2025 Yearbook

10 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR As we look back on the 2025 season, one theme rises above all others: growth. It came in many forms— more golfers playing the game, more entries into our championships, and more opportunities to serve our members. Even in a year where the weather seemed determined to test our patience, the Iowa golf community proved its strength time and time again. The clearest indicator of that strength was the continued rise in IGA membership. This season, we nearly reached 33,000 active members—an all-time record for the association. That number represents more than a milestone; it speaks to the health and vibrancy of the game across our state. It tells us that more golfers are joining clubs, connecting with their communities, and finding value in the services the IGAprovides.The commitment of golfers across Iowa to join, renew, and stay engaged fuels everything we do, from handicapping services to course ratings to conducting championships. We are honored by that trust, and we are energized to continue serving an expanding and increasingly enthusiasticmembership base. That enthusiasm was equally evident in participation at our championships. In fact, 2025 brought record entries at our championships. Most notably, the Iowa Amateur Championship attracted more than 350 entrants—a modern day record. The championship was contested at the storied Des Moines Golf & Country Club on its South Course, offering a world- class stage that elevated the moment. When the final putt fell, it was Owen Sawyer who emerged as our Iowa Amateur champion, delivering an impressive performance against the strongest and deepest field we’ve ever had for the event. The win once again gave our champion an exemption into the U.S. Amateur, this time contested at the famed Olympic Club in San Francisco. On the national stage, Iowa golf made headlines as well. One of the defining highlights of the year was Mike McCoy’s remarkable victory at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Mike’s accomplishment places him in rare company: he is now the first man ever to win both the U.S. Senior Amateur and the U.S. Mid-Amateur—which he captured back in 2013. Achieving one of those titles is an extraordinary feat; achieving both, more than a decade apart, is nothing CHAD PITTS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO, IGA & IGAF 2025 Iowa Amateur Champion Owen Sawyer after his victory