Category: News

Book on Iowa Golf History – Golden Harvest – Available for Purchase

October 29, 20190 commentsNews, Uncategorized

PURCHASE YOUR COPY TODAY!!!

Golf came to Iowa in the late 1800s, planting the seeds for a rich harvest of golf history.

Much of that history, long forgotten, comes to life in “Golden Harvest. Iowa’s Rich Golf History.”

Written by 11-time Iowa Sportswriter of the Year Rick Brown and commissioned by the Iowa Golf Association, this book is a must-read for those who love the game.

“It’s amazing how much work Rick did in researching and writing this chronicle of Iowa’s golf history,” said Chad Pitts, IGA executive director.  “This book gives the reader a much deeper dive into stories they already knew as well as introducing them to some amazing things that we didn’t know anything about until now.”

Iowa is the home to major champions Jack Fleck, Judy Kimball and Zach Johnson. It’s also the home to 254 nine-hole golf courses, the most of any state in the nation.

It has produced many champions who had success in and out of Iowa, like Jack Rule, Steve Spray, Barb Thomas Whitehead, Ann Casey Johnstone, Lucile Robinson, Art Bartlett, John Jacobs, Mike McCoy, Gene Elliott, Sean McCarty, Ken Schall, Joe Brown, Edith Estabrooks, Rudy Knepper and so many more. Their stories are chronicled in these pages.

This is a book that looks back at the growth of a sport that really took off after the IGA was founded in 1900.

It also touches on stories you might not be familiar with, like Harry Vardon and Ted Ray playing an exhibition in Sioux City in 1920. Or Byron Nelson, in the middle of his record 11 straight victories on the PGA Tour in 1945, losing an exhibition match in Dubuque.

There’s the story of Sioux City’s Knepper, who reached the semifinals of the 1922 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass. His victories over British stars W.B. Torrance and Cyril Tolley earned him the nickname “Lion Tamer” by Atlanta newspaperman O.B. Keeler, best known for covering Bobby Jones’s Grand Slam legacy.

And did you know that Sioux City once hosted a PGA Tour event and Waterloo was home to an annual LPGA stop?

There’s the story of Sam Snead, who came to Round Grove Golf and Country Club in August of 1959, shot 62 and then was on an airplane that tried to take off on a 1,500-foot-long grass runway and ran through a fence instead. It was a story that Snead embellished over the years.

This book tells the remarkable tale of the four generations of Smiths who have made golf their livelihood, and visits the rich tradition of the sport in the state’s unofficial golf capital, Waterloo.

Most of the game’s greatest players, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Patty Berg and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, have teed it up in Iowa. And the state has also hosted an impressive collection of events, from the U.S. Amateur to the U.S. Senior Open and the Solheim Cup.

You’ll read about George Roddy, the first African-American golfer in University of Iowa history, who captained the team but wasn’t allowed to play in a Big Ten Championship because of the color of his skin.

And there’s the story of Iowa’s greatest con man and golf champion, Floren DiPaglia.

Iowa has long had a reputation for a strong summer golf schedule, helping create and crowning many champions you’ll read about in these pages.

“Golden Harvest” will be available to the public on or about November 15.  Proceeds from book sales will benefit IGA Foundation programs and services.

To purchase copies visit this link or call the IGA office at 515-207-1062.

 

READ THE INTRODUCTION

READ THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

Brown takes home third Briarwood Amateur title

August 26, 20190 commentsNews

Iowa Golf Hall of Famer Jon Brown (pictured above) rewrote the history books on Sunday, becoming the first player to win the Briarwood Amateur three times.

Brown sat one back heading into Sunday, where he separated himself from the field with a round of 66 (-6) that included eight birdies. His weekend total of 136 (-8) was two clear of Runner-Up Scot Cook, of Van Meter, who posted back-to-back rounds of 69 (-3) to finish at 138 (-6). J.D. Anderson, of Johnston, was going for the three-peat, but finished third with a (-2) total of 142 for the tournament.

In the Senior Division, the tournament came down to the wire, with Greg Kramer, of Urbandale, defeating Curtis Holck, of Ankeny, in a sudden-death playoff.

Kramer went low on Saturday, posting a score of 69 (-3) to give him the lead going into Sunday. Kramer followed up his 69 with a round of 74 (+2). After a few hiccups on 10 and 11, Kramer finished his final 7 holes two-under in order to hang onto a share of the lead and force a playoff with Holck at 143 (-1). Holck followed up his 73 (+1) on Saturday with a round of 70 (-2) on Sunday, jumpstarted by his eagle on the fourth. Kirk Macumber, of Winterset, shot a weekend total of 144 (E) to finish in third place.

In the Super Senior Division, Rob Christensen, of Marshalltown, and Jim Campbell, of Albia, duked it out in a playoff, with Christensen coming out on top.

Christensen played consistently, with a pair of 74’s that yielded him a 148 (+4) total. Campbell was the leader heading into Sunday after an even par round of 72, and ended up in a tie after his round of 76 tied Christensen’s 148 (+4) total. Stephen Larson, of Polk City, finished in third place and four back from the leaders with a weekend total of 152 (+8).

Click here for a full recap of scoring

Cooney wins Northwest Amateur by four strokes, makes 25 birdies

August 5, 20190 commentsChampionships, News

JJ Cooney, of Pickstown, SD, (above left) put together four under-par rounds to win the 2019 Northwest Amateur Golf Tournament at the Spencer Golf and Country Club. Cooney, who shot rounds of 71-66-68-66 (-17), made a total of 25 birdies en route to a four stroke victory over Justin Kolb, of Sioux Falls, SD, and Trent Peterson of Eagen, MN. Cooney trailed by four strokes of the lead entering the final round.

A quartet of players finished in a logjam for fourth place at -11, including Joe Hunter (Altoona), Jon Brown (Adel), Matt Tolen (Eau Clarie, WI) and Loagan Schweinefus (Ossian).

In the Senior Division, Jon Brown edged out Booneville’s Brett Taylor. Brown posted rounds of 72-68 (-4) to win the division. Ankeny’s Curtis Hock finished third, four shots back of Brown.

Dick Vetter, of Charlotte, NC, also captured a one stroke victory in the Super Senior Division. Ron Eilers, of Columbia, MO, and Rob Pomerantz, of Des Moines, finished in a tie for second place.

Click here to view a full recap of scores and flight results.

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame, Lifetime IGA Board Member George Turner passes away

July 25, 20190 commentsNews

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame and IGA Lifetime Board Member George Turner passed away on the morning of July 25th at Taylor Hospice.

Services will be Monday Aug 5th, 3:00 p.m – St. Lukes Church – Forrest Ave in Des Moines, with a reception following service at Waveland Golf Course Clubhouse. Click here to read an obituary for Turner.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Iowa Golf Foundation (1605 N. Ankeny Blvd, Suite 210, Ankeny, IA 50023) or Taylor House Hospice (3401 E Douglas, Des Moines, IA 50317).

Turner’s contributions to Iowa golf have come both on and off the golf course. From his victories in two designated major championships — the 1965 Northwest Amateur and the 1969 Fort Dodge Amateur — to countless other amateur events, Turner’s name is well-known in Iowa. Turner’s other wins include the Iowa Golf Association State Seniors title in 1989, the Iowa Golf Association State Masters title in 1990, the Iowa Golf Association State Senior Amateur title (70 years-over) in 2002, and the Des Moines Senior Open title in 2005. Turner qualified for and played in the 1981, 1984 and 1993 U.S. Senior Open and the 1988, 1990 and 1991 U.S. Senior Amateur.

Turner was a lifetime member of the IGA Board of Directors and was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. Off the course, George has been an Iowa Golf Association volunteer for decades, helping run numerous events. George and John Nervig took over operations of the Iowa Masters from the late Harry Burrell 30+ years ago.

The Iowa Golf Association named its distinguished service award after Turner in 2003. It is given annually to individuals who – like George – have given back to the game through years of volunteer service.

Des Moines Mens City, Junior Am Championship Entries Open

July 24, 20190 commentsNews, Uncategorized

Entries to the Des Moines Mens City Championship and the Des Moines Junior Championship are now being accepted.  Click the links for more info on each.

Click here to view information on the Junior Championship.

Junior Metro Championship
August 12-13
Bright-Grandview Golf Course
Des Moines

Click here to view information on the Men’s City Championship.

Men’s City Championship
August 16-18
Waveland Golf Course
Des Moines

Six from Iowa qualify for 53rd PGA Professional Championship

July 24, 20190 commentsNews

Judd Gibb (pictured above left) of Lakeside Municipal GC, winner of the Iowa PGA Professional Championship, July 23, 2019, at Amana Colonies Golf Club will lead a total of six Iowa Section PGA Professionals to compete in the 53rd PGA Professional Championship, April 26-29, at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin, Texas.

Gibb turned in a winning total of 2-under-par 214 to capture the Iowa PGA Professional Champion title. Jeff Schmid was runner-up, finishing at 2-under-par 214 but fell in the playoff. They are joined by Sean McCarty, Jay Giannetto, Chad Proehl, and Ryan McClintock. Jeff Schmid qualified to the PGA Professional Championship due to his performance 2019 PGA Professional Championship.

The PGA Professional Championship and 41 PGA Section Championships feature a total purse of more than $1.5 million. The PGA Professional Championship purse is $550,000, distributed among those who make the cut in the 312-player field. Golf Channel will televise all four rounds of the national Championship. If eligibility is met and maintained, the low 20 scorers in 2019 will earn berths into the 102nd PGA Championship, May 14-17, at Harding Park Golf Club, San Francisco, California.

Hogenson wins IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series event at Edmundson GC

July 1, 20190 commentsChampionships, News

The second event of the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series was contested at Edmundson Golf Course in Oskaloosa, Iowa this past Saturday, June 29.

Katelynn Hogenson (pictured right in white hat), of Ames, earned her first victory in a dramatic sudden death playoff over Julie Buerman, of Cedar Rapids. Buerman, who had won the first event of the series in Waterloo earlier this summer, matched Hogenson’s score of 75 (+5). Hogenson made par on the first playoff hole to earn the win and the coveted pink sash.

When asked if she had expectations prior to the event, Hogenson said “I just wanted to have a good time and get my feet wet again.”

Hogenson, who serves as Director of Member Services & Women’s Golf for the Iowa Golf Association, is usually watching golf verses playing it.

“I was more nervous than expected,” Hogenson said. “I kind of forgot about the feelings you get when you actually have to hit a ball under pressure.”

When it was learned there would be a playoff, players who were waiting in the comfortable air-conditioned clubhouse immediately grabbed a cart and found a shaded area to watch. It gave the players a fun atmosphere to compete in and also interested many of the public playing as well.

Nicki Clayton (pictured above in orange) captured the Net Division title with a score of 68 (-2) to outdistance Michelle Klein by two shots. Complete results can be found by clicking here.

The third and final event of the Women’s Mid-Am series will be contested at Bear Creek Golf Course in Forest City, on Saturday September 7th. The event format will be a four-ball championship. For more information on the this event click here, or to sign up, enter here.

Click here to view a video recap of the playoff

Inside the Ropes at the U.S. Senior Open – From a Caddie’s Perspective

June 27, 20190 commentsNews, USGA

Staff Note: Mark Gambaiana, a member of the Iowa Golf Association Foundation Board, will be sending periodic reports this week from his experience as a caddie at the 40th U.S. Senior Open set for June 27-30, at the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course.

Friday, June 28
Iowans Mike McCoy and Jay Gregory battled valiantly but fell just short in a quest to play the weekend at the 40th U.S. Senior Open at the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course Friday. McCoy fired his second consecutive 71 to post a two-over par 142. Exactly 60 players shot 141 or better to make the cut as the USGA trimmed the 156-player field to the low 60 and ties.

McCoy birdied the 404 yard par-4 ninth hole…his 18th of the day but fell short by the narrowest of margins. He was the low amateur for the tournament. McCoy’s round of 71 Thursday was spiced by a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 13th hole. Gregory shot a pair of 72’s to post a 144 and finish in a tie for 81st. He was tied for the second lowest amateur score.

A star-studded leaderboard will produce an exciting weekend finish. Steve Stricker backed up an opening round 62 with a 64 Friday for an unheard of U.S. Open two-day total of 14-under par 126. Right behind are Jerry Kelly, David Toms and Retief Goosen.

A rough start for my player, Roger Rowland of Jacksonville, FL proved too much to overcome as he shot a second day 75 for two-day total of 146. Being inside the ropes was a magnificent experience for yours truly. I’ve followed these players throughout their careers and having a front row seat only deepened my appreciation for their playing ability. There’s such a fine line that separates the pack.

 

Wednesday, June 26
Final practice preparations are wrapping up as the 40th U.S. Senior Open begins Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday’s practice round provided an wonderful illustration of the melting pot of players assembled to compete for this championship. Our foursome included a pair of golf celebrities and a pair of journeymen who have toiled for years on the mini and satellite tours.

Two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen joined our group and put on an impressive display of shotmaking. Fresh off a playoff loss to Jerry Kelly in last week’s American Family Insurance Championship, Goosen has to be considered one of the favorites this week. His length, accuracy and distance control were spectacular. Another newly minted 50-year old, Gary Nicklaus, showed good form with his 18-year old son, G.T., on the bag. Son of the golf legend, Gary played three years on the PGA Tour and has competed in a handful of 2019 Champions Tour events via sponsor exemptions, including the Principal Charity Classic. Bowling Green, KY resident David Plumb rounded out the group. Like my player, Roger Rowland, David spent a handful of years on the Nike Tour but the majority of his career on mini tours.

I connected with Mike McCoy (pictured right) Wednesday morning as he was warming up on the range. Mike plays at 9:31 a.m. Thursday morning with Tom Werkmeister of Grandville, MI and Kevin King of Bluffton, SC.

I have a new appreciation for the work of caddies. It seems glamorous from the perimeter (and it is) but it’s also hard work and you have to hustle, especially between shots. Thank goodness the Warren Golf Course is relatively flat and not much distance between greens and tees. It’s also great to see how the status of caddies has elevated over the years. There’s an air conditioned tent for caddies, meals and refreshments provided and a wellness center right next door. The caddies of yesteryear didn’t enjoy such creature comforts.

 

Tuesday, June 25
Activity at the U.S. Senior Open moved into high gear Tuesday as the 156-player field took advantage of beautiful weather for a full day of practice rounds. Players found the 6,943 yard, Par 70 Warren Golf Course a stern test. The layout features small, contoured and well protected greens which should produce an exciting championship. The 450 yard par 4 third hole, the 492 yard par 4 fourth hole and the 239 yard par 3 fifth hole provide an early round challenge.

There are so many distinguishing aspects of this tournament – you can see the game’s legends of yesteryear…Watson, Langer, Jimenez, Singh…hitting balls on the range next to amateurs and journeyman professionals who earned their spot through open qualifying.

Lineville, Iowa’s Jay Gregory (pictured right) had a great thrill today, playing a practice round with Tom Watson and Stephen Ames. A Hamilton, MO native (hometown of JC Penney) Gregory played college golf at William Jewell and is the pride of Lineville, population 217, which sits on the Missouri border.

Watson, still spry at age 69, is joined in the super senior category by veteran Dick Mast, who also belies his age at 68.

Tomorrow I hope to check in with Iowa’s other representative, Mike McCoy.

 

Monday, June 24
Twenty-eight years ago this summer, I caddied for a budding young golf professional from Florida at the 1991 Ben Hogan Dakota Dunes Open in Sioux City. History will repeat itself this week as I will again caddie for Roger Rowland, this time at the 2019 U.S. Senior Open.

Roger is the ultimate golf journeyman, having persevered on multiple golf tours over three decades as a golf professional to get to this point – qualifying for his first major championship. His career began with moderate success on the Ben Hogan and Nike Tours in the 1990’s, including 117 events played, 61 cuts made, a pair of runner-up finishes and a high finish of 33rd on the money list. Later he played on the Tommy Armour Tour, NGA Hooters Tour, Florida Golf Association Tour and now competes on the Sunbelt Senior Tour, a place where senior professionals keep their games sharp while making the difficult attempt to gain status on the Champions Tour. In all, Roger has won more than 80 mini-tour events.

Last year, Roger made a strong showing at the PGA Champions Tour Qualifying School by finishing in a tie for 13th. Only the top five players earn exempt status however, and the rest are relegated to Monday qualifying where fields of anywhere from 30 to 70 players vie for four spots. He has played the sum total of one Champions Tour event, that being the 2018 SAS Championship where he emerged from the Monday qualifier and finished in a tie for 43rd.

This week, Roger is hoping his determination and persistence will parlay into more status on the Champions Tour. We play at 3:06 p.m. Thursday and 9:31 a.m. Friday.

Iowa Representation
Iowa golf will have a distinct flavor at the U.S. Senior Open as Mike McCoy of Norwalk and Jay Gregory of Lineville are among 20 amateurs in the 156-player field at the U.S. Senior Open. McCoy, a veteran of USGA Championships, punched his ticket into the field by his participation in the 2015 Walker Cup competition while Gregory may have been the last player into the field when he emerged from a playoff for the final spot at the last qualifier held on June 11 at the Golf Club at Creekmoor in Raytown, MO.

McCoy plays at 9:31 a.m. (all times Eastern) on Thursday and 3:06 p.m. Friday while Gregory steps on the tee at 1:11 p.m. Thursday afternoon and 7:46 a.m. Friday morning. All players will play 18 holes of stroke play June 27-28 after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties for weekend competition.

Huseman wins Fort Dodge Amateur, Bates & Campbell capture titles

June 24, 20190 commentsNews

In what could very well be his final Fort Dodge Amateur appearance, the 24-year-old Andrew Huseman (above right) left nothing to chance and grinded his way to a resounding five-stroke victory in the open division at the Fort Dodge Country Club’s 71st annual tourney.

Albia’s Joe Bates (above left) and Jim Campbell (above center) went wire-to-wire in the senior and super senior divisions, respectively, to secure titles as well. Bates posted a three-stroke victory over Bret Taylor; Campbell edged Joel Yunek in a playoff.

Motivated to fulfill a promise he made to himself — and his grandpa Dutch — years ago, Huseman closed with a steady two-under par 69 on Sunday. The home stretch of the final round is often tense and unrewarding, as Huseman himself can attest, but the Ankeny Centennial graduate posted plenty of birdies and avoided enough mistakes over the first two-and-a-half days to turn the back nine into a virtual victory lap.

Read more from Fort Dodge Messenger Sport Editor Eric Pratt by clicking here.

Click here for a full recap of scores.

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