Category: Championships

McCoy wins 2021 Carroll Amateur in playoff over Peck

June 14, 20210 commentsChampionships

The former Carroll Amateur Champion did it again. Nate McCoy (pictured above), of Ankeny, defeated the former IGA Player of the Year, Connor Peck, in a playoff to secure his second career Carroll Amateur victory.

McCoy began his weekend with a 3-under 68 in round one and managed to maintain a lead for all three rounds.

“It is important to get into contention from the start and it really helps keep your intensity level up,” McCoy said.

Heading into the final round with a three-shot lead over Peck, McCoy knew the type of player he was going to face.

“Connor is one of the greatest competitors you could go up against,” McCoy said. “He is very calm and makes good choices. I tried to just play my own ball and focus on what I could control.”

Late in the final round, McCoy and Peck saved par on 16 and headed into the final two-hole stretch.

“He (Peck) hit it to a couple feet on 17 and I hit it to 10-12 feet,” McCoy said. “If I would have missed that putt we would have been tied.”

Heading to 18 with a one-shot lead, McCoy continued to play his game. Peck knew he needed to make something happen to give him a shot at a playoff.

McCoy shared, “Connor hit an unbelievably good wedge shot on 18. I narrowly missed my birdie putt and Connor poured in a beautiful left to right swinger.”

After Peck forced a playoff, McCoy did not change his mind set and continued to play hard. McCoy made a birdie to win the playoff against a tough competitor in Peck.

“My birdie on the 1st playoff hole was a 12-14 foot left to right downhill putt,” McCoy said. “I just tried to give it my best and thankfully it fell. It was a lot of fun playing with Connor. He is truly one of the best guys you will ever play with.”

In the Open Division, Sioux City native, Xan Milligan carded a two-round tally of 153 (79-74). Milligan shared the lead within the division after the first round and followed up his 79 in round one with a 3-over 74 to secure the win by one shot. Michael Clark, of Spencer, made a charge up the leaderboard in the final round with a 1-over 72 and finished in second place.

In the Senior Division Chris Kramer, of West Des Moines, and Gary Ellis, of Norwalk, were tied for the lead after recording a 144 total for two rounds. Kramer was the round one leader after posting a 1-under 70 and then recorded a 3-over 74 in round two. Ellis, who won the title on the first playoff hole over Kramer, was four back entering the final round and managed to shoot a 1-under 70 to finish tied with Kramer.

Des Moines native, James Blackburn won the Super Senior Division by one shot over Brian Fell, of Ames. Blackburn was six shots off the lead entering the final round and fired a 77 to surpass Fell’s two round total of 162.

The next 2021 Additional Point Event will be the Fort Dodge Amateur, starting June 18, and will continue into June 20th. The event will take place in Fort Dodge at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
1. Nate McCoy 68-70-73-211 (Won Playoff)
2. Connor Peck 71-70-70-211
3. Ben Hicks 72-72-70-214
T4. Wade Pettitt 72-70-73-215
T4. Mark Noonan 75-68-72-215

OPEN DIVISION FLIGHT
1. Xan Milligan 79-74-153
2. Michael Clark 82-72-154
3. Jared Tigges 79-78-157
T4. Collin Tjepkes 80-78-158
T4. Dave Akers 81-77-158
T4. Alec Barber 81-77-158

SENIOR DIVISION FLIGHT
T1. Gary Ellis 74-70-144 (Won Playoff)
T1. Chris Kramer 70-74-144
T3. Jeff Collett 74-71-145
T3. Ron Peterson 71-74-145
T5. Jeff Panek 75-71-146
T5. Rick Sanders 72-74-146

SUPER SENIOR DIVISION FLIGHT
1. James Blackburn 84-77-161
2. Brian Fell 78-84-162
3. Tim Taylor 82-83-165
4. Dan Trerotola 83-88-171
5. Randy Studer 84-88-172

Watson, Boothe team up for win at IGA Mid-Am Series Event #2

June 14, 20210 commentsChampionships, News

On Saturday, Fiona Watson and Tish Boothe (right) claimed the 2021 Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #2. The tournament was a modified alternate shot format and took place at Edmundson Golf Course in Oskaloosa. Watson and Boothe won the tournament by five shots by carding a 3-over round of 73.

Kelly Nelson and Michelle Klein finished runner-up after shooting a round of 78. Birdies were scarce for many, so it was important to limit the errors. Nelson and Klein battled all day and stayed one shot clear of a three-way tie for third place.

The three-way tie for third place featured Rosalie Kubesheski and Margene Grady who recorded a solid round of 79. Ila Gilbert and Janis Owens started six-over through the first ten holes but managed to go 3-over in their last eight to post a 79 on the day. Julie Buerman and Katie Wenthe also finished in the tie for third place after carding a round of 79.

In the Net Division, Shirly Rochelle and Jackie Warrick put together a round of 70 that featured six (net) birdies. Rochelle and Warrick defeated Ila Gilbert and Janis Owens by one shot. Gilbert and Owens fired a round of 71 with four birdies to earn a second-place finish. Sarah and Nancy Olberding carded a round of 72 and finished in third place.

The next 2021 Women’s Mid-Am Series (Four-Ball format) event will be August 28, at A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines. Registration for this event will close on August 18, at 11:59 p.m.

GROSS DIVISION
1. Watson / Boothe 73
2. Nelson / Klein 78
T3. Kubesheski / Grady 79
T3. Gilbert / Owens 79
T3. Buerman / Wenthe 79

NET DIVISION
1. Rochelle / Warrick 70
2. Gilbert / Owens 71
3. Olberding / Olberding 72
T4. Clayton / Hartman 74
T4. Harmon / Grimes 74
T4. Watson / Boothe 74

Smith wins 58th Women’s Forever 39 Match Play title

June 10, 20210 commentsChampionships, Forever 39 Match Play

Leanne Smith was crowned champion at the 58th Iowa Women’s Forever 39 Match Play Championship on Tuesday afternoon at Hillcrest Golf and Country Club in Adel. Smith (pictured above), of Indianola, defeated Laura Leszczynski, of St. Mary’s, 4&3 in the final round.

After winning the Forever 39 Match Play and the 2019-2020 IGA Women’s Match Play, it is official that Smith knows how to win match play events.

“I can be a little errant sometimes,” Smith said. “Giving up a big hole doesn’t really phase me in match play, you just lose the hole, you don’t fall behind in strokes. I know that I can go out and make birdies.”

In the stroke play qualifier, Smith carded a 1-under 35 and finished runner-up to medalist Fionna Watson. Smith earned the No. 2 seed in the Championship Flight bracket and faced off against Carole Schlapkohl in her first match.

“I had never played out there (at Hillcrest),” Smith said “I was trying to figure out where to be off the tee and just trying to figure out where I needed to be on the greens. It was nice to shoot a good number to set yourself up well in the matches.”

The stroke play qualifying helped Smith prepare for her matches and gave her a little boost of confidence going into them. She stuck to her game plan and won the Women’s Forever 39 Match Play in her first appearance in the event.

The No. 1 seed, Fiona Watson faced off against the No. 6 seeded Rosalie Kubesheski in the Consolation Match and won 4&3. Watson lost to Leszczynski, who won 2 up, in the second round and Kubesheski fell to Smith, 2&1.

In the First Flight bracket, the No. 5 seeded Margene Grady knocked off Sue Harmon, 2&1 in the final match. During Grady’s journey to the win, she had to take on three of the top four seeds, including the No. 1 seed in the second round, Noreen Christians.

In the Consolation Match for the First Flight bracket, Ann Slechta took down Christians, 2&1. Slechta, who was the No. 7 seed, fell to Sue Harmon in round two, 3&1.

The No. 7 seed, Jan Sewright, was victorious in the Second Flight bracket, defeating the No. 1 seed Nancy Olberding to win the bracket. Sewright did not have an easy path either, beating the No. 2 seed Donna Vroom and the No. 3 seed Carroll Dethrow in rounds one and two.

Dethrow defeated Lora Winter in the Consolation Match for the Second Flight. Winter fell to the No. 1 seed Nancy Olberding and her match with Dethrow came down to the final hole.

The Third Flight bracket featured the No. 6 seeded Ardrae Parmenter taking on the No. 5 seeded Nancy Lorenzini in the final round. Parmenter pulled off her third upset of the tournament, and won the match against Lorenzini, 2&1.

Cathy West lost the Consolation Match for the Third Flight bracket to Jane Suiter, 1UP through eight holes. West was defeated by Lorenzini in round two and Suiter fell to the bracket winner, Parmenter.

In the consolation brackets, Julie Buerman won the Championship Flight over Robin Webb, 3&1. Michelle Klein took down Leighann Larocca in the First Flight Consolation bracket. Kelly Nelson beat Susan Mitchell in the Second Flight bracket and Bonnie Jones defeated Becky Schwiete in the Third Flight bracket.

 

Championship Flight Winner:
Leanne Smith def. Laura Leszczynski, 4&3

First Flight Winner:
Margene Grady def. Sue Harmon, 2&1

Second Flight Winner:
Jan Sewright def. Nancy Olberding, 5&3

Third Flight Bracket:
Ardrae Parmenter def. Nancy Lorenzini, 2&1

Anderson catches fire, wins 2021 Southeast Iowa Amateur

June 7, 20210 commentsChampionships

JD Anderson solo 2021 SoutheastJohnston native, J.D. Anderson (left), fired a closing round 67 to win the Southeast Iowa Amateur Open Division at The Preserve at Lake Rathbun. In his final round, Anderson recorded six birdies and carded a 32 on his back nine to secure the tournament victory.

Going into the final round, Anderson was four shots behind the first-round leader, Gene Elliott, who posted a 5-under 67 on Saturday. Elliott finished the tournament in a four-way tie for third place, along with Nate McCoy, Ricky Costello and Jonny Douglas.

Jon Brown, from Adel, was the lone second place finisher this past weekend, after scoring back-to-back 70’s. Brown played consistent golf in his final round, recording three birdies to only one bogey, but was two shots shy of Anderson.

In the Senior Division, Bret Taylor (right), of Booneville, carded back-to-back rounds of 70 to claim the victory over Jeff Collett, of Ottumwa. Taylor was the leader by one shot after this first day and extended his lead to three during his final round.

Ankeny native, Curtis Holck, took third place honors after posting a two-round total of 144 with a 3-under 69 in his final round. Dave Gaer, of Des Moines, and Joe Bates, of Albia, tied for fourth place at 3-over par.

Bruce Neeley (pictured left with head professional Darin Fisher), of Independence, carded two rounds of 73 to finish in first place with a six-shot lead in the Super Senior Division. Neeley topped Hudson native, Mark Urbanek’s rounds of 74 and 78.

Senior Match Play Champion, Jim Butler, finished in third place with rounds of 81 and 72. Pat Ryan, of Marshalltown, earned fourth place honors after rounds of 79 and 75. Rick Gorbell and Rob Christensen finished in a tie for fifth place at 12-over par.

Click here for full results

Defending champ strikes again at IGA Senior Match Play, Butler earns Super Senior title

May 27, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play

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

Malloy wins Presidents Bracket, top seeds fall at IGA Senior Match Play

May 26, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play

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

Stroke play qualifying, opening round matches complete at IGA Senior Match Play

May 25, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play

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

 

Brown/Elliott fire 62 (-10) in final round, win 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship

May 24, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball

Sitting two shots off the lead, Iowa Golf Hall of Fame members Jon Brown and Gene Elliott (left) knew they had some work to do in order to win the 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship at The Falls in Larchwood.

A 10-under par 62 later and it was mission accomplished. With five birdies apiece, Brown and Elliott commented they just kept trying to get one more birdie on the card. Brown’s birdie on the final two holes proved to be the difference as they outdistanced the side of Ethan Mechling / J.D. Anderson by a pair of strokes.

“We each made five birdies and didn’t double-up,” Brown said. “We just kept plugging away and didn’t give up. I felt like we left a couple (shots) out there yesterday, but not today. Teaming up with Gene I had a tremendous amount of trust. I knew he would never be out of the hole and be there when I needed him.”

Never having to count a bogey on a course that played quite difficult with strong, blustering winds was a feat within itself for the champions who shot rounds of 68-62 (-14) over the two-day event.

“In 36 holes we really didn’t scare making bogey,” Elliott said. “We had to make a few 4-5 foot putts, but we were never in trouble where we weren’t going to make par and gave ourselves a lot of chances. I hit first on every hole and tried to get it into play. With Jon being so long, I wanted him to be able to feel free to go after it. Now we gotta go defend next year, unless he dumps me.”

Brown jokingly said he thinks he’ll keep Elliott on the team. This victory marked the sixth overall IGA Four-Ball title for Elliott and Brown’s second victory in the event. Neither had teamed up together in the past.

In the Senior Division, Joe Palmer and Terry Cook (left) collected their third title in the division and fourth overall, winning the Open Division crown in 2004. Similar to the Elliott/Brown side, Palmer and Cook were chasing the leaders entering the final round – two shots back off the pace.

With a final round 68 (-4) that included timely birdies on the back nine holes, both mentioned how their partnership has been a winning combination, finishing the event with rounds of 67-68 (-9).

“I had a great partner,” Cook said. “Joe has been unbelievable. We were patient all day and hung in there. We had to fight back and make a couple good shots coming down the stretch. All day I tried to stay in the present. It’s fun to win again.”

Playing with the first round leaders, Bret Taylor and Jeff Collett, Palmer and Cook were able to keep tabs on where they stood and were checking the leaderboard for any charges coming from ahead of them.

“We were playing with the leaders, so we could see what was going on,” Palmer said. “We were making a bunch of pars (on our front 9) and so were they. We were watching the leaderboard and didn’t want to lose any ground. Terry had a great three-hole stretch there and we skated in there (for the win).

Palmer commented that knowing you have a partner who won’t be out of the hole very often is a key to success.

“Over the years, Terry Cook doesn’t make big numbers,” Palmer said. “We free each other up (to play) and when you have a partner who is always in the hole you can play aggressively. It’s worked for us.”

Taylor and Collett shared runner-up with the side of Gary Ellis / Jay Goeser at -8 for the event.

In the Super Senior Division, the side of Bill Mathers / Vernon VanPerseum (right) battled back with a final round 67 (-5) to win the title by a stroke over first round leaders Rick Gorbell and Wes Hogeland. Mathers/VanPerseum posted rounds of 73-67 (-5).

Click here for final results

Two sides share opening round lead at 25th IGA Four-Ball

May 21, 20210 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball

The Falls was unforgiving for most of the day in the opening round of the 25th IGA Four-Ball Championship. Bogeys were to be found with a wayward shot and birdies were something of a rare mineral in Larchwood for a majority of the field.

Finding success in the dirt (and wind) however were a pair of sides, as Aaron Obrien / Dusty Stewart (pictured above) and Ethan Mechling and J.D. Anderson both posted rounds of 66 (-6) to share the lead heading into the final round. Both teams, who were paired together in the first round, took advantage of an early tee time this morning. A total of seven teams are within three shots of the lead, including a trio just two back.

In the Senior Division the side of Bret Taylor / Jeff Collett also found success in Larchwood today. The duo teamed up for an impressive 65 (-7) to lead by a pair of strokes over defending Senior Division champions Joe Palmer / Terry Cook. Three additional teams are four strokes back at 68 (-4) after today’s play.

In the Super Senior Division the side of Rick Gorbell / Wes Hogeland lead by three strokes over Bill Mathers / Vernon VanPeursem. Gorbell / Hogeland posted a solid round of 70 (-2), good for the overnight lead.

Click here for full results

Click here for final round pairings

Schumacher, Hansen take home titles at IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1

May 17, 20210 commentsChampionships

Tabitha Schumacher (above left), of Pella, claimed her first victory of the 2021 season at the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1. Schumacher recorded a final score of 51 points and finished one point ahead of second place. The stableford scoring event at the Irv Warren Golf Course in Waterloo featured 39 participants from Iowa.

Schumacher’s round of 75 (36-39) included four birdies, worth four points each, and seven pars, worth three points each. During her round, three birdies came from par-fives and recorded one birdie on a par-three.

Rose Kubesheski, of Dubuque, finished second with a 50-point tally. Janece Schwartzkopf, of Stuart, and Kim Fensterman, of Cedar Rapids, tied for third with 48 points each. Kelly Nelson, of Waterloo, and Julie Buerman, of Cedar Rapids, finished with 47 points and tied for fifth place.

Soni Hansen (above right), of Grimes, won the Net Division after totaling 59 points. Hansen finished one point ahead of Laurie Slater, of Cedar Rapids, who totaled 58 points. Third place went to Becky Schwiete, of Ankeny, with 57 points. Schawrtzkopf’s 56 points and Kubesheski’s 55 points rounded out the top-five.

Click here for full results

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