Anderson Repeats, Ward Wins Marathon Playoff at Iowa Senior Amateur
2026 Iowa Senior Amateur champion J.D. Anderson
Patience, resilience, and consistency were key for Johnston’s J.D. Anderson this weekend. After completely annihilating the field with a final 209 (-7) total, Anderson ran away with the Iowa Senior Amateur Championship crown at Oneota Golf and Country Club and successfully defended his title after winning in his senior debut last year.
Anderson fired a 70 (-2) in his final round en route to his victory. After cruising with two birdies on the front nine, Anderson found trouble on the par-five 10th hole where he scored a double-bogey. This blunder didn’t last for long, though, as Anderson made three more birdies coming down the stretch.
“The double (bogey) on 10 was a bit of a mental error,” Anderson shared with a laugh. “I knew I could bounce back from that if I just kept stringing together a bunch of pars and a few birdies, and that’s exactly what I did.”
Anderson’s defiant victory can be attributed to his focused and competitive mindset all throughout the week. Despite holding a lofty lead heading into the final round, Anderson still felt like there was more work to be done.
“Even with my big lead heading into the final round, I still woke up this morning with the mindset that I needed to win by 10. I felt like I would play more normal if I kept being aggressive out there,” expressed Anderson.
Anderson’s back-to-back feat marks the first since Gene Elliot’s run in 2019 and 2020. With a win already under his belt for the season, it’s safe to say that Anderson is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year.
Making a strong push to the finish and securing runner-up honors was Chris Kramer of West Des Moines. Kramer scored an impressive 70 (-2) to post a final total score of 215 (-1). Rounding out the podium at 220 (+4) was Jon Brown of Adel. Brown fired a steady 72 (E) in the final round to secure third place.
2026 Iowa Senior Amateur – Super Senior Division Champion Joe Ward
The fight for the super senior title was a complete battlefield between Joe Ward of Polk City and Dave Gaer of Des Moines. After narrowly missing a five-footer on the 18th to win the championship, Gaer found himself in a playoff with Ward who made a crafty up-and-down to secure his spot in the duel.
After six intense playoff holes, it was ultimately Ward who sealed the deal with a final total of 221 (76-71-74) to win his first career super senior amateur championship title.
“I just hung in there all day,” Ward shared. “There were lots of ups and downs throughout the round, but I was glad to get it done in the playoff.”
Ward’s final round was certainly a rollercoaster. After opening with a strong 37 (+1) on the front nine (back nine start), Ward found trouble on the par-five 6th where he scored a double-bogey. Fortunately, he went to work on the par-four 8th and made birdie to put him in contention for a playoff.
“This golf course really fit my eye,” Ward mentioned. “I liked the shape of the holes, and the greens were fantastic. I was just having so much fun out here.”
Gaer secured runner-up honors and posted a final round of 76 (+4), while Riverside’s Tracy McArtor took third with a total score of 226 (77-73-76).
Special thank you to head PGA professional and general manager Morgan McMillan, golf course superintendent Lee Anderson, and all of the staff and members of Oneota Golf and Country Club for your kindness and hospitality throughout the week.