Author: iowagolf

McCoy wins 120th Iowa Amateur, continues incredible 2022 season

July 21, 20220 commentsChampionships, Iowa Amateur

Nate McCoy’s historic season continued at Crow Valley Golf Club. McCoy (above) was crowned king of the valley after his impressive final round performance to win the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship. McCoy fired an inspiring 68 to break out of the tie and claim the title by seven shots. 

“I went into the tournament today, focused on myself,” McCoy said. “I knew I had to hit fairways and greens and with the wind being as tough as a it was, I just controlled what I had to control.”

Going into the final round, McCoy shared the lead with Nate Vance, a fellow Iowa State Cyclone. Knowing the skills Vance had, McCoy stuck to his game and let his confidence build on a course he could get after. 

“I think this course fit me well,” McCoy said. “I focused on hitting fairways, which after looking back I believe I only missed seven. Having a lot of wedge opportunities led to a lot of birdies looks.” 

McCoy’s race to the finish began with an early birdie on hole two. That birdie lit a fire under the 2021 IGA Player of the Year. Making the turn with a five-shot lead after carding a 33 on his opening nine, McCoy knew he couldn’t let off the gas. 

“I didn’t want to hold back and protect the lead; I wanted to continue to make birdies,” McCoy said. “I assumed the other guys in the field were making a run and I used that to fuel me to keep making pars and birdies.”

And that’s what he did. McCoy tacked on two more birdies on his back nine to seal the deal and claim one of the most prestigious amateur trophies in the nation. 

For the third time this year, McCoy has etched his name on a trophy his father, Mike McCoy, previously claimed.

“It is special,” McCoy said. “I have always known what he has accomplished, and it has always been in the back of my mind. I compare myself to his accomplishments and it is nice to make gradual steps towards what he has done in his career.”

McCoy is now the first player to win the IGA Mid-Amateur Championship, the IGA Match Play Championship and now the Iowa Amateur Championship in a single season.

“I’m not sure if it has set in yet. I didn’t even know that was a record that had to be broken,” McCoy said. “I assumed other people may have done it. I am grateful to be the first. Down the road I hope someone else will do it in the future.”

The 2020 Iowa Amateur Champion, Dennis Bull tied with the 2021 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, Cale Leonard, for third place at two-under par. Bull and Leonard put together an impressive performance on the course this week. 

After a first round 73, Bull was able to fight back into a tie for fourth place going into the final round. With two birdies and two bogeys, the former champion posted an even par round and finished eight back of McCoy. 

Currently in second place in the 2022 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year Race, Leonard had his name near the top of the leaderboard all week. Posting a first round 69 placed him in a tie for nineth. Following his 69, Leonard carded back-to-back rounds of 71 to earn his highest finish in the Iowa Amateur. 

Samuel Storey takes the fifth-place position at one under par for the week. Storey began his tournament run with back-to-back rounds of 70 and finished with a final round 72 to round out the top-five. 

As the Iowa Golf Association wraps up the Iowa Amateur, the next event on the schedule is the 98th Iowa Women’s Amateur. Starting Monday, July 25, you can follow the competitors as they make their way around Cedar Rapids Country Club.

Championship Division
1. Nate McCoy 67-68-68=203
2. Nate Vance 68-67-75=210
T3. Dennis Bull 73-67-71=211
T3. Cale Leonard 69-71-71=211
5. Samuel Storey 70-70-72=212
6. Kelly Brown 68-73-73=214
T7. Matthew Garside 74-73-68=215
T7. Willis Gaer 69-75-71=215
T9. Dylan Ellis 73-75-68=216
T9. Dusty Drenth 74-69-73=216

McCoy, Vance share lead at 120th Iowa Amateur, several give chase

July 20, 20220 commentsChampionships, Iowa Amateur

One day remains at the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship. Nate McCoy (above) remains atop the leaderboard after round two at Crow Valley Golf Club, but once again, he is not alone.

Marshalltown’s, Nate Vance strung together five birdies to tie the lowest round of the day. The redshirt-senior out of Iowa State University compiled a four-under round to place him alongside McCoy at seven-under par for the week.

“My goal has been to hit the greens, and I am hitting the ball well,” Vance said. “I am not playing aggressive, and I am focusing on keeping it in the fairway.”

Hitting fairways is the key to great success and posting low rounds at Crow Valley Golf Club. McCoy, who is known for his consistent play off the tee, has had a similar feeling to Vance. 

“I’m playing well and feel like I am in control of my golf ball,” McCoy said. 

With both players in control of their game, the stage is set for an exciting ending to a historic championship. Vance knows that taking on the 2021 IGA Player of the Year will not be easy, but he has embraced the challenge.   

 “Tomorrow will be fun. Nate (McCoy) is a great player, but I don’t go down easy,” Vance said.

Levi Slings, first-round co-leader with McCoy, put together another impressive round. With winds swirling in all directions, the afternoon played difficult. Slings managed a one-over 72 and remains just four back of Vance and McCoy. 

The 2020 Iowa Amateur Championship, Dennis Bull, punched a ticket back into contention by tying Vance for the lowest round of the day. Bull recorded five birdies to his one bogey on hole three and finds himself in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Cale Leonard and Samuel Storey round out the top-five with Bull at two-under par for the tournament. You cannot count out these competitors as they can pile up birdies in a hurry. Leonard, Storey and Bull will look to make a late push for the title. 

The final round of the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship begins Wednesday morning with the first group teeing off at 7:00 a.m. Tune into the action to find out which Nate will bring home the title, or if another competitor races up to steal the show. 

Championship Division
T1. Nate Vance 68-67=135
T1. Nate McCoy 67-68=135
3. Levi Slings 67-72=139
T4. Cale Leonard 69-71=140
T4. Dennis Bull 73-67=140
T4. Samuel Storey 70-70=140
7. Kelly Brown 68-73=141
8. Ethan Mechling 71-71=142
T9. Dusty Drenth 74-69=143
T9. Jonny Douglas 68-75=143
T9. Trent Lindenman 73-70=143

McCoy, Slings lead at 120th Iowa Amateur Championship

July 19, 20220 commentsChampionships, Iowa Amateur

Levi Slings, of Ankeny, fired a statement round at the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship at Crow Valley Golf Club in Davenport. During the Ankeny natives impressive first round showing, he carded a four-under 67 to tie for first place heading into round two.

Slings put himself in a position to chase one of the most sought-after amateur trophies in the nation. After the conclusion of his round, Slings gave credit to one of his good friends, Curtis Holck, who he recently caddied for at the U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston.

“I caddied for Curtis Holck in the U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier last week and watching him work his way around the course was the model I tried to copy.,” Slings said. “I hit the ball well and made most of the putts I should have. It was a fun day with a fun group.”

Holck went on to win the qualifier and earn a spot in the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

Another name sits alongside Slings at the top of the leaderboard in this prestigious championship, as Nate McCoy posted a four-under round of 67 to hold a similar lead to the one Slings built during the early wave.

With six birdies on the card, McCoy has his eyes set on his fifth win of the season. Already holding a commanding lead in the 2022 IGA Player of the Year race, McCoy’s work remains unfinished.

North Liberty’s, Coby Thompson, joins five other competitors in a six-way tie for third place. Thompson carded a bogey-free round of 68 to stay in contention going into the second round.

Right there with Thompson is Marshalltown’s, Nate Vance, the current Iowa State Cyclone. Vance got off to a slow start but birdied five of his last seven holes to sneak into that six-way tie for third place.

A rival of Vance and current Iowa Hawkeye, Garrett Tighe, was able to match Thompson and Vance at three-under par. Tighe put together a 68 that included six birdies to keep him in striking distance.

Logan Barnes, Jonathan Douglas and Kelly Brown round out the last three spots of the six-way tie for third place. Barnes made the turn at one-over par and caught fire on the back-nine, recording five birdies in his final nine holes.

Douglas posted five birdies and Brown tacked on four to his first day. Willis Gaer, Cale Leonard and the three-time Iowa Amateur Champion, Nate Dunn, rounded out the top-ten after the conclusion of the first round of the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship.

Round two of the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship will start Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m., with the first two groups going off holes one and 10. Follow the competitors as they make a charge at Slings and McCoy on moving day by using our live scoring feature.

Congratulations to Collin Rutherford (above) on making a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th during the first round of the Iowa Amateur Championship at Crow Valley Golf Club. Rutherford used a nine-iron from 178 yards out for his third career hole-in-one. 

Championship Division
T1. Levi Slings -4 67
T1. Nate McCoy -4 67
T3. Coby Thompson -3 68
T3. Nate Vance -3 68
T3. Garrett Tighe -3 68
T3. Logan Barnes -3 68
T3. Jonathan Douglas -3 68
T3. Kelly Brown -3 68
T9. Willis Gaer -2 69
T9. Cale Leonard -2 69
T9. Nate Dunn -2 69
T9. Samuel Storey -2 69

Moody wins 2022 Waterloo Open Amateur Division, Dickson takes pro title

July 18, 20220 commentsChampionships, News

With an impressive victory in the Amateur Division, Jack Moody earned the 2022 Waterloo Open Championship title. Moody carded a 73 in the first round but followed it up by firing back-to-back rounds of 67 in rounds two and three.

Down one shot going into the back nine of the final round, Moody answered with a low five-under 30 to win the championship. Moody finished the tournament at nine-over par and four shots ahead of the second-place finishers, Tyler Sansgaard and J.D. Pollard. 

In a four-way tie for fourth place, Dylan Ellis, Luke Meyer, Grant Greazel and Trent Lindenman posted four-under tallies. Ellis fired the low-round of the day with a 66 that included six birdies and an eagle on the fifth hole. 

Brian Verduyn and Doug Schweinefus tied for the top-spot in the Senior Division. Verduyn held a one-shot lead over Schweinefus going into the final round, but after recording a four-under 68 the two competitors remained tied.

Eric Losen and Bruce Westemeier took the third and the fourth-place positions. Losen was one shot out of the tie for first place after carding rounds of 72, 69 and 70. Westemeier finished at even par for the tournament. Joe Bates and Randy Naumann rounded out the top-five at one-over par. 

In the Super Senior Division, Dan Dalziel fired a two-over three-round total to finish at the top of the leaderboard. Jeff Ott was the runner-up with a five-over tally and Richard Gorbell placed third at seven-over par. 

Will Dickson claimed the pro division with an impressive 189 three-round tally. With rounds of 65, 63 and 61, Dickson was able to grab ahold of a seven-shot lead over Wesley Hunter, Beau Breault and Carson Schaake. Will Cannon and Jonathan Yoshihiro rounded out the top-five at 19-under par for the championship. 

The Iowa Golf Association is hosting the first round of the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship today. Follow the action and find out who will be crowned champion at Crow Valley Golf Club.

Pro Division
1. Will Dickson 65-63-61=189
T2. Wesley Hunter 69-63-64=196
T2. Carson Schaake 68-64-64=196
T2. Beau Breault 67-64-65=196
T5. Will Cannon 65-67-65=197
T5. Jonathan Yoshihirro 66-64-67=197

Open Division
1. Jack Moody 73-67-67=207
2. Tyler Sansgaard 70-73-68=211
3. J.D. Pollard 68-72-71=211
T4. Dylan Ellis 74-72-66=212
T4. Luke Meyer 76-70-66=212
T4. Grant Greazel 69-74-69=212
T4. Trent Lindenman 71-71-70=212

Senior Division
T1. Brian Verduyn 70-71-69=210
T1. Doug Schweinefus 69-73-68=210
3. Eric Losen 72-69-70=211
4. Bruce Westemeier 70-75-71=216
5. Joe Bates 73-71-73=217

Super Senior Division
1. Dan Dalziel 73-73-72=218
2. Jeff Ott 71-78-72=221
3. Richard Gorbell 72-72-79=223
4. Paul Rieks 73-79-78=230
5. Bernard Cooper 77-75-84=236

Imsland/Burry take home IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series win

July 17, 20220 commentsChampionships, News

Christi Imsland and Lindsay Burry (left) took home the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #2 at Honey Creek Golf Course in Boone. Imsland and Burry went low Saturday, with five birdies and two eagles on the card. The duo carded a seven-under round of 64 as they topped Fiona Watson and Tish Booth by one shot. 

The side of Watson and Boothe finished in second with a six-under round of 65. Watson, who is currently leading the 2022 IGA Women’s Player of the Year race, carded five birdies during her round. Boothe made 14 pars, along with a lone birdie on the 10th hole. 

Recent U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifier, Laura Leszczysnki, and Kathy Fortune took third place with a one-under round of 70. Janece Schwartzkopf and Carroll Dethrow tied with Jan Sewright and Leighann Larocca at even par to round out the top-five.

Ardrae Parmenter and Soni Hansen (right) won the Net Division with a 14-under round. Parmenter and Hansen finished four shots ahead of Jan Sewright and Leighann Larocca, who finished in second. Imsland and Burry tied with Marie Jeanblanc and Rebecca Schroeder for fourth place and Schwartzkopf and Dethrow placed fifth.

Starting on Monday, July 18, the IGA will be hosting the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship at Crow Valley in Davenport. The field is stacked with some of the top amateurs from across the state. 

Gross Division
1. Christi Imsland + Lindsay Burry -7 64
2. Fiona Watson + Tish Boothe -6 65
3. Laura Leszczynski + Kathy Fortune -1 70
T4. Janece Schwartzkopf + Carroll Dethrow E 71
T4. Jan Sewright + Leighann Larocca E 71

Net Division
1. Ardrae Parmenter + Soni Hansen -14 57
2. Jan Sewright + Leighann Larocca -10 61
T3. Christi Imsland + Lindsay Burry -9 62
T3. Marie Jeanblanc + Rebecca Schroeder -9 62
5. Janece Schwartzkopf + Carroll Dethrow -8 63

Holck punches ticket to 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur, Three advance to U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur

July 13, 20220 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

Curtis Holck (above) will travel to The Kittansett Club in Marion, Massachusetts for the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Holck fired a three-under round of 69 to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. 

Totaling five birdies gave Holck the advantage over the field. Allen Peake, of Macon, Georgia, was close behind, but after a clutch birdie on the 17th, Holck only needed a bogey to win the qualifier. 

“I didn’t know exactly where I stood, but Levi (Slings – caddie) told me that a birdie would be good,” Holck said. “I was hot in the middle of my round and got it to four-under. Levi was a big help because he plays out here and he knows the greens. I trusted him.”

Peake carded a two-under round to earn the first alternate spot. He was able to get into contention with an eagle on 15 and a birdie on the final hole. Peake’s last-minute effort fell short of Holck’s impressive performance. 

A playoff between Sam Billmeyer and Dave Gaer was needed to decide the second alternate position. After defeating Billmeyer in a playoff, Gaer earned the second alternate spot into the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. 

 

Laura Leszczynski (above middle) and Rose Kubesheski (above right) share co-medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier held at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. Leszczynski repeated the success she had during last year’s qualifier.

“It feels good – It feels really good,” Leszczynski said. “To go to my second U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in a row is a great accomplishment.”

Kubesheski is headed to her fifth USGA Championship. This was her second time qualifying for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship since 2017, and she couldn’t be happier. 

“I am not sure how many more opportunities I will have to qualify for a USGA Championship, so this one means a lot,” Kubesheski said. 

Robin Webb (above left) earned the third qualifying position with a 12-over round. Webb will join Kubesheski and Leszczynski on a trip to Alaska for the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, held at Anchorage Golf Course. Michelle Klein was the first alternate and Olivia Iturbe earned second alternate. 

U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier
Curtis Holck -3 69 (Medalist)
Allen Peake -2 70 (1st Alternate)
Dave Gaer -1 71 (2nd Alternate)

 

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier
Laura Leszczynski +7 79 (Co-Medalist)
Rose Kubesheski +7 79 (Co-Medalist)
Robin Webb +12 84 (Qualifier)
Michelle Klein +15 87 (1st Alternate)
Olivia Iturbe +16 88 (2nd Alternate)

McCoy wins fourth career Iowa Masters title, Palmer & Lee collect wins

July 11, 20220 commentsChampionships, News

Nate McCoy (above), of Ankeny, outpaced the field at the 85th Iowa Masters, held at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames. McCoy earned his fourth win of the season, along with his fourth career Iowa Masters victory. 

During the first round, McCoy carded a one-under round of 71, but found himself three-shots back of Jon Olson, also of Ankeny. With ground to make up, McCoy went out in the second round and tied the championships lowest recorded round with a 64. 

“The weather was great in round two, which made scoring a bit easier,” McCoy said. “I played well and birdies seemed to come easy, which isn’t always the case.””

McCoy had a stretch of five birdies in a row, spanning from hole nine to 13. A specific birdie stood out to McCoy on the famous 11th hole, nicknamed Davey Jones, which is a euphemism for sailors who find themselves shipwrecked. 

“I got away with a birdie on hole 11 after missing the green long,” McCoy said. “My putt from the fringe almost hung up and remained above the hole but thankfully had just enough speed to catch the green surface and trickle in.”

Conditions were difficult in the final round; winds were gusting and the competition was at an all-time high. McCoy was steady making nine pars to begin the final round, while Olson was heading to the turn three-shots back at one-over par. 

McCoy capitalized with a birdie on the par-three 13th hole and put the tournament out of reach. 

“We were all having trouble figuring out the wind and birdies were few, we never really knew if we pulled the right club because the wind was swirling all over the place,” McCoy said. 

With this win, McCoy now holds a commanding lead in the 2022 IGA Player of the Year race. 

The 2021 IGA Senior Player of the Year, Joe Palmer, claimed his first win of the season with a four-shot victory in the Senior Division. Palmer earned the title with a 215 total and a low 66 in the second round. 

In the Super Senior Division, Gregory Lee defeated Mike McDonald by one shot to earn the top-spot on the leaderboard. Lee posted rounds of 72, 77 and 75 for a 224 tally and was able to hold on to his two-shot lead he had going into the final round. 

The long-time Iowa Masters Co-Director, John Nervig (right), and Jerry Martinson were honored this week at the conclusion of the Iowa Masters. Nervig has dedicated many years to running the Iowa Masters and has impacted many lives around the game of golf. Martinson, a graduate of Iowa State University, enjoyed golfing at Veenker Memorial Golf Course and recruiting and organizing volunteers for the Iowa Masters. 

Masters Flight
1. Nate McCoy 71-64-72=207
2. Jon Olson 68-69-76=213
3. Trent Lindenman 70-71-73=214
4. Conner Peck 73-68-75=216
5. Sam Vertanen 71-73-74=218

Senior Flight
1. Joe Palmer 76-66-73=215
T2. Dave Gaer 71-71-77=219
T2. Kirk Macumber 72-70-77=219
4. Mike Gaul 74-76-73=223
5. Jeff Collett 80-68-76=224

Super Senior Flight
1. Gregory Lee 72-77-75=224
2. Mike McDonald 75-76-74=225
3. Rob Christensen 76-77-75=228
4. Tom Schill 78-75-78=231
5. Dana Kain 78-79-81=238

Team Nebraska claims the 54th Junior Girls’ Four-State

July 5, 20220 commentsChampionships, News

Team Iowa (from left) – Co-Captain Julie Buerman, Addison Berg, Eden Lohrbach, Katelyn Vaassen, Amber Henson, Erika Holmberg, Molly Fereday and Co-Captain Michelle Klein.

Team Nebraska claims the 54th Junior Girls’ Four-State title at Elmwood Country Club located in Marshalltown. Team Iowa finished in third place with a 3.50 point total.

In Round One, Nebraska took an early lead over Missouri by winning all three of their four-ball matches. Team Iowa’s Erika Holmberg and Amber Henson earned 0.5 points with a tie against Maya McVey and Libby Green of Team Kansas. 

Nebraska continued to hold a one-point lead after the second round. The team stayed undefeated with two foursome match wins and a tie against a Missouri squad. Team Iowa was defeated in all three of their foursome matches.

During the final round, Nebraska won four of their six matches to earn a one-point victory over Missouri. Katelyn Vaassen, Amber Henson and Erika Holmberg won three matches to push Team Iowa into third place over Kansas. 

Click here for full results and more information.

Team Points Summary
Nebraska – 9.50
Missouri – 8.50
Iowa – 3.50
Kansas – 2.50

 

McCoy, Jensen left standing at IGA Match Play, Women’s Match Play

July 2, 20220 commentsChampionships, IGA Match Play, Wmn's Match Play

The 2021 IGA Player of the Year, Nate McCoy (right), earned his third win of the season at the 34th IGA Match Play Championship hosted by Talons Golf in Ankeny. McCoy dominated all week from tee to green and etched his name on the match play trophy for the first time in his career. 

“This win means almost more now than it did before only because I now realize how hard it is to win one of these,” McCoy said. “This golf course allows guys to make a lot of birdies, but also plays tough in certain spots. You have to beat some really good players.”

As the week began, McCoy earned the No. 11 seed from the stroke play portion of the competition. This put McCoy up against the No. 54 seeded Grant DeKruyf in the first round of the match play tournament, who he defeated 8&6. 

Not only did McCoy have to play tough competitors, he also had to play them in many different conditions throughout the week.

“The wind affected things a lot,” McCoy said. “The conditions were tough so you have to take it one shot at a time. Jamie Blackburn reminded me to just stay in the present and take it one shot at a time. It is easy to get ahead of yourself, so just controlling the things I can control was important.”

In his next two rounds, McCoy faced off against the No. 22 seed Scott Hart and the No. 27 seed Ben Pettitt. After three-straight dominant performances, McCoy’s next competitor was the 2020 IGA Match Play Champion and a good friend, Connor Peck. 

McCoy started 3 up in his match at one point against Peck, but the 2020 IGA Player of the Year didn’t go down without a fight. Peck brought the match to all square with four to play and made a birdie on the 15th to go 1 up over McCoy. 

Down one with three to play, McCoy needed to make something happen. An eagle on the 17th tied the match going into the final hole where McCoy made par and claimed the victory and a spot in the semifinal round. 

“It is tough playing against some of your best friends,” shared McCoy. Connor is a great competitor and we had a fun match.”

In the semifinal round, McCoy ran into yet another tough opponent in Ethan Mechling. In the quarterfinal round, Mechling battled and defeated the three-time IGA Match Play Champion, Jon Brown. Mechling was red-hot and ready to take down McCoy. 

Mechling went 1 up after the first three holes, but McCoy got the match back to all square. The two competitors were tied heading into the 11th hole where McCoy made a par to win the hole and go 1 up in the match. McCoy kept his foot on the gas pedal and won two of the last five holes to send him to the final round. 

After knocking off the No. 1 seeded Dylan Ellis, Willis Gaer and McCoy met in in the championship round, each looking for their first career IGA Match Play title. Gaer was red-hot coming into the final round, but so was McCoy. 

“Willis didn’t let up all day,” McCoy said. “I watched wrestling videos to get me pumped up. I knew I was going to have to fight in the final round, so I listened to Tom Brands hype up his team to get me ready to take on Willis. Willis is really sharp right now and he played very well recently at Fort Dodge, so I had to give him my best.”

The competitors continued to trade holes, but McCoy headed for the back nine 2 up in the match. McCoy went 3 up with a birdie on the par-five 11th hole. Gaer started to battle back with wins on 12 and 13 to bring McCoy’s lead back to one. 

That one-hole lead was the deciding factor of the match. McCoy and Gaer matched each other the rest of the way. With a two-putt par on the 18th hole, McCoy joined many great Iowan’s who have won the IGA Match Play Championship.

Anna Jensen (right) captured the 11th IGA Women’s Match Play Championship and completed her long-awaited revenge tour at Talons Golf in Ankeny. Ever since 2021, when Jensen fell to Leanne Smith in the final round, she has been waiting for a chance at redemption.

“Last year gave me a glimpse of what it would be like because the competition is really high,” Jensen said. “I had in the back of my mind that I can do this, because I made it to the championship round last year. It gave me extra motivation because I was that close and so I wanted to try to do it again.”

That she did.

Jensen began her championship run by earning the No. 2 seed in the stroke play portion of the tournament. At the start of match play, Jensen grabbed wins over Carroll Dethrow and Kathy Fortune. 

Following her first two matches, Jensen was paired against the 2021 IGA Junior Girl’s Amateur Champion, Tatum Depuydt. The match went back and forth and ended with Jensen winning 3&2. Up next was Fiona Watson. 

Watson was at the top of her game this week with wins over Jeanne Swenson and Tabitha Schumacher. In the quarterfinal round, Watson defeated the No. 3 seed Christi Imsland 4&3 and went on to face Jensen in the semifinal round.

Jensen got off to a quick start, winning two of the first three holes. Watson fought back by winning the fourth and fifth hole. At the turn, the match was all square, but Watson took three of the next four holes and went 3 up going into the 14th hole.

The match seemed to be over until Jensen played 14, 15 and 16 at even par and tied the match. Jensen and Watson tied on 17 and 18 to send the match to Talon’s one of a kind 19th hole. Jensen stuck one to five feet and drained the birdie putt to put her up against Paige Hoffman in the final round. 

There were a total of 11 lead changes in their match. Neither Jensen or Hoffman were up more than one hole during the match. After four holes, the match was tied. Jensen won two holes and Hoffman fired back and won two holes. 

On the par three eighth hole, Hoffman stuck one to three feet to take the lead going into the turn. Jensen tied the match on the 11th hole with and then took the lead on the 13th. Hoffman was now down one shot, but grabbed the lead after winning the next two holes. 

Going into hole 16, Jensen was down one, but made a par to tie the match. Both competitors birdied the par-five 17th hole and the match was tied going into 18. Jensen won the match with a two-putt par and brought the match play trophy home. 

Jensen continued to praise her two opponents after two close matches. 

“Fiona was very consistent,” Jensen said. “She hits it on the fairways and greens and she was just a difficult competitor to beat. Today was really fun to play with Paige because we have been playing together since we were 12 years old.”

Now the holder of the 2022 IGA Women’s Match Play Champion title, Jensen will write her name in the IGA Women’s Match Play history book.

The 2022 season continues as the women take on the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #2 at Honey Creek Golf Course in Boone on July 16th. You can follow the players using our live scoring feature.

Down to four at IGA Match Play, Women’s Match Play

July 1, 20220 commentsChampionships, IGA Match Play, Wmn's Match Play

Only four remain after day three of the IGA Men’s and Women’s Match Play Championships. Dylan Ellis, Willis Gaer, Nate McCoy and Ethan Mechling are all headed to the semifinal round of the men’s championship. Defending champion, Leanne Smith, along with Anna Jensen, Fiona Watson and Paige Hoffman are also set to compete in the semifinal round. 

The No. 1 seeded Ellis knocked off Chad Tracy in the round of 16 and took down a former IGA Match Play Champion, Jon Olson in the quarterfinal round. Ellis will take on Gaer to advance to the championship round. Gaer beat the No. 4 seed Chris James and Tony Birmingham to place him in the semifinal round. 

Mechling had a tough road to the semifinal round as he had to defeat Hunter Johnson and three-time IGA Match Play Champion Jon Brown. Mechling will face off against McCoy for a chance at a final round appearance. McCoy defeated Ben Pettitt and the 2020 IGA Match Play Champion, Connor Peck. 

On the women’s side, Smith (right) continues her streak of being unbeatable as she advances to the semifinal round yet again. Smith looks to make it four-straight IGA Women’s Match Play Championship titles, but the journey will not be easy. 

Smith will take on the 2021 IGA Girls’ Player of the Year in Hoffman. Hoffman won her match over Ruby Chou, in 21 holes. The two competitors will battle for a spot in the final round.

Jensen is trying to make a return to the championship round. She defeated the 2020 IGA Girls’ Junior Amateur and will take on Watson for a chance at redemption. Watson knocked off the No. 3 sed Christi Imsland and Tabitha Schumacher to earn her place in the semifinal round. 

The semifinal and the championship rounds will take place on Friday. You can follow the final matches for the IGA Match Play Championship and the IGA Women’s Match Play Championship using our live scoring feature. 

Men’s Final Four
Dylan Ellis
Willis Gaer
Nate McCoy
Ethan Mechling

Women’s Final Four
Leanne Smith
Anna Jensen
Fiona Watson
Paige Hoffman

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