A packed leaderboard is what you’ll find at Burlington Golf Club after two rounds of the 39th Iowa Senior Amateur Championship. A total of 5 players are within three or less shots of the lead.

In the lead is Burlington’s Scott Briggs (pictured above) at 143 (-1). Chasing him going into tomorrow’s final round is Gene Elliott (144), John O’Neill (145) Joe Palmer (146), Terry Cook (146) and Tom Norton (146). Briggs and Palmer shared low round of the day with 69 (-3). Briggs’ round included five birdies today, while Palmer made four birdies and an eagle.

It’ll be a race to the finish you could say as Palmer, Elliott and Cook represent the top three in the IGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year race.

In the Super Senior Division a trio of golfers share the lead at 147 (+3). Tied at the top are Jim Butler (Ft. Madison), John Peters (Muscatine) and Rob Christensen (Marshalltown), who will battle for the title in tomorrow’s final round. Ft. Dodge’s Dave Sergeant sits four back of the lead.

Sergeant and Christensen represent 1st and 2nd in the IGA Super Senior Men’s Player of the Year standings.

Click here for a full recap of scoring.

John O’Neill makes his par on #17 during the second round.

Joe Palmer will look to catch Scott Briggs in tomorrow’s final round.

West Des Moines’ Gene Elliott (pictured above), fresh off an appearance in the Round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Amateur, didn’t let off the gas in the opening round of the 39th Iowa Senior Amateur at Burlington Golf Club. Elliott’s opening round 69 (-3) leads by one shot over Burlington’s own John O’Neill. Gary Ellis (Norwalk) and Tom Norton (Muscatine) shot 72 (E) and are three strokes back of the pace.

Elliott was able to string together a total of six birdies on the day, including 4 in a ten-hole stretch.

O’Neill, who grew up just a pitching wedge away from the first hole at BGC, put that ‘knowledge’ of BGC to work. His day began with 13 straight pars and included 16 pars overall mixed in with a pair of birdies.

In the Super Senior Division (65 and older) another ‘local’ is atop the leaderboard. Fort Madison’s Jim Butler put together a 71 (-1) round of his own that included five birdies. Butler managed only three pars on the front nine, but still turned in 35 (-1) thanks to four birdies. John Peters (Muscatine) sits just three back of Butler at 74 (+2).

Click here for a recap of scoring.

The 39th addition of the Iowa Senior Amateur Championship begins today (Aug. 30) at Burlington Golf Club.

BGC is a Packard designed championship golf course that has hosted several state amateur events in the past. According to those who have played the course, it is fun for the eye as it winds up and down the hills of the Mississippi River bluffs. Many of the holes at BGC demand approach shots to slightly elevated greens. The course also includes a handful of risk/reward holes.

Defending champion Gene Elliott is in the field as well as many other of the top players from the IGA Senior Player of the Year race. Last year, Elliott chased down Jay Gregory at Ames Golf & Country Club to win this event. Elliott arrives at BGC from a Round of 32 appearance at the U.S. Senior Amateur earlier this week.

Click here to follow scoring updates from the event.