2024 IGA Yearbook

73 M ike McCoy won the 1996 Iowa Amateur at Finkbine Golf Course, six years after his son, Nate, was born. Mike rallied with a final- round 67 that included an eagle on the par-5 15th hole. The 2023 Walker Cup captain rekindled those memories on Tuesday, this time as a caddy. Because it was his son, Nate, who accepted the 122nd Iowa Amateur trophy for the second time in his career after a closing 66 at Finkbine. A round that included an eagle on the 15th hole. “This is the whole reason you compete,” said Nate, who also eagled the par-4 12th earlier in the final round. “You want to test yourself against the best.” McCoy’s 54-hole score of 204, 12 under par, was three shots better than 2012 champion Jon Olson, Cale Leonard and Maxwell Tjoa. Leonard started the day seven shots back, and his 66 matched McCoy for the lowest round of the day. “I just wanted to go make birdies,” he said. “The course was still kind of soft from yesterday, and I knew it was going to be gettable. There was no pressure on me to try and hold the lead or anything. I was just trying to catch up.” The victory also saved Nate a long drive north. He was scheduled to play in a U.S. Amateur qualifier Wednesday morning at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn., west of the Twin Cities. But this is the first year the sponsoring United States Golf Association has granted a U.S. Amateur exemption to all state amateur champions. So Nate will be teeing it up at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., starting August 12. “I was dreading that drive,” he said of the trip he gladly skipped. “Such a relief. Now I get to go home to my family with the trophy.” Tuesday’s victory also made McCoy the front runner for a fourth consecutive Iowa Golf Association Iowa Amateur of the Year Award. Nate and his dad are the only players to win it three straight times. The McCoys also became the first father-son tandem to IOWA AMATEUR Finkbine Golf Course, Iowa City July 28-30, 2024 McCoy Battles Back 1 Nate McCoy Ankeny -12 71 67 66 204 T2 Cale Leonard Ottumwa -9 73 68 66 207 T2 Maxwell Tjoa Cedar Falls -9 72 68 67 207 T2 Jon Olson Ankeny -9 70 68 69 207 T5 Chad McCarty North Liberty -8 68 72 68 208 T5 Dusty Drenth Davenport -8 70 66 72 208 7 Jack Dumas LeClaire -7 67 71 71 209 8 Josh Lundmark Iowa City -6 72 67 71 210 T9 Nate Dunn Cedar Rapids -5 71 72 68 211 T9 Grant Greazel Marshalltown -5 69 74 68 211 T9 Will Simpson Pella -5 68 74 69 211 T9 Trent Lindenman New Sharon -5 71 70 70 211 T9 Lucas Scherf Pleasant Hill -5 69 71 71 211 T9 Cole Davis Marshalltown -5 70 70 71 211 T9 Nikko Ganas Des Moines -5 69 69 73 211 T9 Jake Weissenburger Clive -5 67 67 77 211 T17 Bennett Berger Lake Mills -4 67 72 73 212 T17 Owen Sawyer Cedar Falls -4 71 74 67 212 T17 Grant Smith WDM -4 68 70 74 212 T17 J.D. Anderson Johnston -4 66 71 75 212 Iowa Amateur Name City (Par 72) R1 R2 R3 Total By: Rick Brown