Champions have been crowned at the Herman Sani Tournament held at Echo Valley Country Club in Norwalk this afternoon. Scattered thunderstorms early in the morning led to some unprecedented delays, but a few players persevered to earn the titles.

Winning the open overall division with a total of -11 (66-69-70)  is Grant Smith (above) of West Des Moines.

“After coming up short in a lot of these tournaments, it feels really good to finally get the job done,” expressed Smith with a smile. “The golf course, staff, and membership were incredible out here. It was a fun weekend.”

Smith’s championship round was a rollercoaster. After opening with three birdies in his first five holes, Smith found trouble on the par-four seventh where he took a double-bogey, followed up by a pair of bogeys.

“It was rough out there for a little bit,” shared Smith. “But I was fortunate to have my dad on the bag today and that really helped keep me grounded.”

Smith fired two birdies in his final two holes to edge Bettendorf’s Ethan Blomme by a single stroke. Blomme also rattled off back-to-back birdies in his final few holes to give himself a chance at -10 (69-68-69), but it was ultimately Smith who sealed the deal. Arthur’s Axton Miller rounded out the podium at -9 (67-68-72)

In the Senior Division, Echo Valley Country Club member Bill Matzdorff (right), of Cumming, claimed his first IGA major title in his career after posting rounds of 68-70-68 (-10) to win by two.

“It was great getting to win on home soil this weekend,” Matzdorff expressed. “If you would have told me at the start of the week I would only make six bogeys and fire off 16 birdies I wouldn’t have believed you. It was a great weekend.”

Norwalk’s Joe Palmer and Johnston’s J.D. Anderson came in second and third place, respectively, at -8 for the weekend.

In the Super Senior Division, Humboldt’s Tony Malizia (left) secured his victory going +7 (78-73-72). Malizia’s final round 72 was the lowest 18-hole score in the division all weekend.

“I made a lot more putts today than I had the previous two days, so that helped a lot,” shared Malizia. “I can’t say enough good things about this place, it was excellent.”

Des Moines’ Mark Gambaiana and Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen rounded at the podium at +16.

Iowa City’s Steven Ihm secured the professional division title at -6 (75-66-69), followed by Albia’s Darin Fisher (-4) and Ankeny’s Zach Steffen (-1).

Special thank you to the staff and membership at Echo Valley Country Club for generously hosting this year’s Herman Sani Tournament.

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The second round of the 77th Herman Sani Tournament is officially in the books, and the leaderboard has tightened considerably heading into the final round at Echo Valley Country Club.

Grant Smith (above) of West Des Moines and Axton Miller now share the Open Division lead at 9-under-par 135 after two rounds. Smith carded a 3-under 69 on Friday, highlighted by five birdies, while Miller fired a 4-under 68 with five birdies of his own.

Just one shot back is Jake Weissenburger at 8-under 136 after an impressive 67 in Round 2. Ethan Bloome sits at 7-under 137, while Andrew Johannsen and AJ Sposato are both at 6-under 138. Four additional players are just one shot further back at 5-under.

With so many players still within striking distance, the Open Division remains wide open heading into the final round.

In the Senior Division, Echo Valley Country Club member Bill Matzdorff (right) continues to lead after posting a second-round 70. Matzdorff finished his day in style, making a pair of birdies to move to 6-under 138 for the tournament.

Fellow Echo Valley Country Club member Joe Palmer made the biggest move of the day in the Senior Division, firing a 4-under 68 to climb to 5-under 139 and within one shot of the lead. Johnston’s J.D. Anderson, who opened the tournament with a 66, sits at 4-under 140 following his second round.

The Super Senior Division is also tightly contested, with Rob Christensen and Tony Malizia sharing the lead at 7-over 151. Andy Burton sits just one shot back at 8-over 152.

With one final round remaining, the leaderboard is crowded and plenty of players remain within striking distance of a championship.

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The opening round of the Herman Sani Tournament held at Echo Valley Country Club is officially in the books. Nearly flawless playing conditions fared well for the field, and a few players took advantage to climb atop the leaderboard.

Sharing the Open Division lead with a pair of stellar 66’s (-6) is Calen Bishop (right) of Johnston and Grant Smith of West Des Moines. Bishop took a commanding lead early in his round, firing a 30 (-6) on the front nine alone.

“I really just tried to play like I was even-par on each hole today,” Bishop shared. “Heading into tomorrow I’m just going to keep hitting fairways and greens and continue to give myself good looks.”

Smith also got off to a hot start, rattling off four birdies on his front nine. After a string of pars on holes 10-14, Smith hopped back on the birdie train on the par-five 15th and the par-four 18th.

In the senior division, Johnston’s J.D. Anderson (left) leads the field after an opening 66 (-6) which was highlighted by seven birdies, four of which were made in his first five holes.

“I played pretty solid and steady most of the day,” mentioned Anderson. “I had some nice wedge shots that I stuck in close, so that was helpful.”

Following closely behind Anderson with a 68 (-4) is Echo Valley Country Club member Bill Matzdorff, of Cumming. Matzdorff scored five birdies on the day, which helped counter a lone bogey on the par-five ninth hole.

Leading the Super Senior Division with a 76 (+4) is Mark Gambaiana of Des Moines. After starting his opening nine with a 40 (+4), Gambaiana bounced back with an impressive 36 (E) on his second nine.

Following closely behind at +5 is the trio of Cedar Rapids’ Bill Sutton, Johnston’s Steve Jordan, and Gowrie’s Tom Schill.

With two more days of competition remaining, the tournament is still anyone’s game.

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Jack Dumas (above) missed a good chance at birdie on the 9th green Sunday, and looked frustrated as he headed to the 10th tee. 

He was disappointed about the missed opportunity, but looking forward to Hyperion Field Club’s back nine. A back nine that would determine the champion of the 76th Herman Sani Invitational sponsored by Coppola Enterprises. 

“I played the back nine well the first two days,” Dumas said. “I was just trying to get through the front nine with a good number. I was really looking forward to the back nine.” 

One shot out of the lead when he made the turn, Dumas played holes 10 through 16 in six under par, and the recent Drake graduate and newly-minted pro collected a $2,500 first-place check after his final-round 65 gave him a three-shot Sani triumph over Andrew O’Brien of West Des Moines. 

O’Brien and second-round leader Andrew Johannsen also had the lead to themselves during a rapidly fluctuating final round Sunday. A birdie at the 11th hole gave O’Brien a one-shot lead. He played the final seven holes in one under par for a closing 68 and a 205 total, but fell victim to the fast finish turned over by Dumas. 

Johanssen, 18 and heading into his senior year at Johnston High School, had four bogeys in a six-hole stretch starting at No. 9 and lost touch with the leaders. He finished in a tie for fifth with defending champion Zach Steffen at 209 after a final-round 74. 

Steffen made a strong run in his Sani title defense. Nine shots back after the first round and five behind after the second round, Steffen got off to a dubious start Sunday with a bogey at No. 1. But an eagle on No. 11 got him to within a shot of the lead before the three-time Sani champ fell back with bogeys at the 13th and 14th. 

“I hit it in there close on 12, too, but just didn’t make it,” Steffen said. “Then I made a bad swing on 13. But I put myself in contention, which is always fun. My first round (72) was just too much to overcome.” 

Grant Smith posted a closing 68 and was third alone at 206, up one spot from his Sani finish of a year ago. Charles Jahn was alone in fourth after a 70 and a score of 208. 

Dumas played the back nine in 12 under par for the championship. He had two birdies in a first-round 34, birdied five of the first six holes in a back-nine 32 Saturday and posted a closing 30 there Sunday that included a pair of eagles on the par-5 11th and par-4 15th holes. 

“On 11 I drove it down the middle, then hit an 8-iron to 8 feet,” he said. “A perfectly-played hole. Then I hit driver to 2 feet on 15. A little luck of the draw there.”

Though 15 is a downhill 308-yard hole and you can’t see the green from the tee, Dumas knew something pretty special had happened. 

I heard one of the IGA radios back on the tee box,” Dumas said. “Someone was talking to the spotter, who said, “Two feet. Best of the day.’ ” 

Dumas, who tied for eighth at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in his final college event, will now work with an eye on PGA Tour qualifying school this fall. 

“This (Sani title) is just confirmation that what I’ve been working on the past few months and years, grinding and not winning a lot, is paying off,” Dumas said. “I’ve just got to keep my nose to the grindstone.” 

Dumas also became the fifth Sani Scholarship winner to capture the golf tournament played in honor of Herman Sani, the IGA’s first director. Dumas joins J.D. Turner, Steve Spray, Kent Wagoner and another former Drake player, Ben Pettitt, as Sani scholars who went on to win the Sani Tournament. 

“It’s cool to look back to four years ago,” said Dumas, a Sani Scholarship recipient in 2021. “I was just going into my freshman year of college. Now, four years later, I’m done. It’s gone full circle.” 

Dave Gaer, a Sani Scholarship winner in 1977, brought his own flair to the championship Sunday. The 67-year-old won the Sani’s Super Senior Amateur title by six shots after rounds of 74-73-72. 

Gaer’s final shot of the championship, a choked-down 7-iron into the wind on the 155-yard 9th hole, went in for the first hole-in-one of his distinguished career. 

When the shot was in the air, one of Gaer’s playing partners, Rob Christensen, said, “That’s in the hole.” Gaer’s ball landed 3 feet short of the hole and disappeared. 

“It was kind of surreal,” said Dave, the reigning IGA Super Senior Player of the Year. “I wasn’t sure what to say. Pat Roan (his other playing partner) and Rob were more excited than me. I was kind of sitting there, dumbfounded.” 

Gaer hit 17 greens in regulation, but had no birdies coming to his 18th hole. But he had an ace of a finish up his sleeve. 

Jon Brown won the Senior Amateur title with rounds of 66-72-71. Brown finished three shots better than Joe Palmer (75-75-67) and Ron Peterson (71-75-66).

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Golf has a way of keeping players humble.

Just one day after lighting up the course with a blistering 9-under 63 in the opening round of the 76th Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises, Albia’s Darin Fisher found himself grinding to stay in contention on Saturday.

Fisher, now 7-under for the tournament after a second-round 74 (+2), needed three clutch birdies down the stretch to remain in the final pairing for Sunday’s decisive round at Hyperion Field Club.

He’ll be chasing 18-year-old Andrew Johannsen (above) of Johnston, who backed up his opening round with another strong performance to take the solo lead at 9-under. Johannsen, who calls Hyperion home, has fired off 12 birdies and an eagle through the first 36 holes, showing no signs of letting up as he heads into the final round with a two-shot advantage.

Hot on his heels is a tightly packed leaderboard. Fisher shares second place with Jack Dumas and Andrew O’Brien, both of whom surged into contention with matching 68s (-4) on Saturday. Just one shot further back at 6-under are four more challengers, including Hyperion member J.D. Anderson, setting the stage for a thrilling Sunday showdown.

In the Senior Division, Jon Brown holds a three-shot lead over Sam Billmeyer, with three others sitting four shots behind.

Dave Gaer leads the Super Senior Division by four strokes, while Rob Christensen and Pat Roan look to mount a Sunday comeback of their own.

Championship Sunday is shaping up to be a can’t-miss finish in Johnston.

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Darin Fisher enjoys playing at the Hyperion Field Club.

“It just fits my eye,” he said.

On Friday, the 50-year-old professional from Albia posted an eye-popping 9-under-par 63 to take the first-round lead in the Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises.

Fisher (right), a two-time Sani champion, takes a three-shot lead over 18-year-old Andrew Johannsen of Johnston heading into Saturday’s second round. Johannsen, who had it 8 under par late in his round, settled for a 66. That was one shot better than Grant Smith, who had a bogey-free 67. Johannsen finished third and Smith fourth in last year’s Sani played at Echo Valley.

This is Fisher’s 13th appearance at a Sani hosted by Hyperion. His previous low round had been a 66 in the first round of 2014 and the final round in 2012. Fisher won that 2012 Sani in a one-hole sudden-death playoff against Tracy Vest. His second Sani title came in 2022 at Echo Valley.

Fisher was also tied with Gene Elliott, and one shot ahead of Sean McCarty, with four holes to play in 2010. But the tournament was called because of weather. McCarty and Elliott had been tied heading into that final nine and were declared co-champions.

Darin’s 63 was not a tournament record. Scott Hart shot 61 in the first round of the 2003 Sani. That 61 is also the lowest round shot in an Iowa major championship. On Friday, Fisher was two lipped-out putts away from joining Hart.

“I also had a three-putt on 11,” Fisher said. “But I did make a 50-footer on No. 5. I wouldn’t say (the round) was easy, but it was comfortable.”

Fisher was paired with another former Sani winner, Jon Brown, who shot 66 to lead the Senior Amateur Division. Brown has a two-shot edge over Jeff Panek of Johnston. Dave Gaer of West Des Moines leads the Super Senior Amateur Division with a 75.

“Jon played great, too,” Fisher said. “We just kept our momentum going the entire way.”

Fisher had just one birdie on a par-5 hole, but played Hyperion’s par-4s in 7 under par. Friday was just one more highlight in a season of smiles for Fisher. He was named the men’s and women’s golf coach at William Penn in February. He played in the U.S. Senior Open in June and won the Iowa PGA Section title in July at Echo Valley.

“It’s been a really good seven or eight months,” Fisher said.

Johannsen (right) is very familiar with the Hyperion Field Club.

“It’s my home track,” he said.

Smith has plenty of local knowledge at his disposal, too.

“I used to work here and I’ve played (Hyperion) hundreds of times,” said Smith, 30, a data analyst for Farm Bureau.

That home-course advantage paid off Friday. Johannsen credited his putter for his fine play.. Smith’s scrambling ability was the highlight of his round.

“The first 14 holes, I don’t think I missed a putt,” Johannsen said. “The last few holes things went a little haywire on me. But the putter was hot.”

Johannsen started his round on No. 10. He eagled the 11th, then birdied the final four holes to turn in 30. Two more birdies, at No. 3 and No. 4, got him to 8 under par.

Johannsen hit 17 greens in regulation. The only miss came at No. 7, where he didn’t get up-and down and recorded his first bogey of the day. Then he three-putted No. 8 for another bogey. Johanssen led Johnston High to a State Class 4A title last fall and finished as the individual runner-up to Andrew Galvin of Cedar Falls after a playoff. He has committed to Iowa to play his college golf.

Smith was a master at getting up-and-down for par on Friday.

“I made a lot of up-and-downs from not so easy places,” Smith said.

He started his round on No. 1 and missed the first three greens in regulation, but scrambled for par each time.

“Then I hit it long on No. 7 and made an up-and-down, which was pretty impressive,” Grant said. “”You don’t expect to make an up-and-down from where I was.”

That scramble save was sandwiched around birdies at No. 6 and No. 8. Smith. Smith birdied the 10th, 14th and 17th holes on the back nine to complete his 34-33 card.

McCarty, the Sani’s only five-time champion, had an interesting day. He finished at 70, but was shaking his head afterwards. McCarty’s scorecard showed two eagles, four birdies, three bogeys and a triple bogey.

During his career, Fisher has shown many times that he’s not afraid to go low.

“You learn that it’s OK to be 5 or 6 under and keep going,” he said. “You’ve got to keep your foot on the gas. That comes with experience. I think the older I get, the less anxious I am in those moments. That makes it easier to keep going.”

There’s an old axiom in golf that it’s hard to back up a low round with another one the next day.

“If you look at the leaderboard there are other guys who can do the same thing at a moment’s notice,” Fisher said. “And if I think this is the end all to be all tomorrow, I’ll be in trouble. I have to keep my head down and keep going forward.”

Complete Results

The final round of the Sani Tournament, presented by Coppola Enterprises, had a little bit of everything Sunday at Echo Valley Country Club.

A fluctuating scoreboard, a hole-in-one, a birdie for the ages, some good luck and stretches of brilliant golf by multiple players sprinkled in. When it was over, Zach Steffen (above) had won the third Sani title of his career.

“I don’t know how many people have won it that many times,” Steffen said after a closing 7-under-par 65 and a 207 total gave him a two-shot victory over Denny Bull. “I’ll have to look at the trophy and see.”

Sean McCarty has five Sani titles to his name. Joe Brown and Mike McCoy won it four times. Steffen joins Jerry Smith as three-time winners. Steffen won his first two Sani titles at Hyperion, in 2018 and 2021.

“I love Hyperion, and I expected to win one there,” said the 32-year-old professional from West Des Moines, who also received a winning check of $2,500. “Out here, I’m just a little bit uncomfortable off the tee. I just had to trust my swing.”

Steffen, who had opened with a 74 in Friday’s first round, got himself back into contention with a late rally and a 68 on Saturday. He finished that round birdie-birdie-eagle, and carried that momentum into Sunday.

After an opening par on the first hole of the final round, Steffen ran off four straight birdies. That made him eight under for an eight-hole stretch going back to Saturday. His winning total of 207 was 9 under par.

That fast start let Steffen pass second-round leader Grant Smith. But that was just  part of the day’s story. Paired in the second-to-last pairing with 2013 Sani champ Chad Proehl and Bull, there were plenty of fireworks to come.

“When I saw that pairing, and getting a chance to play with those guys, I thought, “This is going to be a great day,’ ” Bull said. “It exceeded my expectations. It was crazy. Awesome.”

Proehl, who started the final round with a double bogey to drop to even par for the championship, was 5 under par just five holes later. First came the par-4 second hole. He hit the same tree on the right side of the fairway on two consecutive shots, then holed a 79-yard gap wedge for a birdie.

He added birdies at the third and fifth holes. Then he aced the par-3 6th hole, hitting 5-iron. It was his second ace in a Sani Tournament and 14th of his career.

“I make that ace and I’m thinking, “Anything’s possible,’ ” Proehl said.

Steffen birdied the par-5 9th hole to turn in 31, and 7 under for the championship. Then it was Bull’s turn to make a run. He made nine consecutive pars on the front nine.

“I felt left out,” Bull said. “Those guys were making birdies, and holing out.”

Bull ran off five consecutive birdies, starting at No. 10, and caught Steffen for the lead at 7 under. Steffen also birdied No. 11 but had his only bogey of the final round on the next hole.

“I just felt like I needed one (putt) to go in  to get a little momentum,” Bull said.

His momentum hit a road block when he didn’t birdie the par-5 15th hole. 

“That was disappointing, because that’s probably the easiest hole on that side,” Bull said. “My chip checked up on me.”

Steffen was in a greenside bunker in two at 15, then nearly holed his third for eagle.

“It landed right in front of the cup, hopped up and caught the right edge of the cup,” Steffen said.

He tapped in for birdie for the outright lead and never gave it up. Proehl dropped back with bogeys at the 13th and 16th holes. Steffen got to the 18th tee with a one-shot lead over Bull, and then dodged disaster. 

His tee shot sailed right, and looked headed for the penalty area, but it caught a tree and dropped down in the right rough. He hit his second shot to 25 feet, and Bull kept the pressure on by hitting his approach to 15 feet.

But it became anticlimactic when Steffen holed his birdie putt.

“It probably had five feet of break,” Steffen said. “”It was one of those where I was expecting Denny to make his. I wasn’t trying to ram it by, but I wanted to give it a chance. It caught the left door and it fell in. I was very fortunate off the tee to stay out of the penalty area, and I took advantage of it.”

When Steffen’s putt fell in, Bull stopped and clapped for the winner.  Then he two-putted for a closing par.

“I felt good about that putt,” Bull said. “But when his went in, it took the wind out of me.”

Andrew Johanssen of Johnston, 17, finished in third alone at 5-under-par 211 after a closing 70. Johannsen broke par in all three rounds. Smith (73) was alone in fourth, another shot back. Defending champion Hogan Hansen (73) and Proehl (71) tied for fifth at 213.

Joe Palmer captured the Sani’s Senior Amateur title. His final-round 75 and 215 total was two shots better than Jon Brown (70).

The Super Senior Amateur title went to Dave Gaer by six shots. Gaer closed with a 72 and a 215 total. Robert Pomerantz (72) was the runner-up.

When the day’s drama had ended, and Steffen had finished on top, he reflected on what had happened.

“Honestly, it was one of the most fun rounds I’ve ever had, playing with Chad and Denny,” Steffen said. “Everyone played great at times during the round.”

But Steffen was the last man standing.

“I’m happy for Zach,” Proehl said. “He played really well.”

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From left – Super Senior Champion Dave Gaer, 75th Herman Sani Champion Zach Steffen, Low Amateur Dennis Bull and Senior Champion Joe Palmer.

It’s early August. That means it’s time to watch out for Grant Smith (above) on the golf course. 

A year ago, Smith made it to the Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills outside Denver, Colo.

And his game is in fine form again this year. Smith shot a second-round 69 at Echo Valley Country Club Saturday and takes a two-shot lead into Sunday’s  final round of the 75th Herman Sani Tournament hosted by Coppola Enterprises.

“I’m hitting it well right now,” said Smith, whose 5-under-par 139 total is two shots clear of Andrew Johannsen and Jackson Overton. “I’m just trying to score, and trying to compete.”

A final-hole birdie gave Johannsen a Saturday 70 to go with an an opening 71 for his two trips around Echo Valley’s Ridge and Creek nines.  

“Hyperion is  pretty tight, and I’d say the Creek nine is pretty tight, similar to the back nine at Hyperion,” Johannsen said. “And the Ridge nine is a pretty tough nine. You’ve really got to be on your game.”

Overton, a sophomore and member of the men’s golf team at Loyola of Chicago, finished on the Ridge course Saturday. Three straight birdies, starting at No. 6, got him to 6 under for the championship. But then he made an 8 on his closing hole and settled for a second-day 70.

“I hit two balls out-of-bounds (to the right),” Overton said. “Then I hit a 4-wood off the tee, hit a 4-iron into the bunker and got up-and-down for an 8. It was a good 8.”

Three players with a lot of winning experience start Sunday’s final round in a tie for third at 2-under 142. Chad Proehl and Zach Steffen are professionals and former Sani champions. And Denny Bull is an Echo Valley member coming off a victory at the Northwest Amateur last weekend.

Proehl, the 2013 Sani winner and the former head golf professional at Echo Valley, shot a second-round 71. His scorecard had one birdie and 17 pars.

Making the biggest jump was Steffen, who had opened with a 74 Friday. He finished Saturday’s round with four straight 3s on his card. That included birdies at the Ridge’s par-4 7th and 8th holes and an eagle at the par-5 9th. That gave Steffen a second-round 68, the lowest score of the championship to date.

“This gives me some life going into tomorrow,” said Steffen, who won both of his Sani titles (2018, 2021) at Hyperion Field Club.

Bull was sick when he returned home Sunday night from his winning road trip to Spencer. 

“I was sicker than a dog Monday through Friday,” said Bull, who got to 4 under before a pair of late bogeys. “Today (Saturday) is the first day I’ve felt better, and my game’s pretty good. I’ll be playing at home. I’d like to think I have a chance. My game is there. I just need to execute a little better, and make some putts.”

Smith was in contention at the Iowa Amateur two weeks ago at Finkbine in Iowa City, but struggled with his putter in a final-round 74 and tied for 17th. He changed putters and feels  more confident  on the greens now.

“I’m rolling it a lot better,” Smith said. “I’m rolling it end-over-end. I’m hitting a lot of good putts. Some of them go in, some of them don’t.”

Echo Valley was more forgiving Saturday than it was in Friday’s first round, when just five players broke par and the scoring average for the field was 79.9. No one broke 70 in the first round, the first time that’s happened since Jon Brown’s 70 earned him the first-round lead in 2013.

The field average Saturday was about the same, at 79.3 strokes. But 17 players bettered par, with Steffen and Smith breaking 70.

Smith, who tied for seventh in the Northwest Amateur last week, knows the challenge facing him on Sunday.

“There are so many good players,” he said. “I’ve just got to focus on my own game. I know it’s probably going to take a score of a few under par. I’ve just got to focus on hitting my best shot each time.”

Joe Palmer shot a second-straight 70 in the senior amateur division, and takes a three-shot lead over Curtis Holck into play Sunday. Holck rallied from an opening 75 with a Saturday 68.

Dave Gaer shot 73 Saturday after an opening 70 in the super senior amateur division. His 1-under-par 143 total is six shots clear of Robert Pomerantz. 

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Waverly’s Hogan Hansen (right) turned a three-stroke deficit into a three-stroke victory at the 74th Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises, held at Hyperion Field Club. Trumping a field of amateurs and professionals, Hansen adds another title to the list of Hawkeye winners this summer. After strong performances throughout the season on the IGA circuit, Hansen finally broke through with a victory at his last tournament of the summer.

A (-10) 68-69-69, three-round total of 206 was sufficient to win with Hyperion playing more difficult than expected. Hansen was neck-to-neck with Solon’s Isaiah Zoske throughout most of the round. Although he never checked the leaderboard until he was signing his scorecard, he could tell that he was in the running.

A late bogey on Hole 17 threatened a possible playoff, but Hansen kept his cool with a par on Hole 18 and let things take their course. Zoske, who was tied for the lead heading into Hole 16, finished bogey, double, bogey and fell to T4.

Hansen, known as a long hitter, made the most of his power with Hyperion’s short Par 4s and reachable 5s. Several drivable Par 4s gave Hansen short chip shots into the green and helped to avoid the worst of the greens. Hitting second-shot irons into Par 5s and “not having to hit long clubs into the greens” obviously gave him an advantage.

Although Hansen (left) wasn’t satisfied with his putting performance, simply surviving Hyperion’s fast and tricky to read greens was enough of a challenge and essential to scoring.

“The greens are always a great test,” Hansen reflected. “I use Aim Point. Everybody says the greens break towards camp dodge, but I just stuck to feeling my feet.”

With solid putting, Hansen cracked a hot start during his final round with three birdies in his first five holes.

Zoske deserves credit for a terrific overall performance. Even after an early double on Hole 3, he found his footing and went -2 on his next twelve holes. The high school junior and long time competitor hit a growth spurt this past year and his distance reflects it, as he rivals his collegiate counterparts off the tee. While his consistency is still being refined, his performance at the Sani is auspicious despite his last-minute falter. Leading a field of collegiate, high-level amateur, and professional players deserves high praise.

Former Panther golfer Thomas Storbeck, of Ventura, tied with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) golfer Anthoney Ruthey, of Port Byron, for runner-up at (-7) 209. Professionals Andrew Petersen, of Bondurant, and Charles Jahn, of Sperry, tied for the low-professional score at (-6) 210. Overall, they joined Ankeny’s Connor Peck, Zoske, and Norwalk’s Patrick Hall at T4.

In the Senior Amateur Division, Adel’s Jon Brown triumphed over Lineville’s Jay Gregory (both pictured right) in a one-hole playoff. The pair finished at (-6) 210, seven strokes ahead of the field. Gregory, whose approach bounced over the green on Hole 17 in the playoff, drained a bomb of a putt to save par, but Brown outdid him with a birdie. Brown won the Herman Sani Tournament in the Open Overall Division back in 1993, with the exact same score.

Des Moines’ Rob Pomerantz took over the Super Senior Amateur Division with a (+2) 218 total, seven strokes ahead of runners-up West Des Moines’ Bob Brooks, Marshalltown’s Rob Christensen, and Polk City’s Joe Ward at (+9) 225. Pomerantz improved every round, carding 76-72-70.

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