Author: iowagolf

Stroke play qualifying, opening round matches complete at IGA Senior Match Play

iowagolfMay 25, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play

The IGA Senior Match Play began Monday morning at Geneva Golf & CC in Muscatine, with 18-holes of stroke play to determine the 32-player field for the Senior and the 23-player field in the Super Senior Divisions. There was a five-way tie in the Senior Division for medalist. The tie was settled by a cardback tie-breaker between Robert Dickerman, Jay Gregory, Terry Cook, Tom Norton and Scott Briggs.

A playoff between Tom Christensen, of Waterloo, and Craig Furnish, of Cedar Rapids, was needed to earn the No. 32 seed in the Senior Division. The two battled and Tom Christensen earned the final match play seed after the second playoff hole.

Steve Kahler, of Marion, carded a 3-over 74 to earn the No. 1 seed in the Super Senior Division. Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, and Dave Waugh, of Davenport, finished in a tie for second place after rounds of 75. Jim Butler, of Fort Madison, posted a round of 76 to earn fourth place and Joel Yunek, of Mason City, and Bill Tank, of Bettendorf, tied for fifth with a pair of 78’s.

In the first round of the match play, defending champion and No. 2 seed, Joe Palmer, defeated the No. 31 seed, Tod Ellis, 7&5, to advance to the next round. Palmer jumped out to a lead quickly after going up five in the first six holes. Ellis fought back with a birdie on 10, but Palmer kept his foot on the gas.

Tom Christensen upset No. 1 seed Robert Dickerman to advance and Terry Cook, of Norwalk, earned a victory over Rick Sanders to make it to the next round. After a back-and-forth match between No. 13 seed Curtis Holck and No. 20 seed Troy Arends, Holck was able to claim the win and advance in the Senior Division bracket.

Some highlights in the Super Senior Division, No. 17 seed Rob Christensen advanced after defeating Del Harken, 6&5, and will face off with Kahler. No. 11 seed John Brown knocks off Dan Trerotola, 6&4, and will take on Joel Yunek in the next round The top-9 seeds were rewarded byes into the third round of the championship.

In the Senior Presidents Bracket, Edwin Evans defeated Marty Goetz 6&4. Evans will take on the No. 1 seed, Craig Furnish in round three. Chuck Malloy, of Cedar Falls, and David Lester, of Decorah, will play each other to advance to the final round.

The IGA Senior Match Play will continue play on Tuesday morning. Follow results online by clicking here.

Senior Players Advancing:
Tom Christensen
Tony Newkirk
John Evans
Dave Gaer
Terry Cook
Curtis Holck
Tom Norton
Bob Brummel
Joe Palmer
Tom Garside
Jeff Collett
Ron Peterson
Jay Gregory
Pat Erb
Scott Briggs
Sam Billmeyer

Super Senior Players Advancing:
Steve Kahler
Rob Christensen
Randy Studer
Gary Slight
Dave Waugh
Wes Hogeland
Jim Butler
Charlie Taylor
Rick Gorbell
James Blackburn
Bill Tank
Dan Dalziel
Pat Ryan
Sam Aossey
Joel Yunek
John Brown

Senior Presidents Flight Players Advancing:
Craig Furnish
Edwin Evans
Chuck Malloy
David Lester

Brown/Elliott fire 62 (-10) in final round, win 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship

iowagolfMay 24, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball

Sitting two shots off the lead, Iowa Golf Hall of Fame members Jon Brown and Gene Elliott (left) knew they had some work to do in order to win the 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship at The Falls in Larchwood.

A 10-under par 62 later and it was mission accomplished. With five birdies apiece, Brown and Elliott commented they just kept trying to get one more birdie on the card. Brown’s birdie on the final two holes proved to be the difference as they outdistanced the side of Ethan Mechling / J.D. Anderson by a pair of strokes.

“We each made five birdies and didn’t double-up,” Brown said. “We just kept plugging away and didn’t give up. I felt like we left a couple (shots) out there yesterday, but not today. Teaming up with Gene I had a tremendous amount of trust. I knew he would never be out of the hole and be there when I needed him.”

Never having to count a bogey on a course that played quite difficult with strong, blustering winds was a feat within itself for the champions who shot rounds of 68-62 (-14) over the two-day event.

“In 36 holes we really didn’t scare making bogey,” Elliott said. “We had to make a few 4-5 foot putts, but we were never in trouble where we weren’t going to make par and gave ourselves a lot of chances. I hit first on every hole and tried to get it into play. With Jon being so long, I wanted him to be able to feel free to go after it. Now we gotta go defend next year, unless he dumps me.”

Brown jokingly said he thinks he’ll keep Elliott on the team. This victory marked the sixth overall IGA Four-Ball title for Elliott and Brown’s second victory in the event. Neither had teamed up together in the past.

In the Senior Division, Joe Palmer and Terry Cook (left) collected their third title in the division and fourth overall, winning the Open Division crown in 2004. Similar to the Elliott/Brown side, Palmer and Cook were chasing the leaders entering the final round – two shots back off the pace.

With a final round 68 (-4) that included timely birdies on the back nine holes, both mentioned how their partnership has been a winning combination, finishing the event with rounds of 67-68 (-9).

“I had a great partner,” Cook said. “Joe has been unbelievable. We were patient all day and hung in there. We had to fight back and make a couple good shots coming down the stretch. All day I tried to stay in the present. It’s fun to win again.”

Playing with the first round leaders, Bret Taylor and Jeff Collett, Palmer and Cook were able to keep tabs on where they stood and were checking the leaderboard for any charges coming from ahead of them.

“We were playing with the leaders, so we could see what was going on,” Palmer said. “We were making a bunch of pars (on our front 9) and so were they. We were watching the leaderboard and didn’t want to lose any ground. Terry had a great three-hole stretch there and we skated in there (for the win).

Palmer commented that knowing you have a partner who won’t be out of the hole very often is a key to success.

“Over the years, Terry Cook doesn’t make big numbers,” Palmer said. “We free each other up (to play) and when you have a partner who is always in the hole you can play aggressively. It’s worked for us.”

Taylor and Collett shared runner-up with the side of Gary Ellis / Jay Goeser at -8 for the event.

In the Super Senior Division, the side of Bill Mathers / Vernon VanPerseum (right) battled back with a final round 67 (-5) to win the title by a stroke over first round leaders Rick Gorbell and Wes Hogeland. Mathers/VanPerseum posted rounds of 73-67 (-5).

Click here for final results

Two sides share opening round lead at 25th IGA Four-Ball

iowagolfMay 21, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball

The Falls was unforgiving for most of the day in the opening round of the 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship. Bogeys were to be found with a wayward shot and birdies were something of a rare mineral in Larchwood for a majority of the field.

Finding success in the dirt (and wind) however were a pair of sides, as Aaron Obrien / Dusty Stewart (pictured above) and Ethan Mechling and J.D. Anderson both posted rounds of 66 (-6) to share the lead heading into the final round. Both teams, who were paired together in the first round, took advantage of an early tee time this morning. A total of seven teams are within three shots of the lead, including a trio just two back.

In the Senior Division the side of Bret Taylor / Jeff Collett also found success in Larchwood today. The duo teamed up for an impressive 65 (-7) to lead by a pair of strokes over defending Senior Division champions Joe Palmer / Terry Cook. Three additional teams are four strokes back at 68 (-4) after today’s play.

In the Super Senior Division the side of Rick Gorbell / Wes Hogeland lead by three strokes over Bill Mathers / Vernon VanPeursem. Gorbell / Hogeland posted a solid round of 70 (-2), good for the overnight lead.

Click here for full results

Click here for final round pairings

IGA welcomes three P.J. Boatwright interns for 2021

iowagolfMay 18, 20210 commentsNews, USGA

From left – P.J. Boatwright interns Annika Patton, Gavin Matthias and Justin Farrell

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is excited to announce its three P.J. Boatwright Internships for 2021. Each intern will be primarily focused on the following areas – Championship Administration, Handicapping & Course Rating and Marketing & Communications. Each internship will be for four months. Working under the direction of the IGA Executive Director and senior staff, the interns will learn about all aspects of amateur golf administration in addition to their focus area.

Annika Patton, from Aurelia, will serve at the Championship Administration intern. Patton said that the game of golf has been a passion of hers and has enjoyed playing for as long as she can remember. Patton is a 2019 graduate of Alta-Aurelia High School and currently attends the University of Northern Iowa. Studying Business Management and Sport Administration.

“I look forward to gaining hands-on experience in the golf industry this summer as a 2021 Iowa Golf Association P.J. Boatwright Intern,” Patton said. “Having played in IGA Championships throughout my career as a junior and beyond, I was excited for the opportunity to come aboard the IGA to work with and serve many of those who I have looked up to over the years. Most of all, I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with many of Iowa’s great players.”

Gavin Matthias, of Ankeny, will serve as the Handicapping & Course Rating intern. Matthias, who attended Ankeny Centennial High School, attends the University of Iowa and is studying Sports Management and Recreation.

“I have spent the last four years working at Otter Creek in Ankeny,” Matthias said. “I have enjoyed working with junior golfers, working in the pro shop and being around the golf industry. I applied for the P.J. Boatwright Internship because I want to work in the golf industry after I graduate college, and the internship looked like a great opportunity to learn, gain experience, and meet new people within the golf industry. I am looking forward to the 2021 season.”

Justin Farrell, of Preston, will serve as the Marketing & Communications intern. Farrell attended Easton Valley High School and currently is studying at Iowa State University.

“It was not until my freshman year of high school when I started to play golf and developed a passion for the sport,” Farrell said. “My focus turned to finding a future career within the game of golf, and that brought me to Iowa State. I am currently majoring in public relations and have recently completed my sophomore year. I worked within Iowa State Athletics and my love for golf and other sports started to grow. I saw the opportunity to work with an amazing organization like the Iowa Golf Association and jumped on it immediately. I knew I would enjoy the opportunity and the experiences would be rewarding.”

The program honors the contributions of P.J. Boatwright Jr. (pictured), the USGA’s third executive director, who played a pivotal role in the development of both the USGA and golf in the United States. An accomplished amateur player and one of the game’s foremost Rules experts, he served as executive director of the Carolinas Golf Association for five years before joining the USGA in 1959. He served the association until his death in 1991, leaving a legacy of sportsmanship and service.

In addition to being a recipient of the Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honor, Boatwright’s legacy is celebrated through his enshrinement in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Wofford College Hall of Fame and Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame, among others. In 1990, the Golf Writers Association of America presented him with the William D. Richardson Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to golf.

The internship program is part of the USGA’s annual $70 million investment back into the game fueled by revenues generated by the U.S. Open Championship.

Schumacher, Hansen take home titles at IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1

iowagolfMay 17, 20210 commentsChampionships

Tabitha Schumacher (above left), of Pella, claimed her first victory of the 2021 season at the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1. Schumacher recorded a final score of 51 points and finished one point ahead of second place. The stableford scoring event at the Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo featured 39 participants from Iowa.

Schumacher’s round of 75 (36-39) included four birdies, worth four points each, and seven pars, worth three points each. During her round, three birdies came from par-fives and recorded one birdie on a par-three.

Rose Kubesheski, of Dubuque, finished second with a 50-point tally. Janece Schwartzkopf, of Stuart, and Kim Fensterman, of Cedar Rapids, tied for third with 48 points each. Kelly Nelson, of Waterloo, and Julie Buerman, of Cedar Rapids, finished with 47 points and tied for fifth place.

Soni Hansen (above right), of Grimes, won the Net Division after totaling 59 points. Hansen finished one point ahead of Laurie Slater, of Cedar Rapids, who totaled 58 points. Third place went to Becky Schwiete, of Ankeny, with 57 points. Schawrtzkopf’s 56 points and Kubesheski’s 55 points rounded out the top-five.

Click here for full results

Elliott wins sixth Iowa Mid-Amateur title, defends 2020 crown

iowagolfMay 10, 20210 commentsChampionships, Iowa Mid-Am

He defended his title.

West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott (pictured above), now 59, kept the big numbers off the scorecard and left with the trophy he came with at the 36th Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship. Elliott admitted the course host, Finkbine Golf Course, wasn’t the same as he remembered from years past – going back many years.

“It wasn’t the same old Finkbine that I remember,” Elliott said of the tough conditions players battled over 36 holes. “It was really, really dry. The greens were firm and fast. I have never seen them that fast at Finkbine and that goes back to high school. It looked like if you hung in there and made pars, you were going to be ok. I was very fortunate with the way things ended up.”

Hung in there he did, posting rounds of 74-73 (+3) for the championship, which got him into a playoff against Van Meter’s Scot Cook.

“In a 36-hole event a big number can take you out of it right away, unless you make a bunch of birdies,’ Elliott said. “You knew if you got above the hole, you would have trouble two putting from there.”

Somewhat similar to his victory at Sunnyside CC last fall, Elliott found himself giving chase entering the final round, down three strokes to Nate McCoy, of Ankeny, who opened with 71 (-1).

“I thought if I could get it under par somehow, I might have a chance.,” Elliott said. “I made a couple birdies on #6 and #7. I turned in one-under par and looked at scores and saw guys behind me were struggling a bit. I knew we had a shootout going and would have a chance if I played a good back nine.”

Elliott proceeded to make seven straight pars before bogeys on the final two holes of the day.

“Even with the poor finish I thought I was still in it,” Elliott said. “I had no idea if I would win or be in a playoff or lose by one. I really didn’t know.”

Luckily for Elliott, the late bogeys didn’t cost him a chance at his sixth Iowa Mid-Amateur title, but he would have to earn it in a playoff beginning on the demanding par-3 17th hole at Finkbine GC.

“I left it short left (off the tee), but had a pretty straight forward chip up the slope,” Elliott said. “Although I did hit it about three and half feet past the hole, which I didn’t want to do. Then Scot hit just a beautiful par putt after hitting it in the bunker. It just slowly lipped on the high side. He hit a great putt there. Then I got up and made my downhill (par) putt.”

Elliott, now a six-time Iowa Mid-Amateur champion, credited his short game to his success over the two days.

“My chipping has really been good this winter and I have putted pretty solid,” Elliott said. “I stayed away from that big number and didn’t make any doubles. I made a lot of comeback putts and that was the difference. “

In the Senior Division Norwalk’s Joe Palmer captured the title, battling back from two strokes down going into the final round. Palmer shot rounds of 76-74 (+6) for a one-shot lead over Jeff Collett, of Ottumwa.

“Being a former Iowa Hawkeye, I’ve played a lot of rounds at Finkbine,” Palmer said. “But when I showed up, I was like where are we at? The greens were phenomenal speed, lots of deep rough and fairways were running firm. It was enjoyable and it tested us for sure.”

Palmer, who admitted he didn’t make a lot of birdies over the two-day event, made a lot of pars and knew that would be key to success. To his credit, Palmer didn’t make many bogeys either.

“I knew it was going to be a tournament where even par or a couple over would be right there,” Palmer said. “I made some good putts on Saturday that kept me in it (in the final round). You knew you had to make those. Playing a little more conservatively with the way the greens were, might yield a better score. I tried to keep the ball in play and not get aggressive trying to make a bunch of birdies. Making pars was beneficial for me.”

In the Super Senior Division Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, played consistent golf. Christensen posted rounds of 75-75 (+6) to win by four strokes thanks to keeping double-bogey or worse off the scorecard for 36-holes. Mason City’s Joel Yunek finished runner-up with rounds of 75-79 (+10).

“It wasn’t that I didn’t get in trouble, but I was able to escape,” Christensen said. “A lot of my playing buddies weren’t so lucky. The key to Finkbine, if there is one, you always had to stay below the hole. If you got above it, buckle up. I thought 75 would be a real good score. Jim Butler shot 71 (in round one) and I was impressed with that. I thought if I shot another 75 (in the second round) I might have a chance. Obviously it depended on how Jim and some of the other guys did. They made some mistakes and I didn’t. I was able to make (a lot of) those three to five foot putts.”

Click here for final results

Four grab spots into U.S. Open Final Qualifying

iowagolfMay 4, 20210 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

Survive and advance was the name of the game at Monday’s U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Beaver Hills Country Club, Cedar Falls. With four qualifying spots up for grabs into Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open, players battled nerves as well as the elements, which included off and on rain most of the day, in pursuit of a dream.

Des Moines’ Tripp Kinney, who was -9 at one point in his round, shared medalist honors with Andrew Petersen, of Bondurant, (both pictured above – Kinney left, Petersen right) as both posted rounds of 66 (-6) to secure two of the four qualifying spots available. Sam Meuret (right), of West Des Moines, shot 67 (-5) to elude a playoff of five players, who shot 69 (-3) chasing the final spot.

With a birdie on the first playoff hole, Ottumwa’s Matthew Walker (left) captured the lone remaining spot. All four are now one step closer to the U.S. Open and will compete at Final Qualifying locations across the country in a couple of weeks.

“I chipped in for eagle on #2,” Kinney, who shot 30 (-6) on his opening nine holes, said. “I hit it to an inch on #7, so those were my two eagles. I made a couple of other good putts from 10-15 feet on the front (nine). I was really happy with the way I hit it all day.”

With rain in the forecast, Kinney felt like he could score well – making six birdies and a pair of eagles during his round.

“You had to figure out the course,” Kinney said. “You have a lot of wedges into these greens, but the ball would still skip somewhat before spinning back. Without the wind you can attack this course and hit it close. I had prepared really well for today and it translated.”

Kinney commented that he never looked at the leaderboard during the day.

“I just tried to keep attacking the course,” Kinney said.

Andrew Petersen, who made seven birdies against just a lone bogey, said keeping the ball in play and under control was important.

“I was able to hit every green today,” Petersen said. “I had a lot of looks at birdies. A little bit of moisture softened things up some, as it was dry when I played my practice round. I tried to take advantage of the par 5 holes when I could and everything else just fell into place.”

Petersen said he wasn’t really keeping an eye on where he stood during the day either.

“Honestly, I usually have enough going on with my own play,” Petersen said. “I just tried to keep track of my own ball. I didn’t have any idea where I stood. I set myself up off the tee well today and had a lot of wedges into greens. I could have putted better, but I gave myself a lot of opportunities.”

Kinney and Petersen both commented they hope to head to Ohio for Final Qualifying.

“Maybe I can rub elbows with some of the tour guys,’ Petersen said.

Kinney said he looked at the two Ohio options due to the simple fact he could drive to either. A total of 10 Final Qualifying sites will be used in the United States on May 24 and June 7.

Marion’s Luke Slaymaker (1st) and LeClaire’s Jack Dumas (2nd) earned alternate status into Final Qualifying on Monday as well.

Click here for final scoring results

Caylor victorious at The Classic, Collett takes home Senior Division crown

iowagolfMay 4, 20210 commentsChampionships, News

Unique scoring formats can either create drama and entertainment or suck the life out of an event. In the case of The Classic at Elmwood Country Club, the drama and entertainment were present in spades for the climax of the 2021 edition Sunday afternoon.

The Classic, an Iowa Golf Association additional point event, utilizes Stableford scoring — a unique system in which the scores are calculated by points based on the number of strokes per hole, rather than traditional scoring from stroke play.

Photo courtesy of Noah Rohlfing, Marshalltown Times-Republican

The format encourages aggressive play and taking risks for chances at birdies, with four points for a birdie, two for a par and one for a bogey. Eagles are worth eight points. Two players mastered the format in the open division Sunday — Carson Caylor (pictured left) of Urbandale and Nate McCoy of Ankeny. The duo were in the final group, with McCoy holding a slim lead for most of the round after being the first-round leader in treacherous conditions Saturday with a score of 40.

Winds gusted near 50 miles per hour Saturday, but on Sunday the weather was perfect, with warm temperatures and winds at 10-20 miles per hour. Caylor took advantage of the better conditions to birdie the final two holes and take home the win in the open division, draining a birdie putt on the 18th to finish with 79 points — one more than McCoy’s 78.

Caylor trailed by five points with five holes to play. He chipped away at McCoy’s lead with pars on holes 14, 15 and 16, but still trailed by three. The birdie at 17 cut it to one. And when faced with a 15-to-20 footer for the win, Caylor didn’t take any chances and produced a finish to remember.

Photo courtesy of Noah Rohlfing, Marshalltown Times-Republican

In the senior bracket, Jeff Collett (pictured right) of Ottumwa took home the Championship Flight with a wire-to-wire win. After topping the leaderboard in round one with a score of 35, he shot a 33 and was comfortably in control of proceedings throughout. Not even a double-bogey 6 on the final hole had an impact on Collett’s win.

The changing conditions played a part, Collett said, as did his approach to the different format.

Click here to read more from
Noah Rohlfing of the Marshalltown Times-Republican

Click here for a full recap of scoring

Celebration of Life for Jim Curell set for Friday, April 30

iowagolfApril 14, 20210 commentsNews

Join friends and family for a legendary sendoff for Jim Curell on Friday, April 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone. Jim passed away in April 2020, and due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, a fitting memorial could not be celebrated – until now!

Appetizers and beverages will be provided. Special guests will share memories and other remarks around 7 p.m. The family will be following CDC guidance for COVID-19 during this event. If you are not fully vaccinated, please bring a mask and practice social distancing, as needed.

2020 IGA Annual Awards Banquet Recap

iowagolfMarch 30, 2021Comments OffChampionships, News, Uncategorized

The 2020 IGA Annual Awards Banquet took place Friday, March 26, at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines. It was an enjoyable night with several deserving honorees and award winners in various categories being celebrated for their efforts.

View photos from the 2020 IGA Annual Awards Banquet

The following individuals and courses were honored –

PGA Pro of the Year – Adam Coates, Spencer Golf & Country Club

Club Manager of the Year – Sheryl Dusenberry, Atlantic Golf & Country Club

9-Hole Superintendent – Jeremy Amosson, Veterans Memorial Golf Club

18-Hole Superintendent – Caleb Swanson, Briarwood Golf Club

9-Hole Course of the Year – Hillcrest Country Club

18-Hole Course of the Year – Hyperion Field Club

George Turner Distinguished Service Award – Jim Carney, Des Moines

Sean Flanders Volunteer of the Year Award – Jon Brown, Adel

View acceptance speech video from each of the award winners

Player of the Year – Connor Peck, Ankeny (View video) (View acceptance speech)

Senior Player of the Year – Joe Palmer, Norwalk (View video) (View acceptance speech)

Super Senior Player of the Year – Rick Gorbell, Cedar Falls (View video) (View acceptance speech)

Women’s Player of the Year – Leanne Smith, Indianola (View video) (View acceptance speech)

Senior Women’s Player of the Year – Rose Kubesheski, Dubuque (View video)

Junior Girls’ Player of the Year – Rylee Heryford, Newton (View video) (View acceptance speech)

Junior Boys’ Player of the Year – Cale Leonard, Ottumwa (View video) (View acceptance speech)

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