Author: iowagolf

2021 Ann Griffel Scholarship recipients announced

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is delighted to announce the 2021 recipients of the Ann Griffel Scholarship Award (Griffel is pictured above in sport coat). Hannah Fangmann, Madeline Streicher, Amara Lytl, Isabelle Schneidermann and Anna Nacos will receive a one-year scholarship of $2,000. These girls will join the group of 242 other students to have received this award since 1963.

Hannah Fangmann, of Peosta, is the daughter of Jeremy and Brenda Fangmann and will be attending Wartburg College to study business administration in the fall.

“After college, I believe golf can help me establish connections in the business world that could potentially help me get a job, gain a customer, or make a sale,” Fangmann said. “I also hope to share what I have learned and eventually coach future youth golfers. Ultimately, I am grateful for all I’ve learned through golf and will apply it to my future life experiences to be the best person I can be.”

 

Madeline Streicher, of Edgewood, is the daughter of Darrel and Lisa Streicher. She plans to attend Simpson College this fall and study biochemistry.

“The game of golf has made an immeasurable impact on my life,” Streicher said. ” In the future, due to golf being such a positive and powerful experience in my life, I would love to be able to make an impact in other young people’s lives as well, maybe as a mentor or coach. One thing I am sure of is that I will teach my children to golf. I feel that it’s important for them to learn the sport that has impacted my life so tremendously.”

 

Amara Lytle, of Cedar Falls, is the daughter of Aaron and Shelli Lytle. Amara will be attending St. Ambrose University and will study industrial engineering in the fall.

“Learning and observing my dad, he helped me realize practicing and playing golf will not only improve my game and course management, but enhance life management skills,” Lytle said. “Skills that will improve my golf game and will boost my overall social awareness and ability to establish and maintain relationships.”

 

Isabelle Schneidermann, of Rock Rapids, is the daughter of Scott and Natalie Schneidermann. She plans to attend Northwestern College (Orange City) in the fall and study actuarial science.

“The sport (of golf) is very competitive, but also can be very conversational,” Schneidermann said. “This is one of the many things I love about the sport. Some of my best friends have been other people I have golfed with throughout the years. I enjoy finding someone who is better than me and pushing myself to beat them. The feeling you get when you finally do is unmatched. There are many reasons I love this game.”

 

Anna Nacos, of Washington, is the daughter of Dave and Lisa Nacos. In the fall she will attend the University of Northern Iowa to study biology.

“The game of golf has been so much more than just a sport in my life,” Nacos said. “Throughout my career I have made the best memories, made new friendships, and received the opportunity to play golf in college. I can truly say that golf has been a huge benefit in my life and I am grateful to play such a great sport.”

The Ann Griffel Scholarship was established in 1963. It originated as just one $350 scholarship awarded by the Iowa Women’s Golf Association (IWGA) and has evolved into a $2,000 scholarship awarded to multiple high school senior girls who intend to further their education at an Iowa institution of higher learning, whether a college, university or trade school.

The Iowa Golf Association Foundation (IGAF) was established to preserve the game and develop more programs to promote the future of golf in Iowa. The IGAF awards the Ann Griffel scholarship each year. This scholarship was named after the long time IWGA President, Ann Griffel, who during her 23 year term started the Girls’ State Junior, Forever 39, State Wife-Husband and Senior Women’s Championships.

Smith wins 58th Women’s Forever 39 Match Play title

Leanne Smith was crowned champion at the 58th Iowa Women’s Forever 39 Match Play Championship on Tuesday afternoon at Hillcrest Golf and Country Club in Adel. Smith (pictured above), of Indianola, defeated Laura Leszczynski, of St. Mary’s, 4&3 in the final round.

After winning the Forever 39 Match Play and the 2019-2020 IGA Women’s Match Play, it is official that Smith knows how to win match play events.

“I can be a little errant sometimes,” Smith said. “Giving up a big hole doesn’t really phase me in match play, you just lose the hole, you don’t fall behind in strokes. I know that I can go out and make birdies.”

In the stroke play qualifier, Smith carded a 1-under 35 and finished runner-up to medalist Fionna Watson. Smith earned the No. 2 seed in the Championship Flight bracket and faced off against Carole Schlapkohl in her first match.

“I had never played out there (at Hillcrest),” Smith said “I was trying to figure out where to be off the tee and just trying to figure out where I needed to be on the greens. It was nice to shoot a good number to set yourself up well in the matches.”

The stroke play qualifying helped Smith prepare for her matches and gave her a little boost of confidence going into them. She stuck to her game plan and won the Women’s Forever 39 Match Play in her first appearance in the event.

The No. 1 seed, Fiona Watson faced off against the No. 6 seeded Rosalie Kubesheski in the Consolation Match and won 4&3. Watson lost to Leszczynski, who won 2 up, in the second round and Kubesheski fell to Smith, 2&1.

In the First Flight bracket, the No. 5 seeded Margene Grady knocked off Sue Harmon, 2&1 in the final match. During Grady’s journey to the win, she had to take on three of the top four seeds, including the No. 1 seed in the second round, Noreen Christians.

In the Consolation Match for the First Flight bracket, Ann Slechta took down Christians, 2&1. Slechta, who was the No. 7 seed, fell to Sue Harmon in round two, 3&1.

The No. 7 seed, Jan Sewright, was victorious in the Second Flight bracket, defeating the No. 1 seed Nancy Olberding to win the bracket. Sewright did not have an easy path either, beating the No. 2 seed Donna Vroom and the No. 3 seed Carroll Dethrow in rounds one and two.

Dethrow defeated Lora Winter in the Consolation Match for the Second Flight. Winter fell to the No. 1 seed Nancy Olberding and her match with Dethrow came down to the final hole.

The Third Flight bracket featured the No. 6 seeded Ardrae Parmenter taking on the No. 5 seeded Nancy Lorenzini in the final round. Parmenter pulled off her third upset of the tournament, and won the match against Lorenzini, 2&1.

Cathy West lost the Consolation Match for the Third Flight bracket to Jane Suiter, 1UP through eight holes. West was defeated by Lorenzini in round two and Suiter fell to the bracket winner, Parmenter.

In the consolation brackets, Julie Buerman won the Championship Flight over Robin Webb, 3&1. Michelle Klein took down Leighann Larocca in the First Flight Consolation bracket. Kelly Nelson beat Susan Mitchell in the Second Flight bracket and Bonnie Jones defeated Becky Schwiete in the Third Flight bracket.

 

Championship Flight Winner:
Leanne Smith def. Laura Leszczynski, 4&3

First Flight Winner:
Margene Grady def. Sue Harmon, 2&1

Second Flight Winner:
Jan Sewright def. Nancy Olberding, 5&3

Third Flight Bracket:
Ardrae Parmenter def. Nancy Lorenzini, 2&1

2021 Herman Sani Scholarship winners announced

Herman Sani (right) is seen talking with Gene Sarazen in August, 1950.  Sani served as IGA President in 1929.

The recipients of the 2021 Herman Sani Scholarships, presented by the Iowa Golf Association Foundation (IGAF) have been announced. Paige Hoffman of West Des Moines, Jack Dumas of LeClaire, Jaci Webb of Ankeny and Luke Meyer of Waterloo, will receive a four-year scholarship of $2,000 per year ($8,000 total). Those individuals will be recognized at the Herman Sani Golf Tournament held at Hyperion Field Club, Johnston, Fri-Sun, Aug 6-8.

Paige Hoffman (right), the daughter of Brett and Lisa Hoffman, is a graduate of West Des Moines Valley High School and will be attending the University of South Dakota in the fall to play golf and study business administration.

“I will forever be grateful for the game of golf and all it has done in my life,” Hoffman said. “I truly have had many golf experiences. However, it is the people that I have met and the lessons that I have learned that I will carry with me through college and for the rest of my life.”

 

Jack Dumas (left), the son of Brian & Jenifer Dumas, is a graduate of Pleasant Valley High School and will be attending Drake University to study business and finance this fall.

“Whatever my future holds, golf has taught me life lessons that I can apply to all aspects of my future,” Dumas said. “Work ethic, dedication, integrity, honesty, and competitiveness are all values that I’ve found in golf and I know will serve me well in life.”

 

Jaci Webb (right), the daughter of Jeff and Traci Webb, is a graduate of Ankeny High School and will be studying political science on the pre-law track at William Jewell College (Liberty, Mo.) in the fall.

“The impact that golf has had on me is something that I have a hard time summarizing into words,” Webb said.  “It has been one of the greatest things that have ever happened to me and I am looking forward to how it will continue to impact my life over the next 50-70 years.”

 

Luke Meyer (left), the son of Monte and Dyan Meyer, is a graduate of Cedar Falls High School and will attend Iowa State University in the fall to major in mechanical engineering.

“The game of golf has meant the world to me growing up,” Meyer said. “At first, I thought of golf as just a game that I could go play with my friends for fun. However, as I have grown up, I have realized how much more golf really is. I now see golf as an avenue to meet lifelong friends and as a pathway to create lifelong relationships and connections. I now use golf as my device to get my name into the world.”

The Herman Sani Scholarship Program was established in 1958. Herman Sani had a passion for golf and young people. Sani was the first director of the Iowa Golf Association and served the organization for over 30 years. This scholarship was created in his memory with the purpose to assist Iowa students to further their education. As of 2021, 191 college-bound students have been awarded this four-year scholarship.

Most of the scholarship money comes from the generous donations by individuals and corporate sponsors. Since 2013 the Coppola family of Norwalk has contributed $250,000 to the Herman Sani Scholarship Fund. The Iowa Golf Association and point events from around the state also make significant contributions to the fund. For more information about the scholarship visit our website at www.iowagolf.org/scholarships.

Johnson, Tjoa share medalist honors, advance to U.S. Junior Championship

The U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina is now in sight for Ankeny native, Hunter Johnson (above left) and Cedar Falls native, Maxwell Tjoa (above right). Johnson and Tjoa fired rounds of 71 to earn co-medalists at the U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier at Briarwood Golf Club in Ankeny on Monday.

Johnson stuck to his game plan and played consistent, recording three birdies to only two bogeys. On his back nine, where he carded a 1-under 35, Johnson was bogey free with a lone birdie coming on hole 14.

“I knew I needed to hit fairways and attack pins when I could and just be cautious when I needed to be cautious,” Johnson said. “I know I am a pretty good ball striker, so I was able to hit through the strong winds in the afternoon.”

Tjoa had an early tee time and took advantage of it, going 4-under through his first 11 holes. A double on the tough 191-yard par-3 13th hole did not fluster Tjoa, he managed to keep his game right where it needed to be to advance to North Carolina.

“I just wanted to play my game and see how well I could play,” Tjoa said. “I wanted to play to my strengths, and I trusted my putting. I had an early tee time so throughout the entire round I played without wind, but towards the end of the round the wind started to pick up and made things a little tougher.”

North Carolina will bring some of the best golfers across the world and Johnson and Tjoa know that the experience will be unbeatable. They both have goals, but overall, they want to play the best they can against a strong field at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Jack Dumas, of LeClaire, recorded a birdie on the fourth playoff hole to defeat Owen Mullen, of Shortts Lake. Dumas earned the first alternate spot and Mullen will be the second alternate. Both players carded rounds of 72.

Co-Medalists:
Hunter Johnson – 71
Maxwell Tjoa – 71

1st Alternative:
Jack Dumas – 72

2nd Alternative:
Owen Mullen – 72

Stroke play qualifying, opening round matches complete at Women’s Forever 39

The Iowa Women’s Forever 39 Match Play Championship at Hillcrest Country Club in Adel began Monday with a round of stroke play qualifying. Fiona Watson found her stride and went low to post a 3-under 33 to earn medalist honors.

Watson continued to play well and knocked off Robin Webb, 4&3, in the first round of the Championship Flight bracket. Laura Leszczynski defeated Jeanette Fredericksen, 3&2, and will play Watson in round two of the match play series. Leanne Smith and Rosalie Kubesheski will also face off after advancing from their round one matches.

In the First Flight bracket, the No. 1 seed, Noreen Christians took down Mary Nelson, 4&3. Christians will play Margene Grady in round two after Grady defeated Michelle Klein in 10 holes. Ann Slechta and Sue Harmon will advance to the second round of the championship.

In the Second Flight bracket, the No. 1 seeded Nancy Olberding knocked off Susan Mitchell in 10 holes and will play Lora Winter in round two. Jan Sewright defeated Donna Vroom, 4&2, and will face off against the No. 3 seed Carroll Dethrow in the second round.

The Third Flight bracket featured No. 1 seed Cathy West, who had a bye in round one, and the No. 2 seeded Jane Suiter defeated Sue Lambert 2&1. Suiter will now face Ardrae Parmenter and West will face off against Nancy Lorenzini.

The second and third round will take place tomorrow and you can follow our live scoring by clicking here.

 

Championship Flight Advancing:
Fiona Watson
Laura Leszczynski
Leanne Smith
Rosalie Kubesheski

First Flight Advancing:
Noreen Christians
Margene Grady
Ann Slechta
Sue Harmon

Second Flight Advancing:
Nancy Olberding
Lora Winter
Jan Sewright
Carroll Dethrow

Third Flight Advancing:
Cathy West
Nancy Lorenzini
Jane Suiter
Ardrae Parmenter

 

Anderson catches fire, wins 2021 Southeast Iowa Amateur

JD Anderson solo 2021 SoutheastJohnston native, J.D. Anderson (left), fired a closing round 67 to win the Southeast Iowa Amateur Open Division at The Preserve at Lake Rathbun. In his final round, Anderson recorded six birdies and carded a 32 on his back nine to secure the tournament victory.

Going into the final round, Anderson was four shots behind the first-round leader, Gene Elliott, who posted a 5-under 67 on Saturday. Elliott finished the tournament in a four-way tie for third place, along with Nate McCoy, Ricky Costello and Jonny Douglas.

Jon Brown, from Adel, was the lone second place finisher this past weekend, after scoring back-to-back 70’s. Brown played consistent golf in his final round, recording three birdies to only one bogey, but was two shots shy of Anderson.

In the Senior Division, Bret Taylor (right), of Booneville, carded back-to-back rounds of 70 to claim the victory over Jeff Collett, of Ottumwa. Taylor was the leader by one shot after this first day and extended his lead to three during his final round.

Ankeny native, Curtis Holck, took third place honors after posting a two-round total of 144 with a 3-under 69 in his final round. Dave Gaer, of Des Moines, and Joe Bates, of Albia, tied for fourth place at 3-over par.

Bruce Neeley (pictured left with head professional Darin Fisher), of Independence, carded two rounds of 73 to finish in first place with a six-shot lead in the Super Senior Division. Neeley topped Hudson native, Mark Urbanek’s rounds of 74 and 78.

Senior Match Play Champion, Jim Butler, finished in third place with rounds of 81 and 72. Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, earned fourth place honors after rounds of 79 and 75. Rick Gorbell and Rob Christensen finished in a tie for fifth place at 12-over par.

Click here for full results

Iowa golfers chase dreams at U.S. Open Final Qualifying

The greatest players in the world will gather next June at Torrey Pines in San Diego, Calif., for the 121st U.S. Open. (Fred Vuich/USGA)

Several players from or with connections to Iowa chased the dream of the U.S. Open. Players listed below competed over 36-holes with a chance to qualify for the 121st U.S. Open to be played at Torrey Pines Golf Course (pictured above), San Diego, Calif., June 17-20. Final qualifying results and links are listed below.

Atlanta, Ga. – Piedmont Driving Club
Luke Slaymaker, Marion
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2812281

Rockville, Md. – Woodmont Country Club (North Course)
Chris Baker, Iowa State University graduate – Qualified for U.S. Open
Brad Hopfinger, University of Iowa graduate
Andrew Petersen, Bondurant
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/7077185672418724749

Purchase, N.Y. – Century Country Club & Old Oaks Country Club
Rod Hamblin, Iowa State University graduate
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2791929

Columbus, Ohio – Brookside Golf & Country Club and The Lakes Golf & Country Club
Matthew Walker, Ottumwa
Sam Meuret, West Des Moines
Tripp Kinney, Des Moines
Nate Yankovich, University of Iowa graduate
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2464349

Springfield, Ohio – Springfield Country Club
Carson Schaake, University of Iowa graduate – Qualified for U.S. Open (Medalist)
Troy Merritt, Osage (born) – Qualified for U.S. Open
https://www.miamivalleygolf.org/events/event-pages/usga/us-open-sectional/tee-times-7824.html

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Jim Hasley passes away

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member James W. “Jim” Hasley, 87, of Davenport, died unexpectedly Monday, May 31, 2021. Hasley was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2010.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Jim will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 4, 2021 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Davenport. The Mass will be livestreamed by visiting https://www.facebook.com/stpauldisciples/. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be Thursday from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Halligan McCabe DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport with the rosary at 3:30 p.m. that all are welcome to pray. There will be additional visitation at church on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made First Tee, Quad Cities.

James William Hasley was born on January 7, 1934 in What Cheer, Iowa, a son of William “Bill” and Elizabeth “Betty” (Simmons) Hasley. Jim was raised in Williamsburg, Iowa and moved to Davenport with his family in 1947 after his father passed away.

In 1950, Jim began attending Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa where he ran track, but left after his junior year to go to work at Westinghouse Supply Company in Davenport. Taking up golf with a group from Westinghouse Supply, Jim, being a natural athlete, turned out to have a pretty decent swing. He began giving pro bono group lessons at Emeis in 1965. In 1968 he became Bob Fry’s assistant golf professional running Duck Creek Golf Course. In 1971, Jim became the head golf professional for the city of Davenport courses, running Emeis, Duck Creek and Credit Island Golf Courses. He retired in 2001 from Emeis and took over operations at Red Hawk Golf Course and Learning Center when the city of Davenport bought the course. In the summer of 2001, he helped launch the First Tee – Quad Cities Chapter. Jim’s greatest joy in his golf career was helping to shape young people’s love for the game of golf.

Read more from Hasley’s full obituary by clicking here.

Read a feature on Hasley’s impact on the community by clicking here.

Above – Hasley served as the Head Professional at Emeis Golf Course in Davenport for more than 30 years and stepped down from that position at the end of 2001. He stayed involved by taking over the 9-hole Red Hawk Golf Course in Davenport and was a key figure in the development of The First Tee Chapter of the Quad Cities at that location. Hasley’s love of the game shined through when he is on the lesson tee with the kids of The First Tee program.

Defending champ strikes again at IGA Senior Match Play, Butler earns Super Senior title

The final day of the IGA Senior Match Play concluded Wednesday, May 26th at Geneva Golf and Country Club in Muscatine with two close final matches. In the Senior Division, defending champion Joe Palmer (pictured on the right) battled Curtis Holck, of Ankeny, into a 20-hole match.

Palmer defeated Holck in the lengthy match that included seven lead changes. After many rounds of golf in the last ten days, including the IGA Four-Ball, both players gave it everything they had left in the tank.

The road to a fifth IGA Senior Match Play title wasn’t easy for Palmer, who notched his second consecutive title. He beat No. 31 seed Tod Ellis in his first round of match play, and the No. 15 seed Tom Garside in the following round. Palmer started to heat up and claimed victories over Jeff Collett and Sam Billmeyer to advance to the final match.

Holck had an impressive showing as well, knocking off No. 29 seed, Rick Sanders in the first round. He followed that with a win against the No. 4 seeded Terry Cook and Bob Brummel in the same day. Holck had to face a tough opponent in Tony Newkirk to advance to the final round and won that match 4&2.

In the final round, Jim Butler (pictured on the left) got his revenge on James Blackburn in the final match of the Super Senior Division, who defeated him in last year’s quarter-final round.

“It was really good golf (in the final match),” Butler said. “I had one less hiccup you would have to say. I lost to Jamie last year in the quarter-finals and I didn’t forget.”

Butler felt confident in his game all week, which was helpful when playing a course like Geneva Golf and Country Club for 36-holes every day.

“No one practices (for) 36 holes a day,” Butler said. “I love playing with these guys and everyone pulls for each other. I have been playing with them for years. It was my week, I guess. My game was mostly there this week.”

IGA Four-Ball partners, Blackburn and Pat Ryan, battled one another for a chance to take on Butler for the Super Senior Division title. Blackburn defeated Ryan 2 up, but ultimately fell to Butler in the final round on the last hole.

In the President’s Bracket, Chuck Malloy (right), of Cedar Falls, topped the runner-up, Craig Furnish. Malloy took an early lead but Furnish continued to fire back. Malloy was able to take control at the end, winning the match 3&2.

The next event is the Southeast Iowa Amateur event at The Preserve in Lake Rathbun, Moravia, starting on Saturday, June 5th. The entries for this event close on the 2nd of June and you can register here.

Senior Division Champion:
Joe Palmer

Super Senior Division Champion:
Jim Butler

Senior Presidents Champion:
Chuck Malloy

Malloy wins Presidents Bracket, top seeds fall at IGA Senior Match Play

After the second day of the IGA Senior Match Play, some of the top seeds fell in their matches at Muscatine’s Geneva Golf & Country Club. The No. 4 seed, Terry Cook, was defeated by the red-hot 13-seed, Curtis Holck, of Ankeny. The No. 11 seed, Sam Billmeyer, upset the No. 6 seed, Scott Briggs, after playing a 20-hole match.

In the quarterfinals, Holck matched up with the No. 21 seed, Bob Brummel, who knocked off the Muscatine native and No. 5 seed, Tom Norton, in the previous round. Holck defeated Brummel and will take on the No. 16 seed, Tony Newkirk, in the semi-final round.

Newkirk’s path to the semi-final round included wins against the No. 17 Tim Peters in the second round. He also knocked off Tom Christensen, and the No. 8 seed, John Evans.

Defending Senior Match Play champion, Joe Palmer, saved par on 18 to go 1 up against Jeff Collett. The No. 11 seed Billmeyer continues his run at the championship after knocking off Jay Gregory, 3&2, to advance to the semi-final round.

In the Super Senior Division, the No. 17 seeded, Rob Christensen, defeated the top-seed Steve Kahler. Christensen fell to Randy Studer, of West Des Moines, in the quarterfinal round, 2&1. Studer grabbed a two-hole lead early and remained in control of the match.

James Blackburn upset the No. 2 seed, Rick Gorbell, after winning the match, 2 up. Blackburn took on the 7-seeded Bill Tank in a close match this afternoon. Blackburn claimed the match, winning, 3&1.

Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, advanced after defeating John Brown, 5&4. The No. 5 seed Jim Butler will have a chance to play in the final round with the victory over Dave Waugh.

In the Senior Presidents Bracket, Chuck Malloy defeated runner-up, Craig Furnish, 3&2, to win the championship. Furnish and Malloy were neck-and-neck, but Malloy gained control at the end of the match and claimed his victory.

The Senior Division and Super Senior Division’s semi-final rounds will commence on Wednesday morning with the finals rounds to follow. Follow results online by clicking here.


Senior Presidents Champion:

Chuck Malloy

Senior Players Advancing:
Tony Newkirk
Curtis Holck
Joe Palmer
Sam Billmeyer

Super Senior Players Advancing:
Randy Studer
Jim Butler
James Blackburn
Pat Ryan

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