Mike McCoy (right) and Gene Elliott (left) have been longtime forces in the amateur game both as teammates and foes. The pair has battled it out for years in Iowa Golf Association events and also on the national stage.

The prestigious and unique 3rd Annual East West Matches are scheduled for Nov. 1-3, 2024, at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrolton, Texas.

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Since 2020, the East West Matches at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrolton, Texas, have attracted some of the best amateur golfers in the United States to play in the Ryder Cup-style team event. The unique format allows top senior, mid-amateur and college golfers to play together and represent their geographic locales while building relationships and lasting bonds.

The 3rd Annual East West Matches are scheduled for Nov. 1-3, 2024, at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrolton, Texas. Each team consists of 18 players: six seniors, at least 10 mid-amateurs and up to two amateurs who have not yet reached the age of 25. The event is played every two years. Iowa amateurs Dennis Bull, Gene Elliott and Mike McCoy will play for the West team.

“We are committed to fielding the best West team we can for the upcoming prestigious East West matches,” said West Captain Brady Exber. “And we know there are some very, very good players in Iowa and we are thrilled to have Mid-Amateur Dennis Bull, and senior amateurs Mike McCoy and Gene Elliott. They will be a big part of our West team.”

Exber will look to McCoy and Elliott for their leadership in addition to their talent.

“I feel the same about both Gene and Mike,” Exber said. “They are the Mount Rushmore of amateur golf and the top of the mountain. They are, and have been, a great example of what amateur golf is all about, and I really wanted them on the West team for their leadership on and off the course. They were great players as younger amateurs and now they are great senior players. I am thrilled to have them on the West team.”

Bull (right) and his experience will also be a key part of the West’s attempt to win the event after a loss in 2022.

“We are so happy to have Denny on the team,” Exber said. “He is a returning player who had a winning record the last time we played. In addition, he will be a valuable influence in the team room. He’s a guy who everybody likes.”

LIV Golf League player and former Univ. Tennessee star Caleb Surratt played in the 2022 East West Matches and verifies the quality and prestige they have.

“Getting to play with different players in a different age group is a neat part about the East West Matches,” Surratt said. “It was cool to see how everybody plays the game and it makes it a little more fun than just watching guys hit it 350 yards and straight all day. I think the format goes back to a little bit of what golf is all about. It includes everybody and brings back a lot of the tradition of the sport.”

The East West Matches feature teams from the East and West regions of the United States.

Nathan Smith will captain the East while Exber will captain the West.Smith will also be the 2025 United States Walker Cup captain. Exber is a member of the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame, the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame.

The teams are selected via qualifying events and also captain’s picks. For complete information about the process, visit www.eastwestmatches.com. You can view the events that will earn points for Mid-Ams and Senior Ams in addition to viewing the updated standings.

The unique makeup of the East West Matches is what initially attracted Maridoe Golf Club Owner Albert Huddleston to the event.

“I view Maridoe as a sandbox of fellowship, and we are always thrilled to open it up to the East West Matches because they epitomize exactly what golf should be all about,” Huddleston said. “I don’t know of any other opportunity where you have this amalgam of silos of golfers that actually have any connectivity. College players never play with the seniors or the mid amateurs in a competitive team environment. What the Matches also do is encourage those golfers that are younger that if they don’t play professional golf, there is a robust amateur circuit with a lot of talent with events like this to keep their competitive drive alive.”

Scott Harvey is one of the event’s original visionaries, and understands how the support of Huddleston and Maridoe Golf Club allows the East West Matches to be successful.

“The East West Matches are indebted to Mr. Huddleston, who is one of the nation’s most prominent supporters of amateur golf and continues to do more and more each year,” Harvey said. “Maridoe Golf Club is a world-class test of golf, and the staff assures that the players, captains, and volunteers are treated with the best service, hospitality, and food. The best players are very interested in qualifying for the East West Matches, and we are sure we will have another competition that features the highest-level of golf.”

About the East West Matches

The East West Matches started in 2020 and are played every two years. The three-day amateur golf competition features a Ryder Cup-style team format for American amateur, mid-amateur and senior competitors. The competition is currently tied 1-1.

The vision of the competition is “promoting the amateur game by bringing the best amateurs in the United States together for highly competitive matches and camaraderie in its purest form.”

The Mississippi River is the dividing line between East and West teams, each of which is made up of 18 players: six seniors, at least 10 mid-amateurs, and up to two amateurs who have not yet reached the age of 25.

Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas, is the bi-annual host. In the three days of competitions, there are nine 18-hole four-ball matches on Day 1, nine 18-hole foursome matches in the morning of Day 2 and nine 18-hole foursomes in the afternoon of Day 2 with 18 singles matches on Day 3.

www.eastwestmatches.com

Ankeny’s very own Nate McCoy has not only left his name on several trophies, but also in the record books as being named IGA Men’s Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.

McCoy racked up three wins, three top five finishes, a top 10 finish in 2024.

McCoy started the season finishing runner-up at the 39th IGA Mid-Amateur Championship, at Bos Landen GC, Pella, carding a three day score of 212 (-4).

Along the way McCoy also finished in the Round of 16 at the 36th IGA Match Play Championship, at Talons Golf, Ankeny. 

Two of his wins came from Additional Point Events on the IGA schedule.

McCoy took home the victory at the Fort Dodge Amateur shooting an impressive 63 (-8). Along with the Briarwood Amateur carding 138 (-6).

McCoy placed 2nd at the Lake Creek Amateur shooting 142 (-2), and T3 at The Classic, at Elmwood Coutnry Club, with 78 Stableford points. In the 87th Iowa Masters McCoy finished 7th carding 213 (-3).

His peak summer highlight was taking home the victory at the 122nd Iowa Amateur, contested at Finkbine GC, Iowa City. A win that would qualify him for the 2024 U.S. Amateur. McCoy carded two eagles on the back nine of the final round to shoot 204 (-12) for the three days.

This was the first year the winner from the Iowa Amateur would receive an exemption into the U.S. Amateur contested at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn. Nate posted qualifying rounds of 142 (E) total. 

He would then be forced to a 14 man playoff for 11 spots to make it to match play. McCoy capitalized with a par on the opening hole to advance. He would eventually lose in the Round of 64 to Paul Chang 5&4.

McCoy has reached yet another milestone for his Iowa golf career. He continues to demonstrate what it takes to be one of the best competitors in the Iowa golf circuit.

Jon Brown, of Adel, a two time IGA Men’s Player of the Year, is now an IGA Senior Men’s Player of the year. He had yet another outstanding season, capping off the year with three wins, four top fives, Round of 16 at the IGA Senior Match Play and qualified for a pair of USGA events.

Brown further solidified the standings late August when he made a run in the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur, contested at The Honors Course, in Ooltewah, Tenn. Seeded 9th after qualifying, Brown made it through two rounds of match play. In the Round of 16 Brown lost his first four holes, but fought till the end before falling in the match 3&2.

Brown also qualified for the 9th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball held at Philadelphia Cricket Club, Flourtown, Pa. Brown and partner Jon Olson shot a 135 (-7). This put Brown and Olson in an eleven team playoff for six spots, the two ended up falling just short on the second playoff hole. 

Brown’s summer in 2024 started off hot at the 28th IGA Four-Ball Championship, contested at Elmwood CC, Marshalltown with partner Gene Elliott. The pair shot a two day score of 133 (-6) and finished T4. 

From there he went on a tear taking back-to-back wins at the 39th Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship at Bos Landen, Pella, carding a three round total of 215 (-1), followed by the 46th Iowa Senior Amateur Championship, held at Bent Tree Golf Club shooting 217 (+1).

Brown, a four time Iowa Masters Open Division champion, took home the 87th Iowa Masters this time in the Senior Division. Brown recorded a three day total of 209 (-7).

The impressive golf did not stop there, in the 75th Herman Sani Tournament, at Echo Valley Country Club, Norwalk he earned a runner-up finish carding a 217 (+1). Brown also played in the Northwest Amateur, at Spencer G&CC, Spencer where he placed third with a 141 (-3) in the Senior Division, along with 17th place carding a 284 (-4) in the Championship Flight.

His season came to a close at the IGA Senior Four-Ball Match, held at Elmwood CC. Partnered with Gene Elliot the pair managed to finish T3 carding a two day total of 137 (-3).

Jon Brown has always been a solid player throughout Iowa tournaments, after the 2024 season this just proved he still has what it takes to be at the top of the leaderboard.

Des Moines’ Dave Gaer who finished runner-up in 2023, is the 2024 IGA Super Senior Men’s Player of the year. Gaer did not stop at go and collect, he instead kept his foot on the gas all season long.

Gaer had four wins, a trio of runner-up finishes and was a semifinalist at the IGA Senior Match Play in 2024.

Gaer started out the summer firing on all cylinders finishing runner-up at the 39th Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship at Bos Landen GC, Pella 228 (+12). Later he would travel to Council Bluffs for the 46th Iowa Senior Amateur Championship at Bent Tree GC, to pick up his first win shooting 222 (+6).

Soon after that Gaer would collect his next two wins at the Fort Dodge Amateur, which a score of 71 (E).

A month later he would travel to Ames for the 87th Masters, at Veenker Memorial GC. Gaer won by an stagoring 13 shots 222 (+6) over last year’s Super Senior Player of the Year Bob Brooks.

Gaer fell short of capping off back-to-back victories at the Northwest Iowa Amateur, finishing 5th carding 148 (+4).

He would keep all this momentum headed into the final three events. 

Gaer would take home the victory at the 75th Herman Sani contested at Echo Valley CC, shooting 215 (-1). He then placed runner-up at the Classic at Elmwood CC, with 60 stableford points. Gaer closed out the season to a thrilling 20 hole match coming up just short and losing to Tom Norton in the semi-finals of the 22nd Senior Match Play.

Gaer absolutely put the hammer down during the 2024 season and it is well-deserving for his first IGA Super Senior Player of the Year honor.