2024 IGA Yearbook

116 For the second year in a row Braeden Nelson of West Des Moines has been crowned Iowa Golf Association Junior Boys’ Player of the Year. Nelson had quite a year to say the least, coming out on top over Parker Rodgers by 135 points. As a sophomore for Valley High School, Nelson finished runner-up at the 2023 IHSAA 4A Tournament at Otter Creek Golf Course, Ankeny. He carded +2 over the course of the two days. He finished T2 at the 87th rendition of the Iowa Masters in Ames and made the cut in the 122nd Iowa Amateur hosted by Finkbine Golf Course, some- thing that is becoming increasingly difficult as more and more players attempt to qualify. Perhaps his best performance of the season was capturing one of the advancing spots at U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Crow Valley Golf Club, where he finished T3. Nelson played in several American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events throughout the summer with solid success. At the Austin Minnesota Junior Championships presented by Hormel Foods he finished T7 at Austin Country Club, Austin, MN. He later competed in the Under Armour/Jordan Spieth Championship, at Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch, TX finishing 216 (+3) T16. In the Justin Thomas Junior Championship held at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, KY, Nelson finished T12 carding 210 (-3). He also played in the 91st Iowa Open hosted by the Iowa Section PGA at Blue Top Ridge, Riverside and finished solo 8th in the amateur portion. Nelson was once again at the top of a group of tremendously talented juniors in 2024. He goes for three in a row in 2025! 2024 Boys' player of the year Braeden Nelson RESULTS 4A State Tournament 2nd U.S. Open Local Qual. Qualifier AJGA Austin MN Jr T7 AJGA Under Armour T16 Jordan Speith Champ Iowa Masters T2 Iowa Amateur 54 hole Cut Iowa Open 8th AJGA Justin Thomas T12 Jr. Champ STANDINGS 1 Braeden Nelson 1500 2 Parker Rodgers 1365 3 Owen Howe 1192.5 4 Roman Roth 1115 5 Blake Cronin 1107.7