Mike McCoy won the 1996 Iowa Amateur at Finkbine Golf Course, six years after his son, Nate (above), was born. Mike rallied with a final-round 67 that included an eagle on the par-5 15th hole.

The 2023 Walker Cup captain rekindled those memories on Tuesday, this time as a caddy. Because it was his son, Nate, who accepted the 122nd Iowa Amateur trophy for the second time in his career after a closing 66 at Finkbine. A round that included an eagle on the 15th hole.

“This is the whole reason you compete,” said Nate, who also eagled the par-4 12th earlier in the final round. “You want to test yourself against the best.”

McCoy’s 54-hole score of 204, 12 under par, was three shots better than 2012 champion Jon Olson, Cale Leonard (right) and Maxwell Tjoa. Leonard started the day seven shots back, and his 66 matched McCoy for the lowest round of the day.

“I just wanted to go make birdies,” he said. “The course was still kind of soft from yesterday, and I knew it was going to be gettable. There was no pressure on me to try and hold the lead or anything. I was just trying to catch up.”

The victory also saved Nate a long drive north. He was scheduled to play in a U.S. Amateur qualifier Wednesday morning at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn., west of the Twin Cities. But this is the first year the sponsoring United States Golf Association has granted a U.S. Amateur exemption to all state amateur champions.

So Nate will be teeing it up at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., starting August 12.

“I was dreading that drive,” he said of the trip he gladly skipped. “Such a relief. Now I get to go home to my family with the trophy.”

Tuesday’s victory also made McCoy the front runner for a fourth consecutive Iowa Golf Association Iowa Amateur of the Year Award. Nate and his dad are the only players to win it three straight times.

The McCoys also became the first father-son tandem to both win multiple Iowa Amateur titles. Nate also won at Crow Valley in Bettendorf in 2022. Mike won six times (1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2015).

Nate had to play catch-up after a 71 on Sunday, five shots behind first-round leader J.D. Anderson. McCoy’s second-round 67 moved him into a tie for fourth, four shots behind leader Jake Weissenburger , two back of Dusty Drenth and one back of Anderson.

“I figured I’d need a 7-under round to have a chance,” McCoy said, who ran off four straight birdies starting at No. 5, only to have a bogey at No. 9 slow his charge.

Drenth (left), playing in the day’s final pairing, made a serious move to the top of the leaderboard. He also shot a front-nine 33 and added a birdie at the 11th to jump to 12 under par. McCoy, a pairing in front of Drenth, went to the par-4 12th hole, a 392-yard dogleg left, at 9 under par.

Everything changed with one swing of McCoy’s pitching wedge. He holed it from 113 yards out for eagle. It was an uphill shot, so no one immediately knew it went it. But Mike had an inkling.

“He thought it was in right away,” Nate said. “I was thinking, “Well, I hope it’s not over. We walked up there and I saw my pitch mark, but not the ball. My heart jumped a little bit. I thought it was probably over.”

But Olson, one of his playing partners, looked in the hole and smiled.

“He came over and gave me a fist pump,” Nate said. “That was pretty cool.”

Soon after McCoy hit the green at the par-3 13th hole, and Drenth hit his approach to the 12th green some 40 feet below the hole, sirens sounded and play was suspended because of an approaching storm.

When the championship resumed, 1 hour and 57 minutes later, Drenth lost his momentum.

He 3-putted the 12th for bogey. Uncertain about the speed of the greens after the rain, he left his birdie attempt short and power-lipped his par attempt.

Then at the 13th, his tee shot hit a cart path and found the water, and he made double bogey.

He hit a good shot into the 14th but settled for par. Then he stood and watched from a distance as McCoy eagled the 486-yard par-5 15th.

“And now I’m four down,” said Drenth, who tied for fifth with Chad McCarty after a closing 72. “It wasn’t my time. That’s what I’m going to tell myself. I played great all tournament.”

In 1996, Mike McCoy eagled the 15th when he made a downhill 20-foot eagle putt to get the lead for the first time.

Nate’s drive on that hole found the right rough, but he hit a 6-iron that reached the green, seemed to stop for a moment and then caught the slope that dissects the putting surface and stopped 5 feet above the hole. He made the dicey eagle putt and was on his way to victory.

After a scrambling par from a fairway bunker on the 16th and a bogey at the par-3 17th, Nate hit a perfect drive on the closing dogleg left par-4 hole. When he hit an 8-iron the 8 feet left of the cup, Olson was the first to congratulate him with another fist pump and a pat on the back.

And Mike thought back to 1996.

“This time, I didn’t have to hit a shot,” Mike said. “Nate was playing so well, I didn’t feel too much pressure. It’s pretty neat for him to win here.”

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After an hour rain delay this morning in Iowa City at Finkbine Golf Course, Clive’s Jake Weissenburger (above) kept the putter hot during round two of the 122nd Iowa Amateur.

Weissenburger carded another impressive 67 (-5) and is leading by two. He played the course almost mistake free even with the wet conditions.

“The course had a little softer greens, fairways, and the greens were rolling well considering the overnight rain,” Weissenburger said.

His focus was to play today’s round one shot at a time which helped him to card six birdies.

“I kept the mistakes to a minimum, other than the bad bogey on nine, I played really well and kept it to a shot at a time,” Weissenburger added.

Sitting two shots back in solo second is Dusty Drenth from Davenport. Drenth put together a sparkling bogey-free 66 (-6). He credited his round today to solid play.

“Honestly my game was solid. I made a few mistakes, drove the ball really well, and putted solid. My lag putting along with making the needed putts was there,” Drenth said.

With the heavy early morning rains, officials determined to play lift, clean, and place in the fairways. Drenth knew he could take advantage of that.

“I had to play aggressive today and make sure to hit the fairway so I could clean my ball,” Drenth added.

Going into the final round Drenth knows he has to make some birdies.

“Jake has played really solid today and yesterday and you know he is going to be making birdies tomorrow. So I will continue to play aggressive and make birdies,” Drenth said.

Sitting in solo third is first round leader J.D. Anderson from Johnston. Anderson was unable to capture the spark he had on day one, but still managed another under par round, with a 71 (-1). He sits three shots shy of the lead at -7 for 36 holes.

Going into the final round Anderson knows he has to make up some ground.

“I am going to have to be aggressive, nobody is going to back up and this course has a lot of birdie opportunities,” Anderson said.

Play for the final round will begin starting at 7:30 on #1 and #10 tee.

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Finkbine Golf Course, located in Iowa City, is the host of the 122nd Iowa Amateur and the opening round of play was one for the book…and low scores

J.D. Anderson (above), of Johnston, fired a very impressive 66 (-6) and leads the field. Anderson credited his round to hitting fairways and making putts. 

“I drove the ball really well today and hit fairways, which helped me hit greens,” Anderson said.

Anderson had a bogey free round today and tallied up six birdies.

“I made a couple of 10-15 footers for birdie,” Anderson said. “You have to know where the right spot is to hit the ball on the greens. A 30 footer on the right spot is better than a 10 footer on the wrong spot.”

All carding 67s (-5) is a fierce group of four guys all wanting a piece of the lead. Among the four guys is LeClaire’s own Jack Dumas, West Des Moines’ Tanner Dinnebier, Clive resident Jake Weissenburger, and Bennett Berger from Lake Mills.

Jake Weissenburger has had a summer to remember already. The recent winner of the Des Moines Men’s City tournament contested at Waveland Golf Course, Weissenburger credited today’s round to his putter.

“I putted really well today, made a lot of putts and just kept giving myself looks,” Weissenburger said.

Weissenburger racked up a total of eight birdies on the day, five of which were on the back nine. Headed into tomorrow’s round Weissenburger wants to continue the same game he played today.

“I am going to try not to change anything with the putter and avoid the spots I put myself into that led to bogeys,” Weissenburger also added.

Lake Mills very own Bennett Berger kept his cool which led to five birdies and an eagle on the card today.

“I had some pretty poor shots in there, but I just kept my cool and got it back into position which led to getting it up and down on a couple,” Berger said.

Berger started on the back nine, but capitalized on a couple bad shots on the front nine which led to great things.

“I hit a bad chip on number two and made about an 18-footer for birdie up the hill,” he said. “I felt like that was the putt that kept the round going.”

Round two will continue Monday morning, with tee times starting at 7:30 off holes #1 and #10.

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It was smooth sailing for Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle’s final round as he captured the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship title at Glen Oaks Country Club. At the very least, that’s what it looked like as he rolled in a bomb of a putt on his finishing hole to clench his six-stroke victory in fashion.

Hoyle (pictured above) never checked the leaderboard.

“Looking at the leaderboard won’t change anything,” Hoyle believed.

The Lytham, England native admitted that he had a sense that he had a few strokes of cushion.

“It was really hot, but there weren’t many people out there,” Hoyle confided, smiling. There’s more than one way to get a feel for the standings.

With one bogey on the front and four birdies on the back, Hoyle was never in danger of losing his position. He was propelled by a tournament-low second round (-7) 64 where he birdied #17, the hardest hole on the course, and finished birdie, eagle on #8 and #9. Hoyle finished the tournament at an even (-13) 200.

His biggest focus throughout the day? Staying fed and hydrated. “I couldn’t drink enough water today,” he said. Temperatures in the high 90s and unrelenting humidity that pushed the “feels like” well above 100, created a mental battlefield of its own. Several spectators resorted to finding shelter in the clubhouse due to the heat. There was some added strategy, though. While some players turned to rain gloves, Hoyle’s rotation of four gloves helped him to keep a grip on the club. It pays to be prepared.

After a slow one-over par first nine, a great birdie on #10 kickstarted Hoyle’s round. He pulled his driver into the left fairway bunker. 107 yards to the pin, he stuck it to eight feet, and found his first birdie of the round. More than anything, it was his terrific putting that set him apart from the field.

The biggest threat to Hoyle was, happily for Hoyle, one of his newest additions to the Hawkeye golf team, Cedar Falls’ Maxwell Tjoa. The previous IGA Boys’ Player of the Year and rising Iowa freshman showcased his ability in a leading pack saturated with collegiate golfers. Tjoa, who finished second at (-7) 206, was followed by Cedar Falls’ Owen Sawyer (soon to be Cyclone freshman) in third, Norwalk’s Dennis Bull and Waverly’s Hogan Hansen (rising Hawkeye sophomore) tied for fourth, and Ames’ Zach May (rising Cyclone sophomore) in sixth.

“I wasn’t really watching [the leaderboard],” Tjoa shared after the round, “I was just aiming at pins, really acting like I had nothing to lose.”

A competitive mindset considering that he entered the final round sitting at third place. Regardless, it paid off as four birdies and two bogeys carried him to a (-2) 69 and the runner-up title.

Tjoa entered the tournament with confidence, having played Glen Oaks several times in the past and always performing well. A strong short game and solid iron play were the keys to his success.

“I didn’t miss a lot of greens, and when I did I was able to get up and down,” Tjoa said. “With his go-for-it mentality, he focused on getting every putt to the hole and “giving [himself] a chance.”

It was a good day for the Hawkeyes.

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Nothing was easy at Glen Oaks Country Club in the second round of the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship. A hot and stuffy morning gave way to a cloudy yet breezy afternoon, bringing temperature relief but elevating the challenge.

Overall, scores rose. Only thirteen competitors finished the round under par. As with the first round, Holes 17 and 18 were played the most over par with Hole 5 not far behind. Only eleven players remain below par after the second round.

Despite the difficulty, some competitors still made it look easy. Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle takes the lead with a stellar (-7) 64, outdoing previous leader Owen Sawyer, of Cedar Falls, who fired an impressive (-5) 66. Hoyle stands at -10 and Sawyer stands at -9 heading into the final round.

For Hoyle, understanding greens and ‘where you can miss’ are crucial to succeeding on a new course. This week has been Hoyle’s first time at Glen Oaks, but paying attention to ridges and tiers has helped him to secure birdie positions throughout the first two rounds.

“Making sure you’re on the correct level of those greens,” was a key factor in choosing approach shots and managing the large greens, Hoyle said.

Cedar Falls’ Maxwell Tjoa did his best to stick with the leaders with a (-4) 67. He stands third with -5. Waverly’s Hogan Hansen comes in fourth at -4, followed by Norwalk’s Dennis Bull in fifth at -3.

Hoyle, who is an assistant golf coach at the University of Iowa, doesn’t get the chance to play competitively as often as he used to. He looks forward to a final pairing with Cyclone commit Owen Sawyer. The pair will attempt to fend off Hawkeye sophomore Hogan Hansen and Hawkeye commit Maxwell Tjoa — and several seasoned players close behind — as they battle it out during the final round.

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The first round of the 121st Iowa Amateur Championship was contested at Glen Oaks Country Club on Monday, July 24, just as Iowa’s typical summer heat returned from its mysterious vacation.

A sunny day with a high of 92 degrees only added to the difficulty of the beautiful course. Although the heat prevented the greens from rolling at their typical speed since care was taken to protect the grass in the high temperatures, the greens remained challenging. There was little wind to push balls wayward, yet fescue and penalty areas still saw heavy traffic.

Ankeny’s Jon Olson and Cedar Falls’ Owen Sawyer lead the field at (-4) 67. Sawyer continues his hot streak after winning the amateur division of the Waterloo Open last Sunday. In close pursuit are Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle, Norwalk’s Dennis Bull, and Waverly’s Hogan Hansen with rounds of (-3) 68. Ames’ Zach May comes in at sixth with a (-2) 69.

As expected, holes 17 and 18 played the most over par today, and it wasn’t even close. The penalty-lined holes ate up tee shots left and right, and the sloping greens left little to chance. Par 4 #17 averaged 4.95, and Par 4 #18 averaged 4.80 on the day. And the next hardest hole? The Par 4 #6 at 4.53.

Eighteen players sit at even-par or better on the day. We look forward to two more days of competition as things begin to heat up. Just take a peek at the forecast…

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Nate McCoy’s historic season continued at Crow Valley Golf Club. McCoy (above) was crowned king of the valley after his impressive final round performance to win the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship. McCoy fired an inspiring 68 to break out of the tie and claim the title by seven shots. 

“I went into the tournament today, focused on myself,” McCoy said. “I knew I had to hit fairways and greens and with the wind being as tough as a it was, I just controlled what I had to control.”

Going into the final round, McCoy shared the lead with Nate Vance, a fellow Iowa State Cyclone. Knowing the skills Vance had, McCoy stuck to his game and let his confidence build on a course he could get after. 

“I think this course fit me well,” McCoy said. “I focused on hitting fairways, which after looking back I believe I only missed seven. Having a lot of wedge opportunities led to a lot of birdies looks.” 

McCoy’s race to the finish began with an early birdie on hole two. That birdie lit a fire under the 2021 IGA Player of the Year. Making the turn with a five-shot lead after carding a 33 on his opening nine, McCoy knew he couldn’t let off the gas. 

“I didn’t want to hold back and protect the lead; I wanted to continue to make birdies,” McCoy said. “I assumed the other guys in the field were making a run and I used that to fuel me to keep making pars and birdies.”

And that’s what he did. McCoy tacked on two more birdies on his back nine to seal the deal and claim one of the most prestigious amateur trophies in the nation. 

For the third time this year, McCoy has etched his name on a trophy his father, Mike McCoy, previously claimed.

“It is special,” McCoy said. “I have always known what he has accomplished, and it has always been in the back of my mind. I compare myself to his accomplishments and it is nice to make gradual steps towards what he has done in his career.”

McCoy is now the first player to win the IGA Mid-Amateur Championship, the IGA Match Play Championship and now the Iowa Amateur Championship in a single season.

“I’m not sure if it has set in yet. I didn’t even know that was a record that had to be broken,” McCoy said. “I assumed other people may have done it. I am grateful to be the first. Down the road I hope someone else will do it in the future.”

The 2020 Iowa Amateur Champion, Dennis Bull tied with the 2021 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, Cale Leonard, for third place at two-under par. Bull and Leonard put together an impressive performance on the course this week. 

After a first round 73, Bull was able to fight back into a tie for fourth place going into the final round. With two birdies and two bogeys, the former champion posted an even par round and finished eight back of McCoy. 

Currently in second place in the 2022 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year Race, Leonard had his name near the top of the leaderboard all week. Posting a first round 69 placed him in a tie for nineth. Following his 69, Leonard carded back-to-back rounds of 71 to earn his highest finish in the Iowa Amateur. 

Samuel Storey takes the fifth-place position at one under par for the week. Storey began his tournament run with back-to-back rounds of 70 and finished with a final round 72 to round out the top-five. 

As the Iowa Golf Association wraps up the Iowa Amateur, the next event on the schedule is the 98th Iowa Women’s Amateur. Starting Monday, July 25, you can follow the competitors as they make their way around Cedar Rapids Country Club.

Championship Division
1. Nate McCoy 67-68-68=203
2. Nate Vance 68-67-75=210
T3. Dennis Bull 73-67-71=211
T3. Cale Leonard 69-71-71=211
5. Samuel Storey 70-70-72=212
6. Kelly Brown 68-73-73=214
T7. Matthew Garside 74-73-68=215
T7. Willis Gaer 69-75-71=215
T9. Dylan Ellis 73-75-68=216
T9. Dusty Drenth 74-69-73=216

One day remains at the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship. Nate McCoy (above) remains atop the leaderboard after round two at Crow Valley Golf Club, but once again, he is not alone.

Marshalltown’s, Nate Vance strung together five birdies to tie the lowest round of the day. The redshirt-senior out of Iowa State University compiled a four-under round to place him alongside McCoy at seven-under par for the week.

“My goal has been to hit the greens, and I am hitting the ball well,” Vance said. “I am not playing aggressive, and I am focusing on keeping it in the fairway.”

Hitting fairways is the key to great success and posting low rounds at Crow Valley Golf Club. McCoy, who is known for his consistent play off the tee, has had a similar feeling to Vance. 

“I’m playing well and feel like I am in control of my golf ball,” McCoy said. 

With both players in control of their game, the stage is set for an exciting ending to a historic championship. Vance knows that taking on the 2021 IGA Player of the Year will not be easy, but he has embraced the challenge.   

 “Tomorrow will be fun. Nate (McCoy) is a great player, but I don’t go down easy,” Vance said.

Levi Slings, first-round co-leader with McCoy, put together another impressive round. With winds swirling in all directions, the afternoon played difficult. Slings managed a one-over 72 and remains just four back of Vance and McCoy. 

The 2020 Iowa Amateur Championship, Dennis Bull, punched a ticket back into contention by tying Vance for the lowest round of the day. Bull recorded five birdies to his one bogey on hole three and finds himself in a three-way tie for fourth place.

Cale Leonard and Samuel Storey round out the top-five with Bull at two-under par for the tournament. You cannot count out these competitors as they can pile up birdies in a hurry. Leonard, Storey and Bull will look to make a late push for the title. 

The final round of the 120th Iowa Amateur Championship begins Wednesday morning with the first group teeing off at 7:00 a.m. Tune into the action to find out which Nate will bring home the title, or if another competitor races up to steal the show. 

Championship Division
T1. Nate Vance 68-67=135
T1. Nate McCoy 67-68=135
3. Levi Slings 67-72=139
T4. Cale Leonard 69-71=140
T4. Dennis Bull 73-67=140
T4. Samuel Storey 70-70=140
7. Kelly Brown 68-73=141
8. Ethan Mechling 71-71=142
T9. Dusty Drenth 74-69=143
T9. Jonny Douglas 68-75=143
T9. Trent Lindenman 73-70=143

It is a close race after the second round at Dubuque Golf and Country Club and tomorrow’s final round of the 97th Iowa Women’s Amateur will be a battle for the top spot.

The 2020 Iowa Women’s Amateur champion, Iowa State’s Joy Chou (right), currently holds a two-shot lead over Northern Iowa’s Hannah Bermel. Chou got off to a rough start to begin the day, but was able to fight back with birdies midway through her round. 

Bermel was even through her first seven holes, before she recorded a double on her eighth hole. Two bogeys followed on her 10th and 11th holes, and she finished with a 40 on her back nine. The fifth-year senior is only two back and knows what she needs to do to get each shot back. 

The 15-year-old Eden Lohrbach is alone in third place after back-to-back rounds of 77. Lohrbach is competing with some of the biggest names in Iowa and she has handled it like a veteran. There is a tie for fourth place between Brooke Newell and Emily Snelling, yet neither of them are out of contention. 

Kelly Nelson fired a 78 and recorded only one bogey on the front nine where she carded a 36 to climb into first place over Rose Kubesheski in the Open Division. Nelson currently has a three-shot advantage and will need all three shots with Kubesheski and Laura Leszczynski right on her tail. 

Leszczynski also tallied a 78 in round two, putting herself in third place. Kim Fensterman held the lead at one point in the second round, but a rough eight hole stretch of bogeys pushed her down into fourth place. Michelle Klein holds the fifth-place spot after recording an 83 today. With Dubuque Golf and Country Club playing difficult this week, Klein is not out of the race.

You can follow the final round leaderboard by clicking this link. Stay up to date with the latest Iowa Golf Association information by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Championship Division
1. Joy Chou 75-73-148
2. Hannah Bermel 73-77-150
3. Eden Lohrbach 77-77-154
T4. Brooke Newell 80-76-156
T4. Emily Snelling 78-78-156

Open Division
1. Kelly Nelson 81-78-159
2. Rosalie Kubesheski 80-82-162
3. Laura Leszczynski 85-78-163
4. Kim Fensterman 84-81-165
5. Michelle Klein 85-83-168