Tish Boothe (right) claimed the 2nd IGA Women’s Match Play Championship in a dramatic finale at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames, showcasing resilience, precision, and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Boothe navigated a demanding path to the title, beginning with a challenging first-round match against Kathy Fortune. “She’s a phenomenal putter and so steady,” Boothe said of her opponent. In a show of camaraderie, Fortune later volunteered to caddie for Boothe in the finals. “The support she provided was invaluable,” Boothe added.

In the semifinals, Boothe faced seasoned competitor Rose Kubesheski. Weather delays and fatigue added to the intensity of the match. “Never take Rose for granted—she’s always a competitor,” Boothe noted. Despite the disruptions, the match remained tight until the closing holes, with Boothe edging out the win.

The final match against Geri Huser turned into a back-and-forth duel. Boothe took an early lead, going 3 up through eight holes thanks to consecutive birdies. Huser responded with a strong rally, tying the match by the 14th hole. But Boothe held firm down the stretch. “There are big numbers out here, so I tried not to get too confident,” she said. “Patience was key, especially in a match that kept swinging.”

Boothe credits her earlier win in the Women’s Amateur Open Division with preparing her for this moment. “Training through good and bad at Wakonda taught me patience, which is vital in match play and on courses like this,” she shared.

The victory held personal significance. “It’s fun to compete against a great group of women. To see it through and stay patient—that’s what makes this win meaningful,” she reflected. She also praised the supportive atmosphere among senior golfers. “It’s a fun group, and everyone is genuinely rooting for each other.”

In the First Flight, Michelle Klein of Jesup earned her second title of the season. After defeating Leighann LaRocca (4 & 2) in the quarterfinals and Jeanne Swenson (3 & 1) in the semis, she secured the championship with a 2-up victory over Jennifer Corkrean. Klein’s previous win came in the IGA Women’s Four-Ball event alongside partner Laura Leszczynski.

At 63 years old, Gene Elliott (right) has once again proven his enduring competitive spirit, capturing his fifth IGA Senior Match Play Championship—arguably his toughest yet.

“No, nothing gets easier with age—I think this is definitely the hardest,” Elliott reflected after the win.

Throughout the tournament, Elliott faced a formidable field and battled through every round. After enduring multiple surgeries in recent years, he’s made a determined push to return to top form. Now ranked around 15th in the world on the WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking), Elliott noted, “I went way down, but I’m coming back now.”

His experience at the host course, notably from playing in the Iowa Masters, gave him a strategic edge. “I remember making a 10 here when I first played as a teenager. I’ve made big numbers on several holes, and you just have to play cautiously and let it come to you,” he explained. His approach was methodical—favoring irons off the tee and avoiding unnecessary risks.

Despite the match play format, Elliott didn’t alter his game plan. “I really didn’t change anything,” he said, relying on his steady strategy to guide him through.

He began the knockout stages with a 5 & 4 win over Eric Dawson in the Round of 32, followed by a tight 2 & 1 victory over Mike Gaul in the Round of 16. In the Quarterfinals, Elliott faced longtime friend and rival Jon Brown in a hard-fought match.

“He actually defeated me once in this event two years ago at Lake Panorama, so I wanted some payback,” Elliott said with a grin.

In the Semifinals, Elliott came from two down at the turn to defeat Bill Matzdorff 3 & 2, thanks to birdies on holes 11, 13, and 16. Despite the loss, Matzdorff has enjoyed a strong season and remains one of the top contenders on the senior circuit.

The final against Kirk Macumber was both competitive and personal. The two have become close friends and are scheduled to play a practice round together next week at the U.S. Senior Amateur. Macumber jumped out to an early lead with consistent play and birdies on holes 7 and 8. But Elliott responded with back-to-back birdies on holes 9 and 10 to level the match. Over the final six holes, the lead changed hands four times before Elliott sealed the championship with a birdie on the 18th.

Though he claimed another title, Elliott isn’t planning any big celebrations.

“I’ll rest up. I’ve got the U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier and the U.S. Senior Amateur coming up,” he said, underscoring his disciplined approach to a packed competitive schedule.

Tony Captures First Iowa Senior Title

In the Super Senior Division, Tony Malizia (right) delivered a standout performance to secure his first Iowa Senior title at the IGA Senior Match Play Championship.

He opened strong in the Round of 16 with a 3 & 2 win over Bob Hartzler in a back-and-forth contest, gaining momentum on the back nine. In the Quarterfinals, Malizia faced top-seeded Tom Schill—a close friend and regular rival. Despite an early deficit, he rallied to claim another 3 & 2 victory.

The Semifinal against Sam Billmeyer, a recent top-five finisher at the Senior Division of the Herman Sani Tournament, proved to be one of the toughest tests. Malizia took an early lead, battled throughout, and clinched the match 1 up with a birdie on the 17th hole.

In the final, Malizia dominated Pat Ryan with a commanding 6 & 5 win. A birdie on the first hole and sharp iron play set the tone early. Despite soaring temperatures, he stayed composed and consistent to close out the victory.

Malizia credited improved ball striking and putting for his success this summer, including a key switch to a claw grip. “Match play is all about strategy and sticking to your game,” he said. His strong season—featuring three wins and multiple top finishes—has been a testament to that philosophy.

“Any IGA win is fantastic,” Malizia added, reflecting on the significance of the title and what it means to be among Iowa’s senior champions.

Jon Brown (right, who has had success in match play format events before, came away with the 21st IGA Senior Match Play Championship at Lake Panorama National Golf Course on Tuesday, with a superb 4 & 3 victory over fellow Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Gene Elliott.

“It feels great. This is my first IGA event as a senior golfer,” Brown said. “Gene is, if not the best, one of the top three or four senior players in the world. He’s such a great guy, great friend and I was looking forward to playing him. You know you better bring your ‘A’ game against Gene to have a chance.”

Brown, who defeated Terry Cook 6 & 5 in the morning semifinals, got off to a quick start versus Elliott in the afternoon, racing out to a 3 up lead after nine holes. A par on the 15th hole, after Elliott had tried to claw his way back into the match, gave Brown the trophy.

“I love match play and have had some success in it, ” Brown said. “Honestly, having the success at last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur, having success against national-caliber players and building off that has been everything (for me). I hadn’t been scoring this year, but I felt like something clicked this week.”

Elliott, who defeated Jay Gregory in his morning semifinal match, battled back to 3 down after 13 holes against Brown. However Brown just would simply not let Elliott get any closer.

“I felt like if I could just keep doing what I was doing and try to run out of holes, that’s how to do it, ” Brown said. “You don’t want to give a guy like Gene any room (to make a comeback). It’s nice to get a win early in the season and this gets me fired up. There are some tight driving holes on this course. I was really happy with my ball-striking this week.”

Brown defeated Bret Taylor (4 & 3) in the Round of 16 and Ron Peterson (7 & 5) in the quarterfinals during his path to the championship.

“This is where we (Gene and I) wanted to be, we wanted to be playing each other,” Brown said. “It’s not hard to play against your buddies. I have been doing that for 35 years. You appreciate these moments as we are on the back nine of our careers. When you look back at tournaments you’ve won when you beat a guy like Gene or Mike (McCoy) or Joe (Palmer), they mean more because of all their accomplishments.”

In the Super Senior Division, Dave Gaer (left) defeated Tom Norton 3 & 2, in a match that Gaer was able to control most of the way.

“I hit the ball really well this week,” Gaer said. “Match Play is a grind. You have to pay attention. I got off to a great start and was hitting in close (against Norton). I hit it well all day and I can’t complain. It’s great to be a part of the Iowa Golf Association and the event was great.”

Gaer, who defeated Tom Schilling 4 & 3 to reach the finals against Norton, who beat Bob Brooks in a great match by the score of 1 up, knew Norton wouldn’t go down without a fight in the afternoon.

“Tom is a grinder,” Gaer said. “He’s proven he can win and he’s a great competitor. We had a great match.”

Click here for full results

Day two of the 20th IGA Senior Match Play Championship concluded Thursday afternoon at Fort Dodge Country Club. Many of the top-remaining seeds prevailed and will move on to the third and final day of the championship. 

The defending champion, Joe Palmer, continues his march at a sixth IGA Senior Match Play title after knocking off the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member, Jon Brown in 19 holes. Palmer secured his spot in the final four and will take on the No. 14 seed, Ron Peterson. 

Peterson beat the Senior Division’s 2022 IGA Mid-Amateur Champion, Chris Kramer, to move on to the semifinal round. Peterson will have to take down the five-time Senior Match Play Champion, Palmer, for a chance to earn the second Senior Match Play title of his career. 

Jay Gregory, who earned the No. 1 seed after winning the stroke play competition, defeated Bob Brummel, 2&1 in the round of 16, and Brian Persson, 4&2 in the quarterfinal round. Gregory will advance to play the No. 4 seed Jeff Collett (pictured above) in the semifinal round.

Collett won his morning match over No. 13 seeded, Jay Slings in 19 holes. In the afternoon, Collett defeated Terry Cook in a long 21-hole match. Gregory and Collett will battle it out for a spot in the final round. 

The Super Senior Division’s No. 1 seed, Tom Norton, earned victories over Iowa Golf Hall of Famer, Dave Sergeant, and the No. 9 seed, Pat Ryan. Norton will move on to play Steve Kahler in the semifinal round.

Kahler defeated the two Iowa State Cyclones in his matches today. In the morning wave, Kahler knocked off No. 12 seed Mike McDonald on the 18th hole. An upset over the No. 4 seed Jim Madsen pushed Kahler into the final four Super Seniors left. 

Tom Schill, the No. 2 seed, had to beat Joel Yunek, of Mason City, and the Gowrie native, Ned Palmer to put himself in the final four. Schill will have to face off against the 2006 IGA Senior Match Play Champion, David Studer. 

Studer advanced to the semifinal round with wins against No. 22 seed Randy Studer and No. 19 seed Tim Taylor. Studer will look to advance to the final round with an upset win over Tom Schill Friday morning. 

The semifinal and the championship matches will take place Friday morning. You can follow along using our live scoring feature as we crown the champion of the 20th IGA Senior Match Play at Fort Dodge Country Club.

Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Jay Gregory
No. 2 Joe Palmer
No. 4 Jeff Collett
No. 14 Ron Peterson

Super Senior Players Advancing
No. 1 Tom Norton
No. 2 Tom Schill
No. 5 Steve Khaler
No. 6 David Studer

President’s Bracket Champion
John Justus def. Tim McKnight 5&3

The final day of the IGA Senior Match Play concluded Wednesday, May 26th at Geneva Golf and Country Club in Muscatine with two close final matches. In the Senior Division, defending champion Joe Palmer (pictured on the right) battled Curtis Holck, of Ankeny, into a 20-hole match.

Palmer defeated Holck in the lengthy match that included seven lead changes. After many rounds of golf in the last ten days, including the IGA Four-Ball, both players gave it everything they had left in the tank.

The road to a fifth IGA Senior Match Play title wasn’t easy for Palmer, who notched his second consecutive title. He beat No. 31 seed Tod Ellis in his first round of match play, and the No. 15 seed Tom Garside in the following round. Palmer started to heat up and claimed victories over Jeff Collett and Sam Billmeyer to advance to the final match.

Holck had an impressive showing as well, knocking off No. 29 seed, Rick Sanders in the first round. He followed that with a win against the No. 4 seeded Terry Cook and Bob Brummel in the same day. Holck had to face a tough opponent in Tony Newkirk to advance to the final round and won that match 4&2.

In the final round, Jim Butler (pictured on the left) got his revenge on James Blackburn in the final match of the Super Senior Division, who defeated him in last year’s quarter-final round.

“It was really good golf (in the final match),” Butler said. “I had one less hiccup you would have to say. I lost to Jamie last year in the quarter-finals and I didn’t forget.”

Butler felt confident in his game all week, which was helpful when playing a course like Geneva Golf and Country Club for 36-holes every day.

“No one practices (for) 36 holes a day,” Butler said. “I love playing with these guys and everyone pulls for each other. I have been playing with them for years. It was my week, I guess. My game was mostly there this week.”

IGA Four-Ball partners, Blackburn and Pat Ryan, battled one another for a chance to take on Butler for the Super Senior Division title. Blackburn defeated Ryan 2 up, but ultimately fell to Butler in the final round on the last hole.

In the President’s Bracket, Chuck Malloy (right), of Cedar Falls, topped the runner-up, Craig Furnish. Malloy took an early lead but Furnish continued to fire back. Malloy was able to take control at the end, winning the match 3&2.

The next event is the Southeast Iowa Amateur event at The Preserve in Lake Rathbun, Moravia, starting on Saturday, June 5th. The entries for this event close on the 2nd of June and you can register here.

Senior Division Champion:
Joe Palmer

Super Senior Division Champion:
Jim Butler

Senior Presidents Champion:
Chuck Malloy

After the second day of the IGA Senior Match Play, some of the top seeds fell in their matches at Muscatine’s Geneva Golf & Country Club. The No. 4 seed, Terry Cook, was defeated by the red-hot 13-seed, Curtis Holck, of Ankeny. The No. 11 seed, Sam Billmeyer, upset the No. 6 seed, Scott Briggs, after playing a 20-hole match.

In the quarterfinals, Holck matched up with the No. 21 seed, Bob Brummel, who knocked off the Muscatine native and No. 5 seed, Tom Norton, in the previous round. Holck defeated Brummel and will take on the No. 16 seed, Tony Newkirk, in the semi-final round.

Newkirk’s path to the semi-final round included wins against the No. 17 Tim Peters in the second round. He also knocked off Tom Christensen, and the No. 8 seed, John Evans.

Defending Senior Match Play champion, Joe Palmer, saved par on 18 to go 1 up against Jeff Collett. The No. 11 seed Billmeyer continues his run at the championship after knocking off Jay Gregory, 3&2, to advance to the semi-final round.

In the Super Senior Division, the No. 17 seeded, Rob Christensen, defeated the top-seed Steve Kahler. Christensen fell to Randy Studer, of West Des Moines, in the quarterfinal round, 2&1. Studer grabbed a two-hole lead early and remained in control of the match.

James Blackburn upset the No. 2 seed, Rick Gorbell, after winning the match, 2 up. Blackburn took on the 7-seeded Bill Tank in a close match this afternoon. Blackburn claimed the match, winning, 3&1.

Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, advanced after defeating John Brown, 5&4. The No. 5 seed Jim Butler will have a chance to play in the final round with the victory over Dave Waugh.

In the Senior Presidents Bracket, Chuck Malloy defeated runner-up, Craig Furnish, 3&2, to win the championship. Furnish and Malloy were neck-and-neck, but Malloy gained control at the end of the match and claimed his victory.

The Senior Division and Super Senior Division’s semi-final rounds will commence on Wednesday morning with the finals rounds to follow. Follow results online by clicking here.

Senior Presidents Champion:
Chuck Malloy

Senior Players Advancing:
Tony Newkirk
Curtis Holck
Joe Palmer
Sam Billmeyer

Super Senior Players Advancing:
Randy Studer
Jim Butler
James Blackburn
Pat Ryan

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