chloe Bolte (Junior Girls’), separated themselves from their competition as each finished more than 350 points ahead of second place. Amazingly enough, the closest competition came from Nate McCoy (Men’s) and Laura Leszczynski (Senior Women’s) as each earned their third-straight awards by less than 120 points. With their wins, McCoy became the first to three-peat since 2010 while Leszczynski became the first ever on the Senior Women’s side. The IGA continued in 2023 to present players with better championship opportunities and resume building potential in a variety of ways. The first was at the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship. Traditionally a 36-hole event, this year’s championship expanded to 54-holes to make it WAGR (World Amateur Golf Rankings) eligible. We also conducted qualifying for the Iowa Amateur at Glen Oaks Country Club. The high-caliber, star-studded field was quickly overcome by Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle who shot the lowest 54- hole total since 2010 with -13, 200 to capture a six- stroke victory. Hoyle, the University of Iowa Men’s MIKE PURCELL, COMMITTEE CHAIR 2023 Annual Award and Player of the Year recipients at the IGA Awards Banquet held at Terrace Hills GC in December.