Waverly’s Hogan Hansen took home the 2021 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year after an impressive season in 2021. As an Iowa High School State Champion and an Iowa Junior Amateur Champion, it is safe to say Hansen dominated this year. 

Hansen earned two top-10 finishes at the Herman Sani Tournament and the Briarwood Amateur. He also earned two top-five finishes coming from the Midwest Junior Championship and the TPC Deere Run Junior Open. 

A third-place finish at the 45th Iowa Boys’ Junior PGA Championship and a second-place finish at the Iowa Open helped push Hansen to the top of the standings. 

In the spring, Hansen won the IHSAA 3A State Tournament as an individual. This win gave the young prospect 300 points. Later in the summer, Hansen traveled to Coldwater to defeat Nate Spear in a playoff and win the Iowa Junior Amateur Championship. 

Maxwell Tjoa, who qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur this year, finished second in the IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year race. William Simpson was our third-place finisher and 2020 Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, Cale Leonard, finished in fourth place. 

Click here to view a full recap of the 2021 IGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year standings. 

Paige Hoffman (above), of West Des Moines, is your 2021 Junior Girls’ Player of the Year. Hoffman started to heat up early this season and didn’t cool off, finishing in the top-10 in every tournament she played. 

Two sixth-place finishes came at the Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship and the Midwest Junior Championship. These two fields were filled with some of Iowa’s top-amateur golfers and Hoffman made herself known during those weeks. 

A fourth-place finish at the IGHSAU 4A State Championship started up Hoffman’s summer run. During the Iowa Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship, Hoffman finished in third place and was in contention all week.

Her two victories were at the IGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship with her partner, Kylie Carey, and a three-shot win at the TPC Deere Run Junior Open. These two wins totaled 700 points and gave Hoffman a 175-point victory over Eden Lohrbach.  

Click here to view a full recap of the 2021 IGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year standings.

Rules official Sean Flanders (right) confers with IGA staff member Katelynn Hogenson prior to the start of a recent tournament.

The Visible, Invisible Man – IGA Rules Official Sean Flanders

Being available to help the player and getting it right are among the primary objectives for Sean Flanders and the Iowa Golf Association rules officials’ team.

Flanders is a veteran member of a behind the scenes IGA volunteer staff that ensures tournaments are run smoothly, efficiently and without incident. And that the integrity of the game is upheld. 

He’s been a busy volunteer for the IGA tournament team for the past eight years, working nearly 125 tournaments during that span, including a busy schedule of more than 20 events annually for the past few years. The IGA recognized Flanders’ exceptional service by renaming its annual Volunteer of the Year Award after him in 2018.

Flanders and his fellow rules officials want to be available to players as needed – but to be inconspicuous and behind the scenes. “Rules officials are there to help the players, we are not looking for ways to penalize them,” he said. “Golf can present the player with some unusual circumstances, and we want to make sure the various options are known and to ensure the rules are understood and abided by.”

Flanders has been playing golf for more than 50 years. But it was during a trip to the former PGA Tour Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic in Williamsburg, VA that sparked his interest in becoming a rules official. Flanders is retired following a career that began by serving his country through a tour in Vietnam as a radio corpsman with the Marine Corps, bartending, and on to various roles in manufacturing and service industries as well as 20-plus year stint with the local Anheuser-Busch distributor. One of the perks of the latter position was participating in the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic Pro-Am during the early 90’s, teeing it up with the likes of past Tour winners Bob Eastwood, Joey Sindelar, David Peoples and Jay Don Blake. 

During one of those events he crossed paths with Mark Russell, the iconic PGA Tour rules official and tournament director who retired this year after a 40-year run, the longest tenured employee in the history of the PGA Tour. Russell told Flanders that if you can’t play golf at a highly competitive level, the next best way to give back to the game is by being involved as a rules and tournament official. 

Flanders took that counsel to heart. It was off to Phoenix for a three-day rules workshop sponsored by the USGA, followed by a 100-question USGA Rules of Golf Exam, the national standard to test the depth and breadth of participants’ knowledge of the Rules of Golf, including definitions and interpretations. Participants may achieve Expert or Advanced rules certification from the USGA. 

That experience helped set the stage for a highly-successful relationship with the IGA. He’s worked a wide variety of events and championships – the Iowa Amateur, Senior Amateur, Mid-Amateur, Herman Sani, USGA qualifiers and even high school state championships. Being a rules official for so many tournaments has exposed Flanders to unusual rules circumstances – but it’s the basics that come to mind first. “You’d be surprised at how many experienced tournament players don’t really know the difference between red and yellow penalty areas, the options with an unplayable lie or how to properly put a ball in play.”

Flanders also volunteers to work the Iowa Masters. He’s stationed at the notorious 16th hole, a risk-reward par-5 with a narrow fairway, creek and overhanging trees protecting the green. Many a rules interpretations come into play, especially when the tees are forward which creates a scenario where younger players challenge the hole and try to get home in two. “In all the years I’ve worked that hole, I can count on one hand how many times players get a favorable kick after hitting the trees on the right side. Then I watch Mike McCoy and Gene Elliott hit their third shots from the fairway and make birdie.”

His best advice for players of all ages is to know and understand the Rules of Golf and to observe the pace of play standards. “This is my opportunity to give back to the game of golf and hopefully raise interest, awareness and involvement of rules officials,” he said. “I’ve met so many great people through this game.”

“Up and Down” the Iowa Golf Scene

A regular feature column written by IGA Foundation board member Mark Gambaiana, Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene is designed to take the reader beyond the headlines and scoreboards to share stories of those who help make Iowa golf so rich and rewarding. Profiles will spotlight those who advance the game through volunteerism, service, extraordinary achievement, competition, human interest and the many other dimensions of golf in Iowa.

The USGA and The R&A have announced that a new Model Local Rule (MLR G-10) will be available beginning on Jan. 1, 2022 to provide those running professional or elite amateur golf competitions the option of limiting the maximum length of a golf club (excluding putters) to 46 inches.

The proposal was announced in February 2021, which opened a notice-and-comment period to allow the industry the opportunity to provide feedback as part of the equipment rulemaking procedures. The comments received from the golf industry, including players, professional tours and equipment manufacturers, were carefully considered before the decision to proceed with the new MLR was reached.

The USGA and The R&A issued an Area of Interest notice in 2014 indicating that research was being conducted into the impact of club lengths of more than 48 inches on hitting distance and whether that limit remained appropriate. A proposed change to the limit was subsequently put forward in 2016 but was put on hold in 2017 when the Distance Insights project got underway.

Mike Whan, chief executive officer of the USGA, said, “We’ve worked closely with our industry partners to ensure the future for golf remains strong. Admittedly, this is not the ‘answer’ to the overall distance debate/issue, but rather a simple option for competitive events. It’s important to note that it is not a ‘Rule of Golf,’ and as such, it is not mandated for the average, recreational golfer. Rather, this is an available tool for those running competitive events.”

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said, “We have taken time to consult fully with the golf industry, including players, the main professional tours and equipment manufacturers, and have considered their feedback carefully. We believe this is the right thing for the game at this time and will provide tournament organizers with the flexibility to choose for themselves within the framework of the Rules. We are working hard to maintain an open, collaborative and considered dialogue with these key stakeholders as we continue to evolve the Equipment Standards Rules to ensure they reflect the modern game.”

The proposals submitted in February for changes to the testing method for golf balls and the testing tolerance for spring-like effect are still under consideration. The governing bodies plan to consider feedback on these proposals in line with the responses to the broader Area of Interest – Research Topics notification, which are due by November 2.

The detail of MLR G-10 can be found here.

Indianola Country Club, located at 1610 Country Club Road in Indianola, will host a ceremony Monday, October 11, at 10:30 a.m.,  to dedicate “Steve Spray Lane” and to commemorate Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Steve Spray’s life and golf career.  The public is invited to join friends, family, and admirers for this event. 

Earlier this year the entrance drive lane was named in Spray’s honor. A large street  sign graces the entrance. Spray grew up in Indianola in the 1950s. He learned to play golf at the then-small,  27 acre Indianola Country Club. 

Spray was an accomplished golfer. During his high school years, he won the 1958  Iowa Junior Amateur Championship and the Western junior Championship in 1959.  As a collegiate golfer at Eastern New Mexico University he won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship in 1962 and ’63. He  also won the Iowa Amateur Championship in 1963 and the Iowa Open in ’64. 

Spray turned professional in 1964, joining the PGA Tour in 1965. He went on to tie for 5th in the U.S. Open in 1968 where he tied the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus for a record low final round of 65. That record held until Johnny  Miller shot a 63 in 1973. Spray shot a blistering 30 on the back 9, also a record  that stood for 27 years. 

He won the San Francisco Open Invitational in 1969 after competing in the Masters in 1968. 

After leaving the tour Spray became the head golf professional at St Louis Country  Club, a position he held for more than 30 years. During his career he was awarded  many honors including being a Hall of Fame member in Iowa, Eastern New Mexico University, and the Gateway Section PGA.

Following retirement, Spray was a founding member of Accelerated Golf Tour in Missouri. He was dedicated to promoting golf, especially for advanced younger  players, giving them opportunities to be exposed to college coaches and supporting  scholarships for them. 

At the dedication, people will gather at the entrance to the Club to recognize and remember Steve Spray. After the brief ceremony, lunch will be served in the club  house. Following lunch the assembled PGA Professionals and others will play the  course where Steve honed his game.

Spray was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.

The day of matches at the 11th Director’s Cup wrapped up today and Team Iowa sits in second place going into tomorrow’s singles match portion of the event at Dismal River Club in Mullen, NE. The home team, Nebraska, leads the tournament with a total of 12.50 points. Iowa’s 9.50 points give them a two-point lead over Team Kansas who holds the third-place position. 

After the morning Four-Ball portion of the tournament, Team Iowa led the way with a 5.5-point total. Team Nebraska trailed by 0.5 points and went into the Foursome portion in second place. In third place was Team Kansas after a 4-point tally. Team Missouri finished the Four-Ball portion in last with a 3.5-point total, but not far behind.

Iowa’s first match to go off Wednesday morning was the Ankeny duo, Nate McCoy and Connor Peck. After a strong start on the front nine, McCoy and Peck were able to grab Iowa’s first point. Kansas’s Alex Springer and Doug Albers posted a 30 on the back nine, giving them the overall match victory and two points. 

Iowa Golf Hall of Famers, Jon Brown and Gene Elliott were up next. This powerhouse of a team won handily and only gave away two holes to Missouri’s Ryan Sullivan and Ryan Eckelkamp. Elliott and Brown didn’t let up and won the back nine, front nine and overall match to score three points for Team Iowa. 

The final Iowan pairing, Ethan Mechling and J.D. Anderson, had to take on Nebraska’s William Amundsen and Scott Tridle. Mechling and Anderson didn’t give Nebraska an easy match. The two teams battled and ended up in a tie for the overall match. Mechling and Anderson added 1.5 points to Team Iowa’s total. 

Switching to the Foursome portion in the afternoon, Team Iowa continued to add to their total. The side of Peck and Elliott fell to Nebraska’s Spellerberg and Nietfeldt. However, Peck and Elliott did add one point with their 2&1 win on the back nine.

Brown and Mechling took on Kansas’s Grove and Fehr and finished in a tie. Brown and Mechling won the front nine after winning five of the nine holes. The back nine had a different story and Brown and Mechling couldn’t get anything going. They added 1.5 points to Team Iowa’s total. 

In Team Iowa’s third match, McCoy and Anderson teamed up against Missouri’s Nurski and Ferris. McCoy and Anderson took an early lead and won the front nine on the last hole. They took another early lead into the back nine, but Nurski and Ferris battled back and won 1 Up. The two teams tied overall, and McCoy and Anderson added another 1.5 points to Team Iowa’s total. 

Heading into the final round, Team Iowa trails Nebraska by 2.50 points, but currently holds the second-place position. The final round will begin tomorrow morning. You can follow the Directors Cup and get updates and information about the final matches. 

Wednesday Matches
Totals
Nebraska: 12.00
Iowa: 9.50
Kansas: 7.50
Missouri: 7.00

Four-Ball Matches:
Iowa (Nate McCoy/Connor Peck) 1 down/2&1/2 Up Kansas (Alex Springer/Doug Albers)
Iowa (Gene Elliott/Jon Brown) 2&1/2 Up/3&2 Missouri (Ryan Sullivan/Ryan Eckelkamp)
Iowa (Ethan Mechling/J.D. Anderson) Tied Nebraska (William Amundsen/Scott Tridle)

Foursome Matches:
Iowa (Connor Peck/Gene Elliott) 3&2/2&1/3&2 Nebraska (Johnny Spellerberg/Ryan Nietfeldt)
Iowa (Jon Brown/Ethan Mechling) 3&1/3&2/Tied Kansas (Kit Grove/Brian Fehr)
Iowa (Nate McCoy/J.D. Anderson) 1 Up/1 Down/Tied Missouri (Brad Nurski/Chris Ferris)