Narrated by Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Zach Johnson, fellow Iowan Ian Johnston (pictured above) is being featured on CBS Sports. The feature tells an inspiring story about Johnston’s crusade against the opioid crisis that directly impacted him and his family.
Click here to view the video from CBS Sports.
After South Africa’s Ian Snyman became the first international player to claim the Northwest Amateur Tournament crown a year ago, Jackson Kalz (right) continued the trend during a water logged, 96th edition of the tournament, finishing at 12-under par to take the title by three strokes.
The 18-year-old Adelaide, Australia native entered Sunday’s championship flight in a tie for the lead with 50-year-old Jon Brown, of Adel, at 7-under par after both players shot identical first and second rounds of 69 and 68.
Click here to read more courtesy of the Spencer Daily Reporter.
Click here for a recap of scoring
Have you noticed your home course’s turf suffering a bit more in 2018 than in previous years? If you haven’t, you are one of the lucky ones. Dr. Adam Thoms of Iowa State explains why this has been an especially difficult year for our playing surfaces in Iowa.
SPECIAL REPORT FROM DR. ADAM THOMS, Ph.D. Iowa State University
What a year for turfgrass in Iowa.
Has the turfgrass on your local golf course been on your mind this summer? We have had one of the hardest growing seasons for turfgrass so far this season. As the Turfgrass Extension Specialist for Iowa, I have had more calls and emails about turfgrass this year than in my previous time combined.
This spring we had one of the coldest April’s on record. In parts of the state we had snow cover for the majority of the month. The low temperature’s also slowed the creeping bentgrass from breaking winter dormancy. The delayed start for the creeping bentgrass allowed annual bluegrass to get an early competitive advantage in growth. Less than 30 days after the last snow melt we had 90 degree temperatures with high humidity. Typically in the spring turfgrass will spend a lot of energy both growing above ground tissue and below ground roots. Due to the low April temperatures the roots did not develop as well as they have should have, making the early high temperatures extra hard on the golf course.
Moisture was also very prevalent in May and early June for parts of the state. The regular soaking of the golf courses also kept the roots more shallow than traditionally we like to see them. During a dry spring a superintendent can push the roots deeper by watering deeply and infrequently, however when it rains regularly the roots do not need to go deep into the soil in search of water. Many courses saw large rains, which added to the monthly totals but had much of the rain run off rather than infiltrate into the soil. Those golf courses that saw flooding also saw 90 degree temperatures, which caused a loss of oxygen in the rootzone killing the turfgrass and leaving a layer of silt in the soil. The excessive amount of water in May and June also has created perfect conditions for crabgrass, and in many cases it has caused preemergent herbicides for crabgrass to fail. Due to wet conditions some superintendents have also missed fertility applications, leaving weak turf until those applications could be made.
July so far has been very dry for much of the state, with many of the days above average. With the shallow turfgrass roots drought showed up very quickly. The annual bluegrass (Poa annua) also had more shallow roots than normal, and the low moisture and high temperature stress of early July caused much damage to these plants as well. High humidity was also present for much of June and July, this added disease pressure for extended periods adding to the already stressed turfgrass, which we typically only see for a few days at a time.
This also shows the importance of having sound resources for golf course superintendent’s to utilize during growing seasons like this one. Iowa State University Extension is a great resource, which provides a Turfgrass Specialist to help with diagnosing and troubleshooting problems. Another very helpful resource is the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association, this network of superintendents can provide resources and support to help during stressful growing seasons and continuing education for the superintendents. The good news is that cooler temperatures were here for a few days, and fall is on its way with recovery for most cool-season turfgrasses. Finally, keep in mind that damage is done, and it will take some time and better growing conditions to recover.
Sincerely,
Adam Thoms, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Commercial Turfgrass
Iowa State University
Global Golf Post recently did a story on Joe Palmer’s success as a senior amateur golfer. As many people know, Joe is the owner of Palmer’s Deli and Market, which has four stores across the Des Moines metro area.
The Cedar Valley Jaycees’ Greater Waterloo Open Golf Classic is Iowa’s largest and oldest professional golf tournament. Established in 1933, the Waterloo Open (as it is commonly known) is organized and run by a volunteer committee of Cedar Valley Jaycees members, with assistance from the Waterloo Leisure Services department and the PGA Professionals at the three Waterloo public golf courses. Every year, the Waterloo Open hosts nearly 400 amateur and professional golfers from all across the world.
Championship Flight
Semifinals:
Dave Gaer & Willis Gaer, DM def. Jason Thronbrough & Bill Matzdorff, Ankeny 2&1
Chris Hinz, Iowa Falls & Dave Akers, Eldora def. Bill Tank, Bettendorf & Andrew Tank, Ames 2 up
Finals:
Gaer & Gaer def. Hinz & Akers 2 up
Senior Championship Flight
Semifinals:
Mike McCoy, Norwalk & Tom Tillinghast, DM def. Gary Youngberg & Rick Sanders, Ames 1 up
Gary Ellis & Jay Goeser, Norwalk def. Rick Thompson & Bob Hartzler, Ames 6&5
Finals:
McCoy & Tillinghast def. Ellis & Goeser 20 holes
Championship Consolation
Finals:
Parker Davidson, Pleasant Hill & Cam Arkema, Pella def. Chad Wood, Norwalk & Matt Ross, Boone 4&3
Senior Consolation
Finals:
Jim Brousard, Ames & Kurt Mathewson, Madrid def. John Brown, Urbandale & Tim McKnight, Indianola 2&1
First Flight
Finals:
Kyle Pieper, Urbandale & Dave Henery, WDM def. Luke Jensen, Ames & John West, Ceder Falls 2&1
By RICK BROWN
Iowa Golf Association
Broc Everett committed himself to golf by accident.
He played baseball and golf at West Des Moines Valley High School, but was unsure which sport he wanted to pursue in college.
“I was waffling back and forth between the two,” said Everett, a left-handed pitcher. “And then I was in a car accident and separated my shoulder.”
A high school junior at the time, Everett was leaving Hickory Park Restaurant in Ames after playing in the Iowa Masters.
“My foot slipped off the brake, and I hit the accelerator,” Everett said. “It was unfortunate.”
The accident ended his baseball season, and pushed him to golf.
“It wasn’t a moment where I thought this is destiny, or anything like that,” Everett said.
Lightly recruited, Everett got some interest from Augusta University . He headed to Georgia as a walk-on, redshirted his first year and poured his heart and soul into golf. Five years later, he introduced himself to the nation.
Everett, 23, won the individual NCAA Championship in May at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla. He beat Brandon Mancheno of Auburn on the first hole of their sudden-death playoff, rolling home a 15-foot birdie putt.
When he looks at a list of NCAA champions, Everett will forever see his name alongside the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
“Kind of a nice reward for all the hard work,” Everett said. “It’s cool to see my name there for sure.”
Everett became the third player with Iowa roots to win an NCAA title. James Hubbell of Des Moines, playing for Harvard, won the 1916 championship at Oakmont. And Clark Burroughs of Ohio State, who grew up in Waterloo before moving to Overland Park, Kan., when he was in high school, was the 1985 champion.
Everett never won a major amateur title in the state of Iowa. His Augusta bio lists a third-place finish at the Ottumwa Amateur and a runner-up finish in the Des Moines City as his best showings. But Everett said he grew through the competition.
“We’ve got great players in the state of Iowa,” Everett said. “You’ve got guys like Gene Elliott and Mike McCoy. There’s always good competition, even though it’s a short season. People think that if you’re from Iowa, you can’t compete with guys from Florida, or Georgia, or Texas. It’s not true. If you take care of the details, you can compete at the next level.”
Everett’s first career victory came in his last college event. To those who don’t know his story, the NCAA title made him an overnight sensation.
But it took a lot of hard work and Midwestern work ethic for Everett to get there.
He said he was 3 or 4 years old when he was introduced to golf, tagging along with his dad, Larry, at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club, or swinging a club in his own back yard.
A lefty, Everett said the family contemplated switching him to the other side of the ball because it would be easier to find clubs.
“But my mom (Mary) said that she liked my swing too much left-handed,” Everett said.
He headed to Augusta with no promises, only an opportunity. And he made the most of it. The secret, as Ben Hogan always said, was in the dirt.
Everett, who was never the No. 1 man on the golf team at Valley, became a range rat at Augusta. He became a fixture at the program’s first-class practice facility.
That’s where he crossed paths with PGA Tour player Wesley Bryan, who won the 2017 RBC Heritage. Bryan’s wife went to medical school at Augusta, and he used the practice facilities as well.
“We were both out there all the time,” Everett said. “He would say, “Hey, do you want to go out and play?’ We’d have chipping contests for three hours some days, especially once I started getting better. That’s when I really started honing in on my game. He’s always pushing you, and he’s not afraid to get on you if he thinks you’re not doing what you’re supposed to.”
Asked if he was surprised at Everett’s NCAA success, Bryan said, “Surprise isn’t the right word. I knew he had been playing really well leading up to (the NCAAs). But all the best golfers in the entire country are there in one tournament. It’s a surprise when anyone wins. But there’s no doubt he has the game. He’s one of the toughest golfers I’ve ever played with. He gets a lot out of his round. He’s a grinder. Any time he gets in contention, you’ve got to like his chances.”
Less than a week after the NCAAs, Everett made his pro debut at the Freedom 55 Financial Open on the MacKenzie Tour-Canada. He played in four events, and missed every cut.
“I wish I would have taken that first week off,” said Everett, who was the No. 1 man on the Augusta team the past two seasons. “There were so many things happening all at once. I kind of forgot, “Hey, I still need to go out there and compete.’ I was going through the motions the first two weeks.”
The day after winning his NCAA title, Everett got a phone call from John Deere Classic director Clair Peterson offering a sponsor’s exemption.
“I didn’t even realize it would be on the table that quickly,” Everett said. “But I’m thankful he got me into the event so fast.”
Everett shot a bogey-free 4-under-par 67 in the opening round. That included a birdie on the first hole of his PGA Tour career.
“One of the caddies came up and said, “Welcome to the PGA Tour,’ ” Everett said.
A second-round 74 left him on the wrong side of the cut line, but Everett showed some encouraging flashes during his major-league debut.
He plans to stay in West Des Moines and practice at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club this summer. He’s unsure of his schedule. He’ll return to Augusta this fall, where he’s still got an apartment and the use of those practice facilities.
“He rolls the ball about as good as anybody I’ve ever seen,” Bryan said. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that mentally and strategically he’ll pick apart a golf course as good as anybody. And his short game is really good. I’d say he’s got some work to do in the full swing department. But there’s no doubt there’s potential there. Because his short game is definitely deadly.”
To help commemorate the 60th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’s first Trans-Mississippi Amateur victory, this year’s 115th playing of the championship travels to the Golden Bear’s hometown. From July 10-13, the 72-hole, stroke play event takes place at Brookside Golf & Country Club, a classic parkland course that promises to challenge the top amateurs in the country. Several players with Iowa ties are in the field.
Nicklaus, golf’s all-time major championship winner with 18 Grand Slam titles, won the 1958 Trans-Miss Amateur at Prairie Dunes Golf Club, which happened to be the site of last summer’s championship won by Cameron Champ. Nicklaus won the Trans-Miss Amateur in ’59, too, when he outlasted Deane Beman at Woodhill Country Club. Beman went on to win four times on the PGA Tour before he became the tour’s second commissioner in 1974.
Nicklaus, of course, proceeded to pile up 73 PGA Tour wins and 117 professional victories worldwide, including a record six Masters wins.
Brookside, an old-school parkland course built in 1927 by Charles Lorms, will welcome an elite field that includes 27 players in the top 300 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Just a short iron away from Jack’s celebrated Muirfield Village Golf Club, Brookside has a rich history as a testing ground and entry point for our nation’s oldest championship.
For 13 of the past 15 years, Brookside has hosted some of the strongest fields for U.S. Open sectional qualifying. On more than one occasion, the eventual U.S. Open Champion played his sectional qualifier at Brookside. Most recently, Lucas Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black after earning his way into the tournament through Brookside. Steve Jones did the same thing in 1996 when he punched his ticket into the U.S. Open at Brookside, and then won the national championship two weeks later at Oakland Hills.
Brookside also played host to the 2000 and 2012 Ohio Amateur Championship. Future British Open champion Ben Curtis won the 2000 version, just three years prior to hoisting the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s.
The Iowa Golf Association announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Affinity Travel Benefits, a leading edge, online travel aggregation platform providing exclusive discounts up to 70% off retail rates at hotels and resort properties.
Affinity has obtained heavily discounted rates that are not available to the public on travel sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, Trivago, and Orbitz so your next hotel booking is guaranteed to be the lowest rate on the internet. As a member of IGA you will now have access, in addition to hotel price savings, other discounts include different theme and water parks across the country, movie tickets, sports and concert tickets, and, of course, hotel deals, both national and international.
“We are delighted that the International Association Of Golf Administrators put together an over-arching agreement allowing each State Association a simple and quick path for bringing travel discounts to members and players. Members of golf associations travel for many reasons. Offering a guaranteed low-price hotel room adds immense value to a growing association and its membership benefit programs. Our philosophy is to promote our client’s brand, deliver exceptional service, and share revenue to make this partnership win-win”, says Stephen Boyd, President of Affinity.
ABOUT THE IOWA GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Iowa Golf Association is the governing body for golf in the state of Iowa and exists as a non-profit organization that works to preserve, protect and promote the best interests and spirit of the game. As “caretakers” of the game we work to preserve the rich history of golf in our state and to provide numerous services that benefit all that play the game in Iowa.
ABOUT AFFINITY TRAVEL BENEFITS
Affinity Travel Benefits operates a leading-edge, online travel and entertainment aggregation platform with travel opportunities available to over 700,000 hotels and vacation rental properties globally. Leveraging a vast and established network of hospitality properties, travel wholesalers, and bulk travel buyers, Affinity’s data center delivers real-time streaming of highly discounted, “unpublished” and exclusive rates on hotels and resort properties. Affinity is a one-stop shop for its partners and members and always operates under a Lowest Rate Guarantee Policy.
ROUND 1
The 50th Junior Girls’ 4-State kicked off July 2, at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. The top five junior girls’ from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska came together to play 36-holes of golf over a two-day period.
The opening round brought beautiful weather and light wind, perfect for 18 holes. Amber Wilson shot a 71, an even par and the lowest score of the day, to pave the way for Team Missouri. Danica Badura carried Team Nebraska with a 72. Abby Glyn shot a 74 to lead the way for Team Kansas along with Sarah Nacos for Team Iowa.
After the first day of team stroke play team Nebraska sits at the top of the leaderboard with +23 while team Kansas is only one stroke back, with +24. Team Missouri is in third with +28 and Team Iowa has a +41.
ROUND 2
With a prompt tee off at 7:30 a.m., the second day of the Junior Girls’ 4-State tournament started early.
Team Missouri and Team Kansas were neck and neck all day. Ultimately Team Missouri pulled away for the win with a two-day score of 620, Team Kansas finished four strokes back with a 624. Team Nebraska ended with a 630 and Team Iowa posted a 634.
Sarah Bell (Team Missouri) was the medalist of the tournament with a score of 144. Bell’s round included an eagle and three birdies. Amber Wilson (Team Missouri) took second with a 148.
Brooke Boardman (Team Iowa) finished with a solid 149 to secure third place. Sarah Nacos was not far behind with a 150. Paige Hoffman fired a 73 in the second round, 18 strokes better than her opening round score.
Team Missouri takes home the trophy for the first time since 2015. The 2019 Girls 4-State Championship will be held next year in Nebraska.