It was smooth sailing for Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle’s final round as he captured the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship title at Glen Oaks Country Club. At the very least, that’s what it looked like as he rolled in a bomb of a putt on his finishing hole to clench his six-stroke victory in fashion.

Hoyle (pictured above) never checked the leaderboard.

“Looking at the leaderboard won’t change anything,” Hoyle believed.

The Lytham, England native admitted that he had a sense that he had a few strokes of cushion.

“It was really hot, but there weren’t many people out there,” Hoyle confided, smiling. There’s more than one way to get a feel for the standings.

With one bogey on the front and four birdies on the back, Hoyle was never in danger of losing his position. He was propelled by a tournament-low second round (-7) 64 where he birdied #17, the hardest hole on the course, and finished birdie, eagle on #8 and #9. Hoyle finished the tournament at an even (-13) 200.

His biggest focus throughout the day? Staying fed and hydrated. “I couldn’t drink enough water today,” he said. Temperatures in the high 90s and unrelenting humidity that pushed the “feels like” well above 100, created a mental battlefield of its own. Several spectators resorted to finding shelter in the clubhouse due to the heat. There was some added strategy, though. While some players turned to rain gloves, Hoyle’s rotation of four gloves helped him to keep a grip on the club. It pays to be prepared.

After a slow one-over par first nine, a great birdie on #10 kickstarted Hoyle’s round. He pulled his driver into the left fairway bunker. 107 yards to the pin, he stuck it to eight feet, and found his first birdie of the round. More than anything, it was his terrific putting that set him apart from the field.

The biggest threat to Hoyle was, happily for Hoyle, one of his newest additions to the Hawkeye golf team, Cedar Falls’ Maxwell Tjoa. The previous IGA Boys’ Player of the Year and rising Iowa freshman showcased his ability in a leading pack saturated with collegiate golfers. Tjoa, who finished second at (-7) 206, was followed by Cedar Falls’ Owen Sawyer (soon to be Cyclone freshman) in third, Norwalk’s Dennis Bull and Waverly’s Hogan Hansen (rising Hawkeye sophomore) tied for fourth, and Ames’ Zach May (rising Cyclone sophomore) in sixth.

“I wasn’t really watching [the leaderboard],” Tjoa shared after the round, “I was just aiming at pins, really acting like I had nothing to lose.”

A competitive mindset considering that he entered the final round sitting at third place. Regardless, it paid off as four birdies and two bogeys carried him to a (-2) 69 and the runner-up title.

Tjoa entered the tournament with confidence, having played Glen Oaks several times in the past and always performing well. A strong short game and solid iron play were the keys to his success.

“I didn’t miss a lot of greens, and when I did I was able to get up and down,” Tjoa said. “With his go-for-it mentality, he focused on getting every putt to the hole and “giving [himself] a chance.”

It was a good day for the Hawkeyes.

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Nothing was easy at Glen Oaks Country Club in the second round of the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship. A hot and stuffy morning gave way to a cloudy yet breezy afternoon, bringing temperature relief but elevating the challenge.

Overall, scores rose. Only thirteen competitors finished the round under par. As with the first round, Holes 17 and 18 were played the most over par with Hole 5 not far behind. Only eleven players remain below par after the second round.

Despite the difficulty, some competitors still made it look easy. Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle takes the lead with a stellar (-7) 64, outdoing previous leader Owen Sawyer, of Cedar Falls, who fired an impressive (-5) 66. Hoyle stands at -10 and Sawyer stands at -9 heading into the final round.

For Hoyle, understanding greens and ‘where you can miss’ are crucial to succeeding on a new course. This week has been Hoyle’s first time at Glen Oaks, but paying attention to ridges and tiers has helped him to secure birdie positions throughout the first two rounds.

“Making sure you’re on the correct level of those greens,” was a key factor in choosing approach shots and managing the large greens, Hoyle said.

Cedar Falls’ Maxwell Tjoa did his best to stick with the leaders with a (-4) 67. He stands third with -5. Waverly’s Hogan Hansen comes in fourth at -4, followed by Norwalk’s Dennis Bull in fifth at -3.

Hoyle, who is an assistant golf coach at the University of Iowa, doesn’t get the chance to play competitively as often as he used to. He looks forward to a final pairing with Cyclone commit Owen Sawyer. The pair will attempt to fend off Hawkeye sophomore Hogan Hansen and Hawkeye commit Maxwell Tjoa — and several seasoned players close behind — as they battle it out during the final round.

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The first round of the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship was contested at Glen Oaks Country Club on Monday, July 24, just as Iowa’s typical summer heat returned from its mysterious vacation.

A sunny day with a high of 92 degrees only added to the difficulty of the beautiful course. Although the heat prevented the greens from rolling at their typical speed since care was taken to protect the grass in the high temperatures, the greens remained challenging. There was little wind to push balls wayward, yet fescue and penalty areas still saw heavy traffic.

Ankeny’s Jon Olson and Cedar Falls’ Owen Sawyer lead the field at (-4) 67. Sawyer continues his hot streak after winning the amateur division of the Waterloo Open last Sunday. In close pursuit are Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle, Norwalk’s Dennis Bull, and Waverly’s Hogan Hansen with rounds of (-3) 68. Ames’ Zach May comes in at sixth with a (-2) 69.

As expected, holes 17 and 18 played the most over par today, and it wasn’t even close. The penalty-lined holes ate up tee shots left and right, and the sloping greens left little to chance. Par 4 #17 averaged 4.95, and Par 4 #18 averaged 4.80 on the day. And the next hardest hole? The Par 4 #6 at 4.53.

Eighteen players sit at even-par or better on the day. We look forward to two more days of competition as things begin to heat up. Just take a peek at the forecast…

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