Year: 2023

Peters joins father as Iowa Senior Amateur Champion, Norton plays steady in SS Division

Ben Peters (left) joins his father, John, as an Iowa Senior Amateur champion. John won titles in 1998, 2004 and 2007.

Ben Peters survived.

Both the hot conditions as well as the difficult challenge Dubuque Golf & CC offered during the 45th Iowa Senior Amateur. Closing with a pair of 68s, Peters admitted it was the birdies coming home in the opening round after a rocky start that was the key to the week for him.

“It was a rough start for me on the first day,” Peters said. “I settled down with the putter a little bit and ball striking got better each day. It was a fun, hot week. I didn’t expect my second round score (68) to leapfrog me up the leaderboard as much as it did. It was such a difficult day. Those birdies coming in on the first day made the difference.”

Peters, who knew he had to stay patient at Dubuque G&CC, played his final 41 holes of the championship at -7, good for a three shot victory.

“Sometimes good shots here don’t turn out as well as you might think they should,” Peters said. “You have to stay below the hole. It’s a fun, old golf course.”

The heat, reaching into the triple digits at times, was also a hurdle for the field.

“The first day was more of a shock to the system,” Peters said “I was a little more prepared the second day. You knew what you were going to face (with the weather).”

With a two-shot lead heading into the final round over Ron Peterson, Peters knew he wasn’t going to have the luxury of coasting to the finish line.

“It was a back and forth most of the day with Ron,” Peters said. “I was able to make a couple nice putts out there. I knew I was going to need to make a birdie to make sure it went my well and I was able to on 17.”

Peters now joins his father, John, as an Iowa Senior Amateur champion. John won the event a total of three times – in 1998, 2004 and 2007. Peters also becomes the first person not names Elliott, McCoy or Palmer to win the event going back to 2013.

“This is a special for both of us to have out name on the trophy,” Ben said when asked about adding his name to the trophy along this his father.

Ben’s daughter, Maura, added a victory early in the summer at the Iowa Junior Girls’ Amateur, so Ben might of been feeling a little pressure to have a spot for his own trophy at home.

“You never know what is around the corner,” Peters said.

In the Super Senior Division, Tom Norton (right) played steady – posting 71 all three days of the event, with was good for a four shot win over Dave Baer.

“With the heat and these greens are severe enough I was happy with my score,” Norton said.

The coursed was something that looked good to Norton’s eye and he took advantage.

“This course suites me well, it’s tight and not long,” Norton said. “I just tried to keep it in the fairway. I didn’t three putt a bunch. I had the good fortune of making a few birdies the first two days. None today, but I had 17 pars. I never felt stressed today, it got within shot, but I was comfortable making pars.”

Figuring out the tough greens at Dubuque G&CC was also a key for Norton.

“You have to read greens well to have success here. This is my first stroke play victory. I have been second to Gene (Elliott) a few times, which is nothing to hang your head about, but I was happy to get it done.”

Norton admitted he took special precaution with the heat during he week and didn’t show up unprepared for the conditions.

“About 10 years I had a heat stroke, so I have to be careful. I kept an ice cooler with me and stay hydrated enough. The body felt better during the last round (with the weather not being as hot).”

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Peters takes lead into final round at 45th Iowa Senior Amateur, Norton looks to close

One more day.

It’s a packed leaderboard at Dubuque Golf & CC after two days of play at the 45th Iowa Senior Amateur. Players battled steamy, unpleasant at times conditions again during the second round of play, but Bettendorf’s Ben Peters found a recipe for success – good enough for a 68 (-2) to vault him into the lead by one heading in the final round.

Opening round co-leader Chris Kramer sits just a shot back of Peters’ lead, as does Ron Peterson. Peterson turned in a fine second round score himself – 70 (E). Another five players find themselves all within no more than five shots off the pace, including opening round co-leader Bill Matzdorff, who will start the final round +5.

A pair of 71s from Tom Norton put him into the lead in the Super Senior Division. Norton leads by a pair of strokes over Dave Baer and Bob Brooks. Rob Pomerantz, who fired a spectacular 67 (-3) in the second round, is just four shots back of the lead and will look to make a move up the leaderboard in the final round.

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Kramer, Matzdorff lead at 45th Iowa Senior Amateur, Gaer paces Super Seniors

Bill Tank surveys his next shot during the opening round of the 45th Iowa Senior Amateur hosted by Dubuque Golf & CC.

Battling the hot, at times unbearable conditions most of the day was the true test during the opening round of the 45th Iowa Senior Amateur hosted by Dubuque Golf & CC.

West Des Moines’ Chris Kramer and Ankeny’s Bill Matzdorff found the most success posting rounds of 71 (+1). Kramer’s round included a pair of birdies to offset a trio of bogeys. Meanwhile, Matzdorff made three birdies aginst four bogeys on the day. Two players, Gary Ellis (Norwalk) and Dustin Hall (Monticello) sit just a shot back at +2. Three players give chase as well at +3.

In the Super Senior Division, Dave Gaer, of Des Moines, turned in the round of the day with 69 (-1). Gaer was able to make three birdies and only make a pair of bogeys during his round. Gaer commented he was pleased with his round and was glad to be inside and out of the heat after turning in his scorecard.

Muscatine’s Tom Norton fired 71 (+1) and is just a shot back of Gaer’s lead. Sam Aossey (Cedar Rapids) shot 72 (+2), while Bob Brooks (West Des Moines) and Mark Wessels (Dyersville) both finished with 73 (+3) and are well within reach of the lead.

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Three advance from U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur hosted by DMGCC

The course didn’t let up.

That was the story at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifier contested at Des Moines Golf & Country Club.

With winds swirling and pars coming at a premium, three players advanced to the national championship – Leeann Fairlie (78), Claudia Pilot (79) and Rose Kubesheski (80).

Oklahoma City’s Fairlie, who stayed away from the double bogey or worse all day earned medalist, while Rio Verde’s Pilot admitted she played 17 ‘good’ holes of golf, with only one disaster coming on the 14th hole.

Dubuque’s Kubesheski looked to be sailing smooth through 12 holes before the bogey train arrived, but a birdie on the 17th hole helped ease the pain of her finish, with a double bogey on 18, and left her one shot clear of fourth place and good enough for the last qualifying spot.

Elizabeth Wanek earned 1st Alternate position in a playoff, while Robin Webb earned 2nd Alternate.

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Leeann Fairlie (left) and Claudia Pilot

 

Rose Kubesheski

Champions crowned at 62nd IGA Women’s Club Team championship

Hyperion Field Club beat out defending champion Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course in the 62nd IGA Women’s Club Team championship at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids.

Hyperion’s gross four-under finish in the tournament was led by Jennie Jackson at (+1) 71 and Jen Jemmers at (+2) 72. Erin Schaffer carded a (+4) 74 and Michaela Smith  pitched in with a (+8) 78, scoring the most birdies of the team.

While Hyperion also won the net division at seven-under, their victory in the gross division gave the net title to runner-up Des Moines Golf and Country Club at five-under.

The Des Moines Golf net scores featured Kelly Dettbarn at (E) 70, Barb Burley at (+2) 72, Leighann Larocca at (+7) 77, and Amy Fox at (+11) 81.

Glen Oaks’ Paige Hoffman ran away with a six-shot win in the individual gross tournament. Six birdies and a single bogey led to her (-5) 65 round. The short course played to her advantage as she was able to approach greens with short pitches and chips.

Irv Warren’s Lindsay Burry and Kelly Nelson tied for second at (+1) 71 along with Hyperion’s Jennie Jackson.

Noreen Christians, of LPGA Amateurs – Des Moines, won the individual net tournament with a (-2) 68. Des Moines Golf’s Kelly Dettbarn was close behind at (-1) 69, followed by Burlington Golf Club’s Lisa Griswold at (E) 70.

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Hansen battles back, wins 74th Herman Sani Tournament

Waverly’s Hogan Hansen (right) turned a three-stroke deficit into a three-stroke victory at the 74th Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises, held at Hyperion Field Club. Trumping a field of amateurs and professionals, Hansen adds another title to the list of Hawkeye winners this summer. After strong performances throughout the season on the IGA circuit, Hansen finally broke through with a victory at his last tournament of the summer.

A (-10) 68-69-69, three-round total of 206 was sufficient to win with Hyperion playing more difficult than expected. Hansen was neck-to-neck with Solon’s Isaiah Zoske throughout most of the round. Although he never checked the leaderboard until he was signing his scorecard, he could tell that he was in the running.

A late bogey on Hole 17 threatened a possible playoff, but Hansen kept his cool with a par on Hole 18 and let things take their course. Zoske, who was tied for the lead heading into Hole 16, finished bogey, double, bogey and fell to T4.

Hansen, known as a long hitter, made the most of his power with Hyperion’s short Par 4s and reachable 5s. Several drivable Par 4s gave Hansen short chip shots into the green and helped to avoid the worst of the greens. Hitting second-shot irons into Par 5s and “not having to hit long clubs into the greens” obviously gave him an advantage.

Although Hansen (left) wasn’t satisfied with his putting performance, simply surviving Hyperion’s fast and tricky to read greens was enough of a challenge and essential to scoring.

“The greens are always a great test,” Hansen reflected. “I use Aim Point. Everybody says the greens break towards camp dodge, but I just stuck to feeling my feet.”

With solid putting, Hansen cracked a hot start during his final round with three birdies in his first five holes.

Zoske deserves credit for a terrific overall performance. Even after an early double on Hole 3, he found his footing and went -2 on his next twelve holes. The high school junior and long time competitor hit a growth spurt this past year and his distance reflects it, as he rivals his collegiate counterparts off the tee. While his consistency is still being refined, his performance at the Sani is auspicious despite his last-minute falter. Leading a field of collegiate, high-level amateur, and professional players deserves high praise.

Former Panther golfer Thomas Storbeck, of Ventura, tied with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) golfer Anthoney Ruthey, of Port Byron, for runner-up at (-7) 209. Professionals Andrew Petersen, of Bondurant, and Charles Jahn, of Sperry, tied for the low-professional score at (-6) 210. Overall, they joined Ankeny’s Connor Peck, Zoske, and Norwalk’s Patrick Hall at T4.

In the Senior Amateur Division, Adel’s Jon Brown triumphed over Lineville’s Jay Gregory (both pictured right) in a one-hole playoff. The pair finished at (-6) 210, seven strokes ahead of the field. Gregory, whose approach bounced over the green on Hole 17 in the playoff, drained a bomb of a putt to save par, but Brown outdid him with a birdie. Brown won the Herman Sani Tournament in the Open Overall Division back in 1993, with the exact same score.

Des Moines’ Rob Pomerantz took over the Super Senior Amateur Division with a (+2) 218 total, seven strokes ahead of runners-up West Des Moines’ Bob Brooks, Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen, and Polk City’s Joe Ward at (+9) 225. Pomerantz improved every round, carding 76-72-70.

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Zoske takes control at 74th Herman Sani Tournament

The second round of the 74th Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises at Hyperion Field Club (above) proved just as difficult as the first day, if not more so.

Solon’s Isaiah Zoske (right) fired yet another (-5) 67 to take the lead at 10-under heading into Sunday’s final round. Port Byron’s Anthoney Ruthey sits in second at -9 after also carding a (-5) 67. Norwalk’s Patrick Hall, Ventura’s Thomas Storbeck, and Waverly’s Hogan Hansen are tied for third at -7.

The Open Overall field was cut to 53 players at +7.

The Senior Amateur Division is led by Adel’s Jon Brown, who seized the lead with a (-1) 71. Lineville’s Jay Gregory falls to second with a (+2) 74, sitting at -1 after two rounds. Ottumwa’s Jeff Collett and Waukee’s Dave Cunningham are within striking distance at even-par.

Eighteen players remain in the Senior Amateur Division with the cut at +12.

Des Moines’ Robert Pomerantz leads the Super Senior Amateur Division at +4 after a strong (E) 72, the lowest round of the tournament in his division. Day one leader Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, follows at +5 with Polk City’s Joe Ward next at +6.

The Super Senior Amateur Division cut at +16 trims the field down to twelve competitors.

The final round on Sunday will feature Zoske in the final pairing as he attempts to protect his lead from the four current or former collegiate golfers hot on his heels.

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Hall leads after opening round of 74th Herman Sani Tournament

Norwalk’s Patrick Hall leads the 74th Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises after the opening round. The annual tournament named after Herman Sani, an inspiring figure in Iowa golf history, is being contested this year at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston.

Hall, a former Iowa State golfer, took advantage of a still day by firing a (-6) 66 in a nearly bogey-free round. Seven birdies and a single bogey earned him his solo lead heading into round two. Hall, an amateur, leads the Open Overall Division which includes professionals and amateurs.

Hyperion’s own Tommy Vining (p) is tied for second at (-5) 67 with Solon’s Isaiah Zoske. Vining submitted an incredibly uneventful scorecard with six birdies and twelve pars.

On the other hand, Zoske kept spectators entertained. Three bogeys, six birdies, and an eagle peppered his scorecard with squares and circles. Regardless, Zoske got the result he wanted, all the more impressive as he is one of the youngest competitors in the field.

Fourteen players finished within three strokes of the lead. At this point, it’s anyone’s game. Hyperion’s infamous fast and tricky greens will undoubtedly cause trouble down the stretch, but it will reward those who can adapt quickly by separating the leaders from the pack.

In the Senior Amateur Division, Lineville’s Jay Gregory and Urbandale’s Ron Peterson share the low score of (-3) 69. Not to be outdone is Adel’s Jon Brown at (-2) 70 and Ankeny’s Curtis Holck at (-1) 71. Several familiar winners follow not far behind.

The race is just as tight in the Super Senior Amateur Division. Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen holds the first position with a (+2) 74, despite a lackluster front nine with four bogeys. Ankeny’s Mike McDonald and Polk City’s Joe Ward sit at (+3) 75 and Urbandale’s John Brown and Des Moines’ Robert Pomerantz at (+4) 76.

After the second round of the Herman Sani the field will be cut to the low sixty players and ties.

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McCoy, Johnson humbled to represent United States in upcoming competitions

Mike McCoy (left) and Zach Johnson

Mike McCoy was 10 years old when he got his first job, as a caddy at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines. Zach Johnson was 13 when he got his start in the bag room at the Cedar Rapids Country Club.

Both have gone on to achieve great things in the game of golf. Johnson is the best professional this state has ever produced. McCoy is the most accomplished amateur golfer in Iowa history.

And now they’ll carry the flag for their home state at golf’s summit this fall. Johnson will captain the United States Ryder Cup team against Europe Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. McCoy will captain the United States against a team from Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup at the Old Course at St. Andrews Sept. 2-3.

“It’s crazy, if you really get down to it,” said Johnson, a two-time major champion, five-time Ryder Cup player and 12-time winner on the PGA Tour. “Twenty years ago, what’s the likelihood of this happening? Now given what Mike’s done, and how relevant he still is in the amateur game and how respected he is, there’s no surprise there. And on my side, when your peers say you’re supposed to do it, you do it. But from a 30,000-foot view it looks ridiculous.”

McCoy calls it a remarkable story.

“To have two guys that started from pretty humble backgrounds ending up captaining the two most important competitions of the year, it’s pretty amazing,” McCoy said. “I think Zach feels the way I do, that it’s really the greatest honor, bestowed on you by your peers and the governing bodies in the game, to select us to lead our country’s efforts. It’s just a huge honor.”

McCoy, 60, joins Boone native Ed Updegraff as the only Iowans to play in and captain a Walker Cup team. McCoy played in the 2015 Walker Cup, just one highlight in a distinguished career. He’s won 35 Iowa Golf Association-sponsored tournaments, including six Iowa Amateurs. He’s been the state’s Amateur of the Year 11 times and the Senior Amateur of the Year three times.

His success beyond Iowa includes the 2013 USGA Mid-Amateur, which earned him a spot in the 2014 Masters. He won the Senior British Amateur in 2022 and has twice been low amateur at the U.S. Senior Open.
Johnson, 47, is the only Iowa native to play in a Ryder Cup (2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016). He said his depth of experience in that pressure cooker will make him a better captain.

“Every experience in that arena is going to be beneficial,” said Johnson, who also served as a vice captain three times.

Even though the U.S. got thumped in 2006 at the K Club in Ireland, the rookie experience was pivotal in Johnson’s career. Especially the first match.

Zach and Chad Campbell were 2 down to Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley in their foursomes match heading to the par-5 16th hole. Campbell’s drive left Johnson 260 yards to a green that required a carry over water and was just 12 yards wide in the front.

As Johnson pondered the shot, captain Tom Lehman approached and said, “You’ve got the shot. Hit it.”
He laced a 3-wood to 20 feet, and it resulted in a birdie to cut the deficit in half.

“It was nerve wracking,” Johnson says now. “You want the ball. You want the last shot. But it was very difficult. If you’re playing conservative golf, it’s not one you do.”

Johnson made a 14-foot for birdie putt on the 17th hole that extended the match, then made a 4-footer for birdie on the last hole to win the hole and earn a halve.

“He played like a champion,” Lehman said.

Photo courtesy of The R&A / Getty Images

Lehman predicted that Johnson’s success in the clutch would pay dividends in major championships down the road. Zach won the Masters the following spring, added the Open Championship in 2015 (pictured right) and has nine Top 10 finishes in majors overall including a tie for third in the 2010 PGA and a tie for eighth in the 2016 U.S. Open.

“I’ve said it to the young guys who have made these teams, the Presidents Cup included, that when you’re called upon to execute, under these highly-weighted circumstances, and you come through, it’s going to make you a better player,” Johnson said. “I still talk about that shot (on the 16th) as one of the best shots I’ve ever hit in golf.”

His time as a player and vice captain have given Johnson a taste of what he faces when he makes his six at-large picks and then puts together his pairings. He’ll also lean on others for feedback.

“It’s a team when we compete, and a team when we’re trying to make a team,” Johnson said. “There’s volatility this year.”

Picking his team includes the uneasy alliance between the PGA Tour and LIV, as well as a weighted point system in elevated events that can rapidly alter the team standings. The selection process for the 2023 Ryder Cup was already determined when the PGA Tour added elevated events.

“I think it’s my responsibility, at this point, to utilize the template that’s been given to me, one that’s efficient and effective,” Zach said. “I want to win, but I want them in a position so they can be who they are. That’s my role.”

The bottom line is that Johnson will rely on all his experiences, including his marketing degree from Drake University, to guide him in the process.

“When I think about the Ryder Cup I smile, because it’s still the best thing I’ve ever been associated with competitively,” he said. “I flipping love team sports.”

The fact that he’s representing his country is another reason this is a special moment in McCoy’s career.

“I didn’t have a chance to serve in the military,” he said. “But this is a chance to represent my country, on an international stage. I just know, from the opportunity I had when I played (in the Walker Cup), the feeling you get inside when that flag goes up and they play the National Anthem. The lump in the throat you get when you’re wearing the red, white and blue, and your golf bag has USA on it, and you’re proud. But you know it carries a lot of responsibility.”

Mike McCoy during the flag raising ceremony at the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes G.C. in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire on Friday, Sept. 11, 2015. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)

Mike does have some experience at St. Andrews. Most recently, he played in the 2018 Senior Open Championship there. He also played in two St. Andrews Links Trophy tournaments over the Old Course, spent last year on site for the Open Championship and has played the course numerous times as a member of the R and A. He’s also picked Johnson’s brain about the course where Zach won the 2015 Open Championship.

“I’ve studied it a lot,” Mike said.

McCoy’s days as the Walker Cup draws near are far from routine. On one recent day, he had to address whether or not his players wanted launch monitors for practice sessions and dealt with a proposal to change the team uniforms for the final day of competition.

“It seems like each day there are more and more things bubbling to the surface that you’ve got to deal with,” McCoy said. “Some of them are important, some of them are not.”

But determining who will make up his 10-man team is consuming most of Captain McCoy’s attention.

“We’re blessed with a lot of great players in America, and it’s a deep bench,” McCoy said. “The most difficult thing is going to have to leave a few of these good players behind. They’re all just outstanding people and they’ve got great support systems. That’s been the most rewarding part of all this.”

As he’s observed possible team members in competition, McCoy has been impressed with their character and deportment across the board.

“When you get them together in a team room the youth comes out,” McCoy said. “But when they put their shoes on and they grab their golf bag, they take on a whole different persona. They’re mature beyond their years once they get to the golf course.”

The level of talent he has to choose from is just as impressive.

“Three or four of these guys are going to be big stars on the tour, there’s just no doubt about it,” McCoy predicted. “The state and quality of amateur golf in America has never been better.”

Getting players who fit together is McCoy’s ultimate challenge.

“Quite frankly that’s what I’m most nervous about, getting it right,” McCoy added. “When I’m out there observing, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. Who are they going to complement? I’m going to have guys that like to play fast, guys that like to play slow, guys that are better drivers than others, guys who are better wedge players. Trying to put those pieces together is probably the biggest part of my job.”

Handling a myriad of personalities will also be important. Some players might want McCoy with them during a match to settle them down. Others might want to be left alone.

“I told all of them that if somebody goes 2 down I’m going to be there, whether they like it or not,” McCoy said. “I’m just trying to get it in their heads that we want to win every point. We’ve got to go out there with that tenacity.

That’s what I’m trying to instill.”

McCoy was on a losing team in 2015, and he doesn’t want a repeat performance as a captain.

“They don’t want that feeling that I had,” he said.

McCoy’s final team picks will be made after the U.S. Amateur concludes August 20 at Cherry Hills Country Club. The champion will earn one of those picks if he hasn’t already been named to the team.

McCoy has proudly carried the name captain since the USGA selected him on March 9, 2022.

“I’m ready to carry that responsibility,” he said.

Leszczynski makes it three in a row, wins fourth career Iowa Women’s Senior Amateur title

Laura Leszczynski (above), of Saint Mary’s, wins her third consecutive and fourth career Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, this time at Prairie Links Golf Club in Waverly. Leszczynski, who had claimed a seven-stroke lead after the first day, beat Dubuque’s Rose Kubesheski in a one-hole playoff to clinch her title. Both competitors finished at (+16) 160.

“The squirrel in me showed up (in the final round),” Leszczynski said. “It was a restless night. I was so excited to play. (In round one) I forced myself to stay focused on one shot at a time. Staying dry. Swinging in a rain suit   Keeping my grips dry. That’s it.”

Leszczynski began her final round with a front-nine 46 while Kubesheski fired a 38, putting the two neck-to-neck. Leszczynski mustered out a back-nine 40 to force a playoff en route to her win.

“After nine holes, I stopped myself,” Leszczynski said. “I tried to slow down my pace physically and mentally.  Deep breathes and get myself refocused. I put my mental blinders on. My biggest takeaway from victory is knowing I need to be good to me while out there. Stay positive, let thing go and look at only the shot in front of me. Believe in me and tell myself I got this. I was inspired by a good friend, who had just shot 68 a week ago.”

Not far behind was a three-way tie for third at (+17) 161 between Altoona’s Geri Huser, Ankeny’s Jennifer Corkrean, and Des Moines’ Kelly Grimes. Corkrean won the Super Senior Division and was only one stroke away from joining the Senior Division leaders at the top. Grimes took home the Net Division title with a net score of (+3) 147.

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