Author: iowagolf

Feldick, McCoy qualify for U.S. Amateur at Wakonda Club

July 16, 20190 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

When the dust had settled at Wakonda Club after 36 holes of golf, Cedar Falls’ Jonathan Feldick (69-72) and Ankeny’s Nate McCoy (71-71) grabbed the two spots available into the U.S. Amateur on Monday.

Each player took different roads to earn their spot to Pinehurst however.

Feldick (pictured above), who was medalist, rode a rollercoaster for most of the afternoon finishing with 11 birdies over his 36 holes. Meanwhile, McCoy settled for a bushel basket of pars, making 32 on the day. McCoy then survived a playoff against Sam Vincent, of Ames, to secure his spot into the U.S. Amateur.

“I just tried to keep it in play off the tee,” Feldick said. “I struggled with that though, but I putted well today and I finished strong. I birdied the last two holes (this afternoon). It has been a life-long dream of mine to qualify for the U.S. Amateur. Wakonda Club has been good to me, I qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur when I was 17 here. I can’t be happier, I am shocked to be honest.”

Feldick, who opened with 69 (-3) in the morning, said he didn’t really have a number in mind in the afternoon, he just knew he couldn’t let up.

“I didn’t have a number in mind,” Feldick said. “Luckily I birdied the last two holes to finish even (for the afternoon round). I just wanted to get back to even and finish strong, other than that I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could.”

McCoy (right) admitted he simply could not get a birdie putt to find the bottom of the cup

“I had 32 pars today,” McCoy said. “I was getting frustrated out there actually, I just couldn’t get a putt to fall. When you’re stuck around even par you feel like people are passing you. I gave myself a lot of opportunities, but I just couldn’t get any to drop. The greens were tough and I was grinding a lot.”

McCoy admitted that playing with Vincent (1st Alternate via the playoff loss) was enjoyable and kept his mind sharp the whole day.

“I had a ton of fun playing with Sam,” McCoy said. “I knew he was going to be tough. I just tried to stay even with him most of the day.”

Nate will also join his dad, Mike, who is exempt into the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst. It is believed to be only the fourth time a father/son dou has played in the same U.S. Amateur. Nate commented that it will be a special week for sure in North Carolina , August 11-18.

“He (my dad) kept telling me to go punch your ticket,” Nate McCoy said. “I hope we can play a few practice rounds together. Hopefully it will make my hotel rental a little cheaper. It might be a win-win for me.”

Earning Second Alternate was Ankeny’s Jon Olson.

Click here for a full recap of scoring.

Bermel sisters win 9th IGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship, Leszczynski/Webb take Senior crown

July 14, 20190 commentsChampionships, IGA Women's Four-Ball

Hailey and Hannah Bermel (pictured right) followed up their opening round 65 (-7) in the 9th IGA Women’s Four-Ball with a solid round of 68 (-4) at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course to win the title by nine shots. The Bermel’s father, John, is the Head Golf Professional at Pheasant Ridge GC, so the victory was extra sweet for the duo.

“It was fun getting to play together and bounce the energy off of each other,” Hailey said.

Hannah admitted the game plan for the second round was fairly simple.

“We wanted to hit them close and knock the putts in,” Hannah said with a smile. “(We just wanted) to find the fairways.”

Finishing runner-up was the side of Janelle Carter / Julie Buerman, who posted two solid rounds of golf (69-73) to finish under par for the championship (-2).

In the Senior Division Laura Leszczynski and Robin Webb (pictured right) teamed up for post scores of 70-67 (-7) for the two-day event and cruised to an eight shot win. Leszczynski commented the two meshed well together and complimented her partner’s play.

“I think our games and approach to playing are very similar,” Leszczynski said. “Robin is an aggressive and steady player. She’s brings out the best in my game. She also helped me with all my key putts. We each had a lot of birdies today and we took turns on scoring them fortunately. To top it all, we had a lot of fun together. She’s a great player and a person, that combination makes these kind of events so much fun.”

The side of Kelly Grimes / Sue Harmon finished runner-up in the Senior Division, posted rounds of 74-71 (+1).

Click here for a full recap of scoring, including Net Division results

Bermels lead 9th IGA Women’s Four-Ball, Leszczynski/Webb pace Senior Division

July 12, 20190 commentsChampionships, IGA Women's Four-Ball

Hannah and Hailey Bermel put on a show at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in the opening round of the 9th IGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship. The pair teamed up to shoot 65 (-7) to lead by four shots over the side of Janelle Carter / Julie Buerman.

“Hannah made a lot of putts,” Hailey Bermel said. “If her ball was on the green, it was going in the hole (today).”

Hannah, who shot an opening nine holes of 30 (-6) on her own ball, admitted the flatstick was working and knowing the course helped – Their dad, John, is the Head Golf Professional at Pheasant Ridge GC. Hannah was able to make a total of eight birdies on the day, finishing the round with a 69 (-3) on her own.

“Putting was huge (in my success),” Hannah Bermel said. “There were some tough pins out there, so it’s nice to know the course.”

In the Senior Division, the side of Laura Leszczynski / Robin Webb posted a round of 70 (-2) to lead by four strokes over four other teams.

The final round will conclude tomorrow, with tee times starting at 8 a.m.

Click here to see a full recap of scoring from Round One.

 

 

Nebraska Goes Undefeated to Win Junior Girls’ Four-State, Iowa finishes runner-up

July 3, 20190 commentsChampionships

Nebraska did not let off the gas during Singles matches on Tuesday, the final round of the 51st Junior Girls’ Four-State Championship at ArborLinks in Nebraska City.

After winning all but one of their first six matches to total 5.5 points on the first day, Nebraska left no doubt again during the Singles matches, winning all six. The six wins gave Nebraska six more points to get to 11.5 total points, out of a possible 12. Iowa (pictured above) finished second with 5.5 points, including three in Singles and 2.5 in Four-Ball, after starting with zero in the Foursomes matches. Kansas was third with five points, and Missouri fourth at two points.

Nebraska entered the final session needing just 3.5 points to ensure a win, and quickly took the lead in all six matches. It was actually Nebraska’s final match on the course that clinched the win. Lincoln’s Nicole Kolbas posted the victory, winning 6 and 5 over Iowa’s Bella Amador-Lacson. That was the deciding point, as Kansas and Iowa each needed to win all six of their matches for a chance, and both had already lost a match.

Abby Marting, Anna Jensen and Annika Patton all won their singles match to secure runner-up honors for Iowa. Also adding to Iowa’s point total was Amador-Lacson/Patton and Paige Hoffman/Marting during the Four-Ball portion of the championship held on Monday. The side of Jensen/Jenna Krogulski were able to add a half point during Four-Ball as well.

Full results and more are available by clicking here.

Hogenson wins IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series event at Edmundson GC

July 1, 20190 commentsChampionships, News

The second event of the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series was contested at Edmundson Golf Course in Oskaloosa, Iowa this past Saturday, June 29.

Katelynn Hogenson (pictured right in white hat), of Ames, earned her first victory in a dramatic sudden death playoff over Julie Buerman, of Cedar Rapids. Buerman, who had won the first event of the series in Waterloo earlier this summer, matched Hogenson’s score of 75 (+5). Hogenson made par on the first playoff hole to earn the win and the coveted pink sash.

When asked if she had expectations prior to the event, Hogenson said “I just wanted to have a good time and get my feet wet again.”

Hogenson, who serves as Director of Member Services & Women’s Golf for the Iowa Golf Association, is usually watching golf verses playing it.

“I was more nervous than expected,” Hogenson said. “I kind of forgot about the feelings you get when you actually have to hit a ball under pressure.”

When it was learned there would be a playoff, players who were waiting in the comfortable air-conditioned clubhouse immediately grabbed a cart and found a shaded area to watch. It gave the players a fun atmosphere to compete in and also interested many of the public playing as well.

Nicki Clayton (pictured above in orange) captured the Net Division title with a score of 68 (-2) to outdistance Michelle Klein by two shots. Complete results can be found by clicking here.

The third and final event of the Women’s Mid-Am series will be contested at Bear Creek Golf Course in Forest City, on Saturday September 7th. The event format will be a four-ball championship. For more information on the this event click here, or to sign up, enter here.

Click here to view a video recap of the playoff

Olson wins 31st IGA Match Play Championship, joins Brown in elite company

June 28, 20190 commentsChampionships, IGA Match Play

Coming into the 31st IGA Match Play Championship at Tournament Club of Iowa Jon Olson (pictured right) had little expectations. After a solid qualifying round and six match victories later, Olson found himself hoisting the trophy after a 1 up victory over Tyler Smith. Olson, who also won this event in 2011, joins Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Jon Brown as the only other player to win the event more than once.

“I found something this week,” Olson said. “I had no expectations. This week was good.”

Olson, who defeated Ben Epperly (3&2) earlier on Thursday, was impressed with Smith’s game. Smith defeated upstart Dylan Ellis (6&5) in the semifinal round to reach the final match.

“Tyler is a really good player,” Olson said. “I played about as good as I could the last nine holes (in the morning match against Epperly). It’s an exclusive club with Jon Brown, so this means a lot to me.”

To say the final match was back and forth would be an understatement. In the first 12 holes only two were halved, including a total of five holes for the whole 18-hole match. Neither player stretched their lead to more than 2 up at any point.

“I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to that,” Olson admitted regarding the final match status as the round progressed. “It had to be exciting, but I didn’t pay a lot of attention. He got off to a really good start and impressed me. This is a really important win for me.”

Olson, who preaches controlling what you can control, commented that sometimes in match play certain situations can impact a players decision.

“Sometimes you want to hit first out of the fairway, sometimes you don’t,” Olson said. “I only went at #13 once this week, during the qualifying round. I never went after #14. It’s always about focusing on what you can control. I try to control my thoughts and if that’s going well I am happy. This one is for my family and I am really thankful.”

Click here for a full recap of scoring and match results.

Inside the Ropes at the U.S. Senior Open – From a Caddie’s Perspective

June 27, 20190 commentsNews, USGA

Staff Note: Mark Gambaiana, a member of the Iowa Golf Association Foundation Board, will be sending periodic reports this week from his experience as a caddie at the 40th U.S. Senior Open set for June 27-30, at the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course.

Friday, June 28
Iowans Mike McCoy and Jay Gregory battled valiantly but fell just short in a quest to play the weekend at the 40th U.S. Senior Open at the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course Friday. McCoy fired his second consecutive 71 to post a two-over par 142. Exactly 60 players shot 141 or better to make the cut as the USGA trimmed the 156-player field to the low 60 and ties.

McCoy birdied the 404 yard par-4 ninth hole…his 18th of the day but fell short by the narrowest of margins. He was the low amateur for the tournament. McCoy’s round of 71 Thursday was spiced by a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 13th hole. Gregory shot a pair of 72’s to post a 144 and finish in a tie for 81st. He was tied for the second lowest amateur score.

A star-studded leaderboard will produce an exciting weekend finish. Steve Stricker backed up an opening round 62 with a 64 Friday for an unheard of U.S. Open two-day total of 14-under par 126. Right behind are Jerry Kelly, David Toms and Retief Goosen.

A rough start for my player, Roger Rowland of Jacksonville, FL proved too much to overcome as he shot a second day 75 for two-day total of 146. Being inside the ropes was a magnificent experience for yours truly. I’ve followed these players throughout their careers and having a front row seat only deepened my appreciation for their playing ability. There’s such a fine line that separates the pack.

 

Wednesday, June 26
Final practice preparations are wrapping up as the 40th U.S. Senior Open begins Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday’s practice round provided an wonderful illustration of the melting pot of players assembled to compete for this championship. Our foursome included a pair of golf celebrities and a pair of journeymen who have toiled for years on the mini and satellite tours.

Two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen joined our group and put on an impressive display of shotmaking. Fresh off a playoff loss to Jerry Kelly in last week’s American Family Insurance Championship, Goosen has to be considered one of the favorites this week. His length, accuracy and distance control were spectacular. Another newly minted 50-year old, Gary Nicklaus, showed good form with his 18-year old son, G.T., on the bag. Son of the golf legend, Gary played three years on the PGA Tour and has competed in a handful of 2019 Champions Tour events via sponsor exemptions, including the Principal Charity Classic. Bowling Green, KY resident David Plumb rounded out the group. Like my player, Roger Rowland, David spent a handful of years on the Nike Tour but the majority of his career on mini tours.

I connected with Mike McCoy (pictured right) Wednesday morning as he was warming up on the range. Mike plays at 9:31 a.m. Thursday morning with Tom Werkmeister of Grandville, MI and Kevin King of Bluffton, SC.

I have a new appreciation for the work of caddies. It seems glamorous from the perimeter (and it is) but it’s also hard work and you have to hustle, especially between shots. Thank goodness the Warren Golf Course is relatively flat and not much distance between greens and tees. It’s also great to see how the status of caddies has elevated over the years. There’s an air conditioned tent for caddies, meals and refreshments provided and a wellness center right next door. The caddies of yesteryear didn’t enjoy such creature comforts.

 

Tuesday, June 25
Activity at the U.S. Senior Open moved into high gear Tuesday as the 156-player field took advantage of beautiful weather for a full day of practice rounds. Players found the 6,943 yard, Par 70 Warren Golf Course a stern test. The layout features small, contoured and well protected greens which should produce an exciting championship. The 450 yard par 4 third hole, the 492 yard par 4 fourth hole and the 239 yard par 3 fifth hole provide an early round challenge.

There are so many distinguishing aspects of this tournament – you can see the game’s legends of yesteryear…Watson, Langer, Jimenez, Singh…hitting balls on the range next to amateurs and journeyman professionals who earned their spot through open qualifying.

Lineville, Iowa’s Jay Gregory (pictured right) had a great thrill today, playing a practice round with Tom Watson and Stephen Ames. A Hamilton, MO native (hometown of JC Penney) Gregory played college golf at William Jewell and is the pride of Lineville, population 217, which sits on the Missouri border.

Watson, still spry at age 69, is joined in the super senior category by veteran Dick Mast, who also belies his age at 68.

Tomorrow I hope to check in with Iowa’s other representative, Mike McCoy.

 

Monday, June 24
Twenty-eight years ago this summer, I caddied for a budding young golf professional from Florida at the 1991 Ben Hogan Dakota Dunes Open in Sioux City. History will repeat itself this week as I will again caddie for Roger Rowland, this time at the 2019 U.S. Senior Open.

Roger is the ultimate golf journeyman, having persevered on multiple golf tours over three decades as a golf professional to get to this point – qualifying for his first major championship. His career began with moderate success on the Ben Hogan and Nike Tours in the 1990’s, including 117 events played, 61 cuts made, a pair of runner-up finishes and a high finish of 33rd on the money list. Later he played on the Tommy Armour Tour, NGA Hooters Tour, Florida Golf Association Tour and now competes on the Sunbelt Senior Tour, a place where senior professionals keep their games sharp while making the difficult attempt to gain status on the Champions Tour. In all, Roger has won more than 80 mini-tour events.

Last year, Roger made a strong showing at the PGA Champions Tour Qualifying School by finishing in a tie for 13th. Only the top five players earn exempt status however, and the rest are relegated to Monday qualifying where fields of anywhere from 30 to 70 players vie for four spots. He has played the sum total of one Champions Tour event, that being the 2018 SAS Championship where he emerged from the Monday qualifier and finished in a tie for 43rd.

This week, Roger is hoping his determination and persistence will parlay into more status on the Champions Tour. We play at 3:06 p.m. Thursday and 9:31 a.m. Friday.

Iowa Representation
Iowa golf will have a distinct flavor at the U.S. Senior Open as Mike McCoy of Norwalk and Jay Gregory of Lineville are among 20 amateurs in the 156-player field at the U.S. Senior Open. McCoy, a veteran of USGA Championships, punched his ticket into the field by his participation in the 2015 Walker Cup competition while Gregory may have been the last player into the field when he emerged from a playoff for the final spot at the last qualifier held on June 11 at the Golf Club at Creekmoor in Raytown, MO.

McCoy plays at 9:31 a.m. (all times Eastern) on Thursday and 3:06 p.m. Friday while Gregory steps on the tee at 1:11 p.m. Thursday afternoon and 7:46 a.m. Friday morning. All players will play 18 holes of stroke play June 27-28 after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties for weekend competition.

Four remain at 31st IGA Match Play Championship

June 26, 20190 commentsChampionships, IGA Match Play

Four remain and are focused on winning two more matches to capture the 31st IGA Match Play Championship tomorrow at Tournament Club of Iowa.

In the Jim English Bracket, #56 seed Dylan Ellis continues to take on all comers, defeating Logan Schweinefus (1 up) and stroke play medalist/#1 seed Tommy Doyle (7&6) to earn his spot into the semifinals. Ellis will meet Tyler Smith, who defeated Kolby Chup (4&3) and Luke Miller (19 holes).

In the Jack Webb Bracket, #7 seed Ben Epperly will face #3 seed Jon Olson on Thursday morning. Epperly defeated J.D. Anderson (1 up) and Willis Gaer (5&4), while Olson dispatched Jesper Holke-Farnam (2 up) and Jake Patterson (4&2) to reach the semifinals. Olson will be looking to add his name to the IGA Match Play Trophy for the second time, winning this event in 2011 over Jon Brown.

“I played well this afternoon,” Olson commented. “I kind of found something.”

Semifinal matches will be played Thursday morning followed by the final match in the afternoon.

Click here to see a recap of scores and match results.

Smith takes rollercoaster ride to 8th IGA Women’s Match Play title

June 26, 20190 commentsChampionships, Wmn's Match Play

Leanne Smith (pictured right) is the 8th IGA Women’s Match Play Champion – but it wasn’t easy. Smith, from Indianola, jumped out to an early 3 up lead through eight holes against Joy Chou, of Ames. Smith would stretch her lead to 4 up through 10 holes and would even be dormie through 16 holes.

That’s when things go interesting, or maybe to Smith a little unsettling. Chou would win holes 16-18 to square the match and send it to extra holes. Fortunately for Smith her birdie putt on the 19th hole found the bottom of the cup and end the match in her favor.

“I was three up to with three to play and had a little four-footer uphill,” Smith said. “I thought I would just slam it in the right side and it moved a little more than I thought it would, so on to the next (hole). Then I got caught in some rough on #17 and left it short. She’s (Chou) is a great player and she capitalized.”

Smith, who defeated Paige Seiser also in 19 holes to reach the finals, also commented that her early success with the putter in final match was key.

“I felt kind of streaky,” Smith said. “I could really see the line. I was just trying to hang in there and not mistakes.”

Smith, who had to win four matches in two days, thought playing an opening round match was helpful.

“I was really nervous in the first couple matches I played,” Smith admitted. “After I got into the finals I could breathe. I think playing in the first round helps me a lot.”

Click here to see a full recap of scoring and match results.

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