Author: iowagolf

2018 Runner-up Wooster Leads Quarterfinal Charge

August 28, 20190 commentsUSGA

Sue Wooster, of Australia, the runner-up last year to Lara Tennant, posted a pair of match-play victories in breezy conditions on Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinal round of the 58th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Cedar Rapids Country Club (pictured above).

Wooster, the No. 34 seed, edged No. 2 seed and three-time champion Ellen Port, 1 up, in the morning Round of 32, then held off Tara Fleming, of Jersey City, N.J., 2 and 1, in the afternoon Round of 16 after building an early 4-up lead.

“It was a real battle in the morning; to beat Ellen Port, I’m just stoked,” said Wooster, 57, of Lysterfield, a suburb of Melbourne. “She’s got game, you know? I played good again this afternoon, and Tara played some good golf to catch me back to 2 up. I got it up and down on 16 and 17 to halve those holes, so that was nice. I’ve got the speed of the greens down; hopefully that will last.”

Port led, 1 up, through 16 holes in the morning, but Wooster took the par-4 17th and 18th holes. No. 18, a green that has given the players fits this week, proved to be decisive as Port four-putted from a precarious spot above the hole after hitting the green in regulation to lose to Wooster’s bogey.

“I’m not sure if I’m over last year,” said Wooster of her 3-and-2 loss to Tennant at Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club in Vero Beach, Fla., last October. “I’m just taking one step at a time, but I’ve got a chance. I feel pretty proud of myself for getting this far and that gives me some confidence going forward.”

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Defending champion, 7 Other USGA Champs Into Round of 32 at CRCC

August 27, 20190 commentsUSGA

Defending champion Lara Tennant, of Portland, Ore., rolled in a nerve-wracking 4-foot bogey putt to halve the 18th hole on Monday and seal a 1-up victory over Susan West, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the 58th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Cedar Rapids Country Club.

Tennant birdied the par-5 15th hole for a 3-up lead with three holes to play, but she was bunkered on No. 16 and three-putted No. 17 for bogeys to West’s pars, bringing the match to the uphill, 320-yard, par-4 18th. Tennant’s approach shot left her with a daunting putt from the left side of the green, and she left it 18 inches from the hole. Tennant barely tapped the sliding, sidehill putt, but it missed the hole and ended up 4 feet past. She made the comebacker for bogey to halve the hole and win, 1 up.

“It’s one of those greens that I don’t think anybody is going to figure out,” said Tennant, 52, of the closing hole on the Donald Ross-designed course. “Maybe my goal the rest of the week should be to try to finish my matches before 18.”

No. 1 seed Martha Leach, of Hebron, Ky., completed her opening match on the 14th hole, notching a 6-and-4 victory over Jane Curtin, of Silver Spring, Md., after earning medalist honors in stroke play for the first time in her 71 USGA championship starts.

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Brown takes home third Briarwood Amateur title

August 26, 20190 commentsNews

Iowa Golf Hall of Famer Jon Brown (pictured above) rewrote the history books on Sunday, becoming the first player to win the Briarwood Amateur three times.

Brown sat one back heading into Sunday, where he separated himself from the field with a round of 66 (-6) that included eight birdies. His weekend total of 136 (-8) was two clear of Runner-Up Scot Cook, of Van Meter, who posted back-to-back rounds of 69 (-3) to finish at 138 (-6). J.D. Anderson, of Johnston, was going for the three-peat, but finished third with a (-2) total of 142 for the tournament.

In the Senior Division, the tournament came down to the wire, with Greg Kramer, of Urbandale, defeating Curtis Holck, of Ankeny, in a sudden-death playoff.

Kramer went low on Saturday, posting a score of 69 (-3) to give him the lead going into Sunday. Kramer followed up his 69 with a round of 74 (+2). After a few hiccups on 10 and 11, Kramer finished his final 7 holes two-under in order to hang onto a share of the lead and force a playoff with Holck at 143 (-1). Holck followed up his 73 (+1) on Saturday with a round of 70 (-2) on Sunday, jumpstarted by his eagle on the fourth. Kirk Macumber, of Winterset, shot a weekend total of 144 (E) to finish in third place.

In the Super Senior Division, Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, and Jim Campbell, of Albia, duked it out in a playoff, with Christensen coming out on top.

Christensen played consistently, with a pair of 74’s that yielded him a 148 (+4) total. Campbell was the leader heading into Sunday after an even par round of 72, and ended up in a tie after his round of 76 tied Christensen’s 148 (+4) total. Stephen Larson, of Polk City, finished in third place and four back from the leaders with a weekend total of 152 (+8).

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U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur moves on to match play

August 26, 20190 commentsUSGA

Martha Leach, of Hebron, Ky., who is competing in her 71st USGA championship, shot a second-round 73 on Sunday for a 36-hole total of 1-under-par 143 to earn stroke-play medalist honors in the 58th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Cedar Rapids Country Club (pictured above).

Leach, 57, the 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, edged Ellen Port and Mary Ann Hayward of Canada by two strokes for the No. 1 seed in match play, which begins on Monday. Port, of St. Louis, Mo., a seven-time USGA champion, and Hayward, the 2005 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, completed two rounds at 1-over 145. It was Leach’s first medalist honor in her 71 USGA championships—and while it’s a proud accomplishment, it’s sometimes seen as unlucky.

“I’m not low, am I?” Leach joked after she completed her round, in which she played with Hayward and 2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Corey Weworski, who finished alone in fourth place at 2-over 146. “Nobody really wants it. My compadres today were hoping that I got it and they didn’t get it.”

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Iowa well represented at U.S. Senior Amateur Championship

August 23, 20190 commentsUSGA

The state of Iowa will have a total of four competitors at this year’s U.S. Senior Amateur to be played at Old Chatham Golf Club, Durham, NC (pictured above).

The 65th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship will be contested Aug. 24-29 at Old Chatham Golf Club, with 156 of the best players 55 years of age and older competing to have their named engraved on the Frederick L. Dold Trophy.

Representing Iowa will be Gene Elliot (West Des Moines), Joe Palmer (Norwalk), Mike McCoy (Norwalk) and Sam Billmeyer (Ankeny).

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Elliott captures fourth Iowa Senior Amateur title, Campbell wins Super Senior crown

August 18, 20190 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

With rounds of 66-68-71 (-11) West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott captured his fourth (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019) Iowa Senior Amateur title. Elliott made 16 birdies and an eagle over the 54-hole event staged at Mason City Country Club.

“I putted very well all week,” Elliott said. “These greens are small and difficult. They have a lot of slope on them. I wedged the ball really well. I hit wedges to a foot about six time this week. It’s a tight, tricky golf course. It’s a lot of fun to play. Today’s round was difficult, as the wind was blowing. I got off to a hot start the first two days and just tried to hang on from there.”

Lineville’s Jay Gregory, who would ultimately finish runner-up to Elliott, put up a good fight. Gregory posted rounds of 66-70-71 (-9) over the three days, including 13 birdies in 54 holes. Elliott praised Gregory for this play and determination.

“Jay is a great competitor,” Elliott said. “He’s a good friend (too) and he’s tough. I got up four (strokes) today and it didn’t phase him a bit. He fought right back and got within one with six holes to play. I love playing with him and you’ll be seeing a lot more of him.”

Norwalk’s Joe Palmer finished in third place at -6 for the championship.

“It felt like the FedEx Cup trying to chase these guys down,” Palmer said after the round with a smile.

In the Super Senior Division Jim Campbell (pictured right), of Albia, held off a charging Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, to win by four shots. Campbell posted rounds of 70-71-76 (+1) and made made a total of eight birdies and an eagle over his 54-hole victory.

Fort Dodge’s Dave Sergeant and Fort Madison’s Jim Butler tied for third place with a three-day total of 223 (+7).

Fine play – Jack Peacock, of Cedar Rapids, who is 79 years old, twice beat and shot his age once, shooting scores of 74-74-79 to finish in 7th place in the Super Senior set.

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

Elliott pulls into the lead at 41st Iowa Senior Amateur Championship

August 17, 20190 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

Gene Elliott, of West Des Moines, will take a two shot lead into tomorrow’s final round of the 41st Iowa Senior Amateur Championship at Mason City Country Club (pictured above). Elliott, who captured the 2014, 2016 and 2017 Iowa Senior Amateur title, posted 68 (-4) today to enter the final round at -10, two clear of Jay Gregory (-8), of Lineville.

Gregory shot 70 (-2) in the second round and will look to chase down Elliott in the final round. Elliott’s second round included six birdies, featuring four in a row, and an eagle. Gregory and Elliott have locked horns in the past in the Iowa Senior Amateur – in 2014 at Ames Golf & CC won by Elliott as mentioned.

Norwalk’s Joe Palmer is in third, at -3 for the championship.

Hole in One – Polk City’s Brian Verduyn (right) made an ace on #5 during the second round. Verduyn’s 68 was one of the lower scores of the day (Boonville’s Bret Taylor shot 67).

In the Super Senior Division Jim Campbell, of Albia, leads by six over Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen. Campbell, who sits at -3 after 36 holes, made two birdies and an eagle in his second round at Mason City CC.

Click here for a full recap of scores

Elliott, Gregory set pace at 41st Iowa Senior Open with 66

August 16, 20190 commentsChampionships, Iowa Senior Amateur

West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott and Lineville’s Jay Gregory set a torrid pace to begin the 41st Iowa Senior Amateur Championship at Mason City Country Club (pictured above). Both players posted 66 (-6) in the opening round.

Gregory, who played in the morning wave, made eight birdied to go against two bogeys. Elliott, who played in the afternoon, made a total of seven birdies and only a lone bogey during this round. Jon Brown (69), of Adel, sits three shots back of the lead. Brown and Gregory were in the same group and provided plenty of fireworks throughout the day.

In the Super Senior Division Jim Campbell, of Albia, leads by one over Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen after a round of 70 (-2). Campbell’s round included four birdies.

The field will be cut to will be a cut to the low 60 and ties and include all those within 10 strokes of the lead after tomorrow’s round. The breakdown of the 60 and ties will be a ratio of entries between the two divisions.

Click here for a full recap of scoring.

Olson, Anderson earn spots into U.S. Mid-Amateur at Glen Oaks CC

August 15, 20190 commentsUSGA, USGA Qualifiers

Jon Olson (right) and J.D. Anderson (left) earned the two qualifying spots at today’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Sectional Qualifier a Glen Oaks Country Club.

Olson put together a round of 69 (-2) to earn medalist honors. Olson made a total of seven birdies on the day. Anderson posted 71 (E) to secure the second qualifying spot by a shot over four other players.

“I played well and I made a really good putt on #1 to get started.,” Olson said. “I didn’t look where I stood until #17. The weather was great today and golf course was as good I has ever seen it. I had a good lesson with Mark Atchison last week that really helped me today.”

Scot Cook was earned 1st alternate and Topher Baron was 2nd alternate by way of a playoff following the qualifying round.

The 39th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be held at Colorado Golf Club, Parker, CO, September 14-19. CommonGround Golf Course, in Aurora, CO, will serve as the Stroke-Play Co-Host venue. Olson and Anderson will join Iowa’s Mike McCoy and Gene Elliott who are exempt into the event already.

“I went to college in Colorado, so this has been on my radar,” Olson said.

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Des Moines Men’s City Tee Times & Results

August 14, 20190 commentsUncategorized

Sunday’s round will be a noon shotgun due to weather in the metro area

The 2019 Des Moines Men’s City Championship begins on Friday, August 16th at Waveland Golf Course.

Waveland Golf Course has been the host site since the inaugural event in 1903, making it one of the oldest championships in the country.

Tee times for Friday are expected to be released by the staff at Waveland sometime Wednesday evening (Aug 14).

The IGA does not run the Des Moines Men’s City Championship. It is administered by the staff at Waveland. Please refer all questions to them.

You can view pairings and follow the action here.

 

 

 

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