The heat, wind, rain, delays and cooler temperatures throughout the week did not dampen from crowning two new champions at the Iowa Junior and Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship held at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. This year was not only Des Moines’ Owen Howe’s (right) first Junior Amateur win, but also was Ames’ native Eden Lohrbach revenge for ending runner-up in in 2023.

“It has really just been a grind the last couple of days,” Howe said. “I struck the ball pretty well for the most part, honestly the first day I did not hit it the greatest, but I putted pretty dang well so that helped a lot.”

After shooting a pair of 72s (+1) the first two rounds. Howe later found his groove in the third round which led him to make three crucial birdies on the back nine and shoot 69 (-2).

“I made a nice putt from the fringe that hit the back of the cup and went in,” Howe said. “The next was a nice two putt after reaching a par five in two, and the final was a six to seven footer,”

Howe would end up even par for the tournament leaving Garrett Nurre, from Cedar Rapids, runner-up shooting rounds of 74 (+3), 72 (+1), and 69 (-2). There was a three-way tie for third at +3 for three rounds between Luke Harwick, Tomas Rascon and Jack Rogers.

Ames native Eden Lorbach (left) stuck to her routine, stood patient and it paid off.

“I knew I needed to take it one shot at a time, it is something I have really been really been working on is the mental side of my golf game and how I approach each shot,” Lorbach said after the round.

After carding a 70 (-1) par in the first round Lorbach would pick a target and hit it there.

“I also tried to be very strategic with where I wanted the ball to be, it was more so what can I do to put myself in the fairway along with the center of the green,” Lorbach said.

Lorbach would do just that and would card a pair of 72s in the second and third round leaving her +1 for the tournament. There was a two-way tie for second at +3 for three rounds between Morgan Rupp and Ainsely Wilson.  

With the victory at Coldwater GL, Lorbach earns an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur to be played at El Caballero Country Club, Tarzana, Calif.

“I am looking forward to that,” Lorbach said. “I really wanted to qualify. I haven’t qualified in the past.”

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10th place – Runner-up from left – Hannah Pettit, Emersen Motl, Bella Pettersen (Not Pictured), Rylee Brockhouse, Jane Petersen, Natalie Henson, Chloe Bolte, Ainsley Wilson, Morgan Rupp.

10th place – Runner-up from left – Easton Korell, Kolby Stanton, Cody Weaver, Drew Hensen, Axton Miller, Tomas Rascon, Jack Rogers, Luke Harwick (Not Pictured), Garrett Nurre