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Elliott claims fourth IGA POTY
For the second year in a row and fourth overall, West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott is the IGA Player of the Year.

Elliott, who edged out Urbandale’s Jon Brown by 37.5 points (1,156.76 – 1,119.17) thanks to earning his way into match play the U.S. Mid-Amateur, had another banner year in 2016. Elliott had top five finishes at the Stocker Cup, Coleman Invitational, Iowa Mid-Amateur and Iowa Masters to go along with wins at the IGA Four-Ball (with partner Mike McCoy) and the Briarwood Amateur. Elliott also qualified for the previously mentioned U.S. Mid-Amateur to earn bonus points towards his winning total this year.

Brown, who fell just short of his third IGA POTY title, had a solid year himself earning a win at the Iowa Mid-Amateur to go along with low amateur at the Herman Sani Tournament and Iowa Open. Brown also partnered with Jon Olson to qualify for match play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball this year.

Rounding out the top five in this year’s race were J.D. Anderson, Jon Olson and McCoy.

Elliott wins second IGA Senior POTY
With the help of two wins and bonus points at two USGA events in 2016, Gene Elliott (1,435 points) outdistanced Ron Peterson (1122.5 points) for the 2016 IGA Senior Player of the Year crown. This is the second IGA Senior Player of the Year award for Elliott (2012).

Elliott won the IGA Senior Match Play and the Iowa Senior Amateur Championship and added in points for qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open and for making match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Elliott qualified for the U.S. Senior Open by earning co-medalist honors with a 68 at Vista Valley Country Club in Vista, CA. He joined fellow Iowan and close friend Mike McCoy at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, OH. McCoy was exempt into the event from being low amateur at the Senior Open in 2015.

Peterson, who gave a great effort in chasing the Senior POTY title this year, amassed three wins and two runner-up finishes in 2016. He won the Senior Division of the Iowa Mid-Amateur, Carroll Amateur and Northwest Amateur and was runner-up in the Senior Division at the Iowa Masters and Iowa Open.

Finishing just behind Elliott and Peterson were Terry Cook (3rd), Joe Bates (4th) and Curtis Holck (5th).

Epperly comes out on top of IGA Junior points list
Two wins and qualifying for the match play portion of the U.S. Junior Amateur this summer vaulted Ben Epperly to the top of the IGA Junior Player of the Year Points list.

Epperly, who accumulated a total of 1,270 points, was victorious at the Class 4A Iowa High School State Championship and the Midwest Junior Championship held at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City. The highlight of his summer was his performance at the U.S. Junior Amateur at The Honors Course in Tennessee. He opened with a 1-under par 71 in qualifying and ultimately earned the #53 seed in the match play draw. He lost a tightly contested match 1 up in his opening round.

Following close behind Epperly, was Chris Cooksley who posted win at the 1A Iowa High School State Championship and the IPGA Junior Tour Championship.

Garret Jensen, who won the 2016 Iowa Masters, finished third in the standings.

Heinz wins third straight Player of the Year
Jenny Heinz, of Cedar Falls, successfully defended her IGA Player of the Year title for the third consecutive year.

It was a close race, but Heinz bested second place finisher, Julie Buerman, by 92 points. Heinz earned 925 points to claim the 2016 Player of the Year title which was highlighted by two wins at the IGA Women’s Four-Ball (with partner Karli Kerrigan) and by winning the Individual Gross competition of the IGA Women’s Club Team Championship at Wakonda Club in early August. Heinz also finished runner-up in the IGA Women’s Match Play event hosted by Crow Valley Golf Club.

Cedar Rapids’ Buerman finished runner up to Heinz in the point standings. Buerman competed in five IGA events, earning a victory in the IGA Women’s Match Play Championship where she beat Heinz in the finals by a score of 3 & 1. She also finished second in the Cedar Rapids Women’s Open and fourth in the Gross Division of the IGA Women’s Club Team Championship.

Finishing third in the point race was University of Iowa golfer, Jessie Sindlinger. Sindlinger only competed in one event, but she made the most of it by claiming her first Iowa Women’s Amateur victory at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City.

Kubesheski claims second Senior Player of the Year title
Since the inauguration of the award in 2010, Rose Kubesheski of Dubuque has been a mainstay at the top of the Women’s Senior Player of the Year standings. In 2016, she earned her third win (2010 & 2013).

Kubesheski ran away with the 2016 POTY title as she finished nearly 260 points ahead of runner-up, Janece Schwartzkopf, of Stuart. Kubesheski competed in four events which included three victories; her first coming in the IGA Women’s Four-Ball (with partner Robin Webb), her second in the IGA Forever 39 Match Play Championship, and her third when she won her fifth IGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Briarwood Club of Ankeny in late September.

Schwartzkopf’s 621.5 points was good enough to earn her second place in the point standings. The high point of Schwartzkopf’s season came in mid-July when she won the Open Division of the Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship. She also finished runner-up in the Iowa Women’s Senior Amateur Championship and third in the IGA Women’s Four-Ball with partner Carroll Dethrow.

The standings may have looked differently had Robin Webb, of Clive, would not have had to withdraw from the Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, but nonetheless, Webb earned 500 points to finish in third place in the point standings. She played in three events which included winning the IGA Women’s Four-Ball with partner, Kubesheski.

Hawkins wins Junior Girls’ Player of the Year in 2016
It was a tight race, but in the end, Maddie Hawkins, of Asbury came out on top as the 2016 IGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year.

Hawkins competed in six events this season where, after qualifying in Blaine, Minn., she earned a spot as the first alternate in the USGA Girl’s Junior Amateur Championship. Hawkins also finished second in qualifying to earn a number two seed in match play in the Western Women’s Golf Association Junior Championship. She went on to make it to the quarterfinal round in match play, but lost to the number ten seed, Penelope Tir of Illinois, 3 & 1. Other highlights included a third place finish in the Iowa PGA Junior Championship at Ames Golf and Country Club and a fourth place finish at the Midwest Junior hosted by Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City.

Casey Noble, 17, of Morning Sun never finished outside of the top ten in any of the eight events that she played this season. Noble collected a pair of runner-up finishes in the Iowa PGA Cedar Rapids Junior and the Iowa PGA Junior Championship. She also placed third in the class 1A Iowa High School State Tournament contested at Jester Park Golf Course in Granger.

Rounding out the top three in the junior girl’s point standings was Hannah Bermel of Cedar Falls. Bermel claimed runner-up finishes at the class 5A Iowa High School State Golf Tournament and at the Iowa PGA Junior Tour Kickoff held at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls. Highlighting her season was a win at the Iowa PGA Junior Championship at Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora.