For the third year in a row and fourth overall Gene Elliott and Mike McCoy were victorious at the IGA Four-Ball Championship. This year, the duo used a second round 63 (-9) to storm back from two strokes back entering the final round. Their 128 total (-16) was two ahead of the team of George Qian/Jack Kennedy.
Council Bluffs’ Bent Tree Golf Club, which hosted this year’s IGA Four-Ball, Has been special place for McCoy.
“I won the State Amateur here (in 2010,” McCoy said. It’s a great course. It has a lot of links feels to it, which is fun.”
McCoy commented he got off to a good start in the final round, but gave credit to his partner, Elliott.
“Gene was terrific today,” McCoy said. “He made a beautiful birdie on our last hole, which we felt we needed.”
Elliott, who was literally just coming off his win at the Trans-Miss Senior Championship in California, flew into Omaha the morning of the first round.
“He was tired (yesterday) from traveling across the country,” McCoy said. “He was hitting golf shots (in the final round) like Hale Irwin out there. Just like on the PGA Tour, the don’t hit them any better than he did.
Elliott said he wouldn’t of made the trip for anyone else besides his partner, McCoy.
“This is the only guy in the world I would fly halfway across the country to play in a golf tournament with,” Elliott said.
Staying aggressive and keeping the pedal down in the second round was the key McCoy commented.
“We were bold today, we were trying to get in the left lane and honk the horn. We wanted to go right by people. That’s what we were trying to do.”
When asked if they would ‘give it a go’ again next year, their answer was simple.
“Absolutely,” McCoy said.
In the Senior Division, the team of Joe Palmer/Terry Cook made a comeback of their own. Posting a score of 60 (-12) and 127 overall (-17), the pair stormed back after being six strokes of the pace entering the final round.
“I owe a lot of credit to Terry,” Palmer said. “The turning point was when we made eagle on #12 and they made bogey. We went from two down to one up and we put the pedal down. We birdied three of the next four and never let (opening round leaders Curtin Holck/Bill Watson) them up.”
Holck and Watson, who led after an opening round 61 (-11) would finish second, two strokes back at 129 (-15).
Cook admitted he was just trying to do everything to keep the pressure off of Palmer, who was riding a hot putter during the final round.
“I was just trying to hit fairways and greens,” Cook said. “That loosened him (Palmer) up and he kept making putts. All I as trying to do was making sure he got the right read of the green, because he was putting it so well. It was fun to watch.”
Palmer said he never felt pressure to make putts as Cook was continuing to make pars.
“That’s the kind of partner you want in these if you want to go low,” Palmer said. “I helped myself out (in the Senior Player of the Year points race) and kept my partner in the game.”
Palmer said he thinks the team will stay in tact for next year too.
“I think we’ll be partners again,” Palmer said.
