Category: News

Nate Dunn to Defend Iowa Amateur Title Against Tough Field

July 19, 20170 commentsIowa Amateur, News

Follow live scoring from the 115th Iowa Amateur

ANKENY, IOWA – Nate Dunn will be defending his Iowa Amateur title on home turf this year in a field of prestigious players. In addition to his win last year, he won the Iowa Amateur Championship in 2004 and 2014. Dunn was the Player of the Year in 2007 and won the IGA Match Play Championship in 2015.

The Iowa Golf Association is excited to come back to Cedar Rapids Country Club for the 115th Iowa Amateur Championship July 24 through July 26. Cedar Rapids Country Club hosted the Iowa Amateur in 1984, 1955 and 1929. Pairings for the first round of the 115th Iowa Amateur Championship were released on Tuesday and can be found at https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/899233.

This year’s field is full of decorated players who are seeking to add an Iowa Amateur to their list of Championship titles. The field was extended from 144 players to 156 players to accommodate the surplus of entrants.

The current field includes 51 players who have received exemption status due to their outstanding performances in past championships. On that list you will see names like Mike McCoy, Gene Elliott, Jon Olson, J.D. Anderson, Nate Dunn, Tripp Kinney, Andrew Wood and Jon Brown.

Tripp Kinney is going into his second year at Iowa State University and plays for the Cyclone Men’s Golf team. Kinney won the IGA Match Play Championship in June. Andrew Wood won the Iowa Junior Amateur in June as well. He just graduated from Linn-Mar High School and has committed to play on the University of Northern Iowa Men’s Golf team in the fall.

J.D. Anderson won the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship last May. He also has an Iowa Four-Ball Championship title as well as multiple wins in sanctioned point events over the years.  He is currently third in the 2017 Player of the Year point standings.

McCoy and Elliott teamed up to win the IGA Four-Ball in late May. McCoy has won five Iowa Amateur titles in addition to being Player of the Year an impressive eleven times. Elliott has won three Iowa Amateur Championships and four Player of the Year titles. Elliott has won Player of the Year for the last two years running and is currently second in this year’s standings, buoyed by a recent win at the Iowa Masters. Both McCoy and Elliott are Iowa Golf Hall of Fame members and are major competitors within and outside the state.

Brown is currently leading this year’s Player of the Year point standings by twenty points. He won Player of the Year titles in 2006 and 2004 and won the Iowa Amateur in 2006. He recently finished second to Elliott at the Iowa Masters.

Jon Olson won the Iowa Amateur Championship in 2012 and was the IGA Player of the Year in 2014. He also won the IGA Match-Play Championship in 2011 and has won the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship three times (2011, 2014, 2015).

Play gets underway Monday at 7:30 a.m.  All players will play two rounds and then the low 60 & ties will make the cut to the final round on Wednesday.  You can follow live scoring here.

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Member Betty Thye passes away

July 12, 20170 commentsNews
By Matt Levins
The Hawk Eye

Respect. Integrity. Sportsmanship. Those are three words that describe Betty Thye, well, to a ‘T.’

BGC member and BGC Men’s Championship and City Championship winner John O’Neill III described Thye best, calling her “Burlington’s First Lady of Golf.”

Thye is one of the biggest reasons why southeast Iowa churned out junior golfers who went on to play and excel at the game the rest of their lives.

Thye, who was inducted into the Iowa Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2009, died on Tuesday morning. She was 99. She would have turned 100 on July 22.

Thye leaves a legacy that dates back to the 1950s. Her influence on the game was felt from the Missouri River to the Mississippi, from the Minnesota border to the Missouri border.

But nowhere was her gentle touch and soft words of encouragement more felt than in Burlington and at Burlington Golf Club, where she was a longtime member and spent much of her time.

Thye’s passing leaves a void that will be impossible to fill.

“She was one of the most influential people on juniors, as well as Joe (BGC PGA professional Butler) and Jock (former BGC professional Olson),” said Jill Blackwood, longtime member at BGC and one of Thye’s closest friends. “She didn’t teach me how to swing the golf club, but I would never be the player I was able to become if not for her. She taught me how to play the game.”

In her letter nominating Thye, Blackwood, a former Iowa Women’s Golf Association President, stated that “Every woman golfer in Iowa has benefited from her efforts and they will continue to benefit in the years ahead.”

“It’s a sad day in Burlington,” Butler said. “She hadn’t missed a single day of junior golf in my first 24 years here until this year. She loved golf and she helped teach the rules of golf. She was a rules stickler, for sure. She leaves a tough void to fill, without a doubt.”

“I just went and saw her on Saturday and we had a good chat,” said Randy Trine, former golf coach at Burlington High School and a winner of the City Championship multiple times. “She was a great lady. She was really important to all of our young people. We had some really good people (at BHS) for a long time and she influenced a lot of them. Any time I needed help, she was always there to help. Sometimes we don’t appreciate someone until they aren’t there any more. She will be sorely missed.”

Thye served on the Iowa Women’s Golf Association Board of Directors for 25 years beginning in the 1960’s. During that time, she served as IWGA Vice-President from 1984-85 and President from 1985-1988. She was also the Chair of the Course Rating Committee (1970-77) and helped the USGA establish women’s course ratings throughout the state.

Thye was the director of the Iowa Wife-Husband Championship 1978-1985 when it was held in Okoboji and was the largest tournament of its kind played on one golf course — more than 500 players.

Her service to the game of golf didn’t stop with the IWGA. As a member at Burlington Golf Club, she contributed her time and talents to help the junior golf program. She has mentored several generations of junior golfers on the rules of golf and the values of the game.

Thye’s service to youth went far beyond the golf course. She spent countless days at Sunnyside Elementary School, where she would listen to first-graders read every week in Julie Swanson’s class. The last three years she spent time with the kindergartners in Christine Larkins’ and Nina Zaiser’s classes.

“Sometimes the kids wouldn’t read to her. They would just talk to her. She had quite a listening ear,” Swanson said. “Most of the time she would walk to Sunnyside from her house. When the weather was bad, she would still get in her car and drive over. We’ve lost a gem.”

In a letter supporting Thye’s nomination Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Olson said, “I first met Betty in 1976 when I became the head golf professional at Burlington Golf Club. Thirty-two years later, she is still one of the biggest promoters of the game that I have ever known. She is the greatest volunteer that I have ever known, as well as a very good player in her own right.”

“Forty-two years ago on my first day of junior golf she was there. She was very dedicated,” O’Neill said. “She mentored countless kids in golf. She was an advocate of golf all over, not just in Burlington. Many of the tournaments I played in she was out there helping to run it. That is so important. You have to know the rules. You’ve got to honor the rules and etiquette of golf. Even during her off time, she would be there to take kids out golfing. She just loved kids and she loved golf.”

“The kids all called her Miss Betty. But her nickname was B.T. That’s how everybody knew her,” said Stacey Stevens, whose sons, Mateo and Tomas Rascon, and daughter, Sela Rascon, were influenced by Thye, as was Stacey’s father. “She used to watch my dad play golf and she was always interested in how my kids were doing. She was always a stickler for the rules. If I ever had a question about the rules, I knew I could always ask Betty and she would know. She will be greatly missed.”

One of the final people Thye touched was Charles Jahn, who won the BGC Men’s Championship two weeks ago. Thye was in the hospital, but she made sure her PGA visor, with the signatures of numerous BGC champions on it, was delivered to BGC for Jahn to sign. That act of kindness did not go unnoticed by Jahn.

“I grew up at the Club with Betty running the junior program. Betty was always very interested in how I was doing in my golf tournaments and very encouraging, as well,” Jahn said. “She would send me cutouts of articles about me in The Hawk Eye. In fact, she sent me the cutout about a week ago on me winning the Club Championship, as well as a note, which says a lot about her, considering the shape she was in when she sent it. The name Betty Thye will always be synonymous with Burlington Golf Club.”

“She had such a true love for the game. She was such a big supporter of girls golf and women’s golf,” said Marianne Briggs, who took lessons from Thye when she was younger and whose children, Matt and Lauren, have been influenced by Thye. “Whenever I would see her at Sunnyside she would always ask about the kids. Golf was her life and the Burlington Golf Club. The people there were her family. They always took care of her.

“Betty was one of those people who had always been around and you just assumed she would be around forever. She was a great asset. She will be greatly missed.”

“She was a true inspiration for me,” said former Notre Dame-West Burlington high school and Luther College golfer Katie Gaudian. “She was always the first face you would see at junior golf. She was always very determined and she never let anything get in her way. She was always at the golf course ready to go.

“I think the thing about her was that her life was so full of love and adventure. I try to model my life after her’s. I always care about people and try to keep golf in my life. I am always looking for what next adventure I can take. She was always interested in us kids and what we were doing and where we were going. Just her personality is something I took away from her. She was always in a good mood. She saw life and had fun every day. She helps me remember when I am having a bad day on the course that we are out there to have fun, to enjoy nature, enjoy the sunshine and just have fun. She will definitely never be forgotten.”

Team Iowa wins Junior Girls’ 4-State by 10 strokes

June 28, 20170 commentsNews

Pictured above (from left) Team Iowa – Casey Noble, Sarah Nacos, Hannah Bermel, Sydney Eaton, Paige Hoffman

WICHITA, KAN. – For the second year in a row Team Iowa closed out Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to claim the Junior Girls’ 4-State Championship.

After the first round of play at Wichita Country Club Team Iowa combined for a 315 total led by Hannah Bermel with a 6-over par 77. Sarah Nacos and Paige Hoffman both carded a 79, while Sydney Eaton (80) and Casey Noble (85) rounded out the group.

Team Kansas posted a 313 total securing their place at the top of the leaderboard by two strokes. Team Nebraska joined together for a 323 and Missouri finished at a 339 to land in fourth place.

Team Iowa capitalized on perfect scoring conditions Thursday and improved on their team total by 12 strokes, finishing with a 618. Team Kansas took a step backwards with their 315 team total and finished at 628. Team Nebraska and Missouri also improved on their first round total, but it was not enough to move positions in the standings.

Julia Misemer of Overland Park, Kan. took medalist honors with a 77-74—151 total. Bermel, Eaton and Nacos all finished with a 152 total placing them in a 4-way tie for second.

This is the 13th time in 4-State history that Team Iowa will be engraved in the traveling trophy.

Iowa: 315-303–618
Kansas: 313-315–628
Nebraska: 323-311–634
Missouri: 339-318–657

Team Iowa
Hannah Bermel 77-75—152
Sydney Eaton 80-72—152
Sarah Nacos 79-73—152
Paige Hoffman 79-83—162
Casey Noble 85-85—170

The 4-State Junior Girls’ Championship is composed of a golf team from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Each team consists of five girls and two coaches from each state. The four low scores of each team are added each day and totaled after the second day to determine the winner. The medalist is determined by the low two day total score.

Click here for full results

Several from Iowa at 2017 PGA Professional Championship

June 16, 20170 commentsNews

The 50th Annual PGA Professional Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA, will be held June 18-21 at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon. There are seven Iowa Section Pros competing in this event. They are:

  • Darin Fisher – Head PGA Professional at The Preserve on Rathbun Lake
  • Chad Proehl – Teaching Professional at Sugar Creek Municipal Golf Course
  • Judd Gibb – Head PGA Professional at Lakeside Golf Course
  • Aaron Krueger – Director of Golf at Wakonda Club
  • Ryan McClintock – Teaching Professional at Davenort Country Club
  • Jeff Schmid – Teaching Professional at Brown Deer Golf Club
  • Tracy Vest – Teaching Professional at Des Moines Golf & Country Club

Nebraska PGA Section Pros, from Iowa competing are:

  • Jonathan Beaver – Head PGA Professional at Landsmeer Golf Club
  • Nick Wanderscheid – Head PGA Professional at Green Valley Golf Club

Follow all the action, including scoring from the 312-player field here.

Five Elected to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame “Class of 2017”

June 14, 20170 commentsNews

The Iowa Golf Association is pleased to welcome the addition of five new members to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame. John Ausen of Urbandale, Rick Brown of Pleasant Hill, Jerry Smith of Scottsdale, AZ, Emil Roewert (deceased) and Brad Schuchat of Lakewood Ranch, FL were inducted as the “Class of 2017” at Hyperion Field Club, Johnston, on Tuesday, June 12.

This induction raises the total membership in the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame to 74.

Brad Schuchat
Brad Schuchat’s career of dominance in the state of Iowa began in 1965 with his victory at the Iowa State Junior Championship. Schuchat led his Des Moines Roosevelt golf team to a state championship in 1967 before heading off to the University of Iowa, where he would earn All Big Ten honors in 1970. While in college, Schuchat would capture the 1969 Iowa Amateur.

Following his collegiate days in Iowa City, Schuchat would travel the state, and the country, winning many tournaments. A few of those accomplishments include:
-Herman Sani Open Champion – 1970, 1975
-IGA Player of the Year – 1970, 1971
-Iowa Masters Champion – 1970, 1971
-T9th at U.S. Amateur, alternate to The Masters – 1971
-U.S. Open competitor – 1974, 1976
-Iowa Amateur Champion – 1980
-Iowa Open Champion – 1980

Schuchat also made the cut at the 1971 Quad Cities Open (now John Deere Classic) as an amteur, a feat that wasn’t replicated for 42 years.

Schuchat was known as a fierce competitor, yet was described as one who would play with a high level of integrity and respect for the game.

“When Brad was in his prime, I used to watch him practice over at Willow Creek. He was just a tough competitor.,” Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Mike McCoy stated.

The respect for Schuchat goes well beyond the titles he collected over his career.

“The true measure of a golfer runs deeper than his scores and his trophies,” fellow 2017 Iowa Golf Hall of Fame inductee Rick Brown said. “Brad Schuchat has always played and represented the game as a true gentleman.”

Emil Roewert
Emil Roewert spent over 60 years as a PGA golf professional and golf course superintendent, all within the state of Iowa. Starting in 1953 Roewert served the golfers in Osage, Perry, Fairfield and Shenandoah before moving to Fort Madison in 1964 to become the head professional and superintendent at Shaeffer Memorial Golf Course. He spent 25 years as the professional at Shaeffer Memorial GC and retired in December 1988.

Roewert was a Life Member of the PGA and became a member of the Half-Century Club (Fifty years as an active member of the PGA); the PGA honored him for this achievement in 1999.

During his time in Fort Madison, he gave tireless service to all the playing members at Shaeffer Memorial and his additional work with the PGA in Iowa was especially outstanding.

Roewert served as president of the Iowa Section of the PGA for four years (1966-1969) and was named Iowa Golf Professional of the Year on two separate occasions (1968 and 1976). He also won the Horton Smith Award for the Iowa Section of the PGA twice (1972 and 1977); the Horton Smith award is given to PGA members who promote and improve the PGA’s educational programs within the Section.

“Emil was an extremely dedicated teacher and proponent of the game of golf, both for his members and his fellow professionals,” Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Jack Webb once stated.

While formally serving as President of the Iowa PGA section, Roewert was also the Secretary, Treasurer and Tournament Director for the organization. From the time of his presidency and for several years after he held office, he was considered as the strongest member of the section and a principal reason that the section was even able to function.

Roewert’s more than sixty years of service to the PGA and to Iowa golf, without a doubt, made all of Iowa golf stronger.

Jerry Smith
Jerry Smith, originally from Oskaloosa, has made a career out of golf that many would envy.

Starting in 1982, Smith has been a top performer at every level he has been at including high school (1982 Iowa State High School individual champion), college (NJCAA Champion at Mackinnan Junior College and All-Southwest Conference at Baylor University), amateur (1986 Iowa Amateur, Match Play Champion – first person to win both in the same year) and professionally (1989, 90 & 94 Herman Sani Champion, 1998 Guam Open Champion, 2004 leading money winner on the Gateway Tour, five years on the PGA Tour, one year on European Senior Tour and currently on his third year of membership on the PGA Champions Tour including a win in 2015 at the Encompass Championship).

Smith’s earnings on the Web.Com, PGA Champions and PGA Tour, as of 1/25/17, total just over $3.5 million.

“Those of us who know him (would say) he is also a fine gentleman, loving father and husband and a friend to all he has met,” Jeff Smith, PGA, Jerry’s brother said.

Rick Brown
Rick Brown came to the Des Moines Register in 1978. As a fantastic sports writer in general and with a terrific knack for covering golf, Brown has done it enthusiastically on both the amateur and professional side of golf throughout his career – including covering the careers of Iowa Golf Hall of Fame members Zach Johnson, Gene Elliott and Mike McCoy just to name a few.

An 11-time Iowa Sportswriter of the Year winner, Brown recently retired from The Register in December of 2015. Over the years Brown has dutifully updated, maintained and added to ‘The Book’ – which is a large binder started by Bert McGrane that has newspaper clippings, scores, photos and other information from IGA championship and point events dating back several decades – sometimes dedicating hours searching through microfiche for old stories and information to add.

“Rick has done a tremendous job documenting and compiling the history of IGA Championships and Point Events throughout the years,” IGA Executive Director Chad Pitts said. “It’s always neat to see the stat or fact that Rick will come up with as it relates to the current year’s Iowa Amateur – that type of info always seems to be on the tip of his tongue.”

Mike Green, Director of Athletic Communications at Iowa State University also echoes Pitts’ comments.

“Rick has been one of Iowa golf’s greatest ambassadors,” Green said. “Simply put he is the Grantland Rice of Iowa Golf. If Rick called to do a story, you felt pretty special.”

John Ausen, CGCS
John Ausen’s illustrious career as a golf course superintendent began and ended in the state of Iowa. Originally from Rockford, Ausen career would take him from famed Firestone Country Club, in Akron, OH, to Quincy (IL) Country Club, then to Field Club of Omaha and then for 32 years at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, beginning in 1983.

During his time at Hyperion, Ausen would become quite established in the Iowa turf community. In those early days at Hyperion many regulatory issues faced his profession – Ausen would jump in with both feet and fought hard for the causes most important to superintendents including, but not limited to, water rights for golf courses and legislation that limits the rights of individual municipalities to regulate pesticides. Ausen also spent several years beginning in the late 1990s educating the Iowa DNR about golf course water use. His efforts helped many at the Iowa DNR understand the economics of golf course irrigation as well as importance of water recharge when used to irrigate turfgrass.

Ausen has also donated his time to several positions and boards including:
1987-1994 Iowa GCSA ‘Reporter’ newsletter Editor
1985-2009 Iowa Alliance for Environmental Concerns (IaAEC) Board of Directors
2001 Iowa GCSA Vice President
2002 Iowa GCSA President
1999-2003, 2011-2013 Iowa GCSA Board of Directors

Additional accomplishments for Ausen include:
1985, 1990, 1994 Iowa GCSA Distinguished Service Award (only three-time winner dating back to 1962 records)
1994 Iowa GCSA Superintendent of the Year Award
1988 Iowa GCSA Calhoun Writing Award
2001 Iowa Turfgrass Institute Meritorious Service Award
2015 IGA 18-hole Superintendent of the Year

In addition to his industry work, Ausen has also been involved in the Hickory Golf Association in promoting the game.

“John has been a role model for many in his personal life,” Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS MG, Director of Grounds, Des Moines Golf & Country Club said. “It has been an honor growing up in his shadow. More importantly for me it has been an honor trying to be a golf course superintendent like John Ausen.”

The Iowa Golf Hall of Fame is operated by the Iowa Golf Association under its charitable arm the IGA Foundation which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting golf and its positive values. Tax deductible donations and gifts to support the development of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame are welcome and encouraged.

Brown adds 2017 Carroll Am title to resume

June 12, 20170 commentsNews

Jon Brown added another title to his resume, winning the 2017 edition of the Carroll Amateur. Brown outdistanced J.J. Cooney by a pair of strokes. Brown posted rounds of 73-74-74 to claim the championship.

Rounding out the top five were Zach Christianson, Brad Krohn and Wes Buttenbach/Will Babcock (T5th). High temperatures and winds led to high scores throughout the field at Carroll Country Club.

Bret Taylor, who shot 68 in his final round (-3) won the Senior Division and Rob Christensen won the Super Senior Division.

Click here to see a recap of all scoring here.

2017 Ann Griffel Scholarship Winners Announced

June 6, 20170 commentsNews, Scholarships

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is pleased to announce the 2017 recipients of the Ann Griffel Scholarship Award (Griffel is pictured above in sport  coat).  Anne Gradoville, Johanna Vander Wilt, Abby Koch, Ann Hedlund and Beth Stolte will receive a one year scholarship of $2,000. These girls will join a group of 223 other students to have received this award since 1963.

Anne Gradoville is the daughter of Bernard and Kathleen Gradoville. She is a graduate of Dowling Catholic High School and plans on attending the University of Northern Iowa in the fall. While there she intends to study speech pathology. She will be representing the University of Northern Iowa as a member of their Women’s Golf team.

 

 

Johanna Vander Wilt is the daughter of David and Maggie Vander Wilt. She just graduated South Hardin High School in Eldora, IA. She will be attending Wartburg College in the fall and begin her studies in Elementary Education. She has also been asked to join Wartburg’s Women’s Golf team, be a manager for the volleyball team and tryout for a spot on the cheer team.

 

 

Abby Koch is the daughter of Ron and Mary Koch. She has completed her high school career at East High School is Sioux City, IA. In the fall she will attend Morningside College and pursue a degree in Graphic Design. Abby will also be continuing her golf career on the Morningside College Women’s Golf team.

 

 

Ann Hedlund is the daughter of Troy and Debra Hedlund. She attended Akron Westfield Senior High in Akron, IA. Ann has been accepted to Briar Cliff University, where she will pursue and education in Nursing. She will compete on the Briar Cliff Women’s Golf team this coming fall.

 

 

Beth Stolte graduated from Winterset High School in Winterset, IA this spring, and is attending Simpson College in the fall. At Simpson College, she intends to pursue a degree in Clinical Health Sciences. Beth will also be continuing her golf career as a member of Simpson’s Women’s Golf team.

 

 

The Ann Griffel Scholarship was established in 1963. It originated as just one $350 scholarship awarded by the Iowa Women’s Golf Association (IWGA) and has evolved into a $2,000 scholarship awarded to multiple high school senior girls who intend to further their education at an Iowa institution of higher learning, whether a college, university or trade school.

The Iowa Golf Association Foundation (IGAF) was established to preserve the game and develop more programs to promote the future of golf in Iowa. The IGAF awards the Ann Griffel scholarship each year. This scholarship was named after the long time IWGA President, Ann Griffel, who during her 23 year term started the Girls’ State Junior, Forever 39, State Wife-Husband and Senior Women’s Championships.

The Iowa Golf Association serves as the governing body of golf for the state of Iowa. Run by amateur golfers the IGA provides a variety of programs and services that benefit everyone who plays the game

Women’s Golf Day Celebration Comes to Cedar Rapids

June 6, 20170 commentsNews

Today 46 countries will participate in a global Women’s Golf Day. With over 701 locations worldwide, Cedar Rapids, Iowa will have four courses participate in this year’s goal to inspire action and create a global impact.

Lisa Miller, PGA Master Professional and Director of Golf Operations at the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation, was excited to announce four courses in the area that would be offering special deals for female golfers in honor of the event.

The following four golf facilities in Cedar Rapids will be offering free carts to all women who play today: Ellis Golf Course, Gardner Memorial Golf Course, Jones Golf Course and Twin Pines Golf Course. The normal rates at all of these courses are $10 for nine holes per player and $16 for eighteen holes per player.

Women’s Golf Day is a one day event celebrating girls and women playing golf and learning the skills that last a lifetime. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to engage, empower and support women in all aspects of golf. Women’s Golf Day is meant to encourage women to pursue the game to grow their network and engage in the golf community in a fun and non-intimidating environment.

So far the event has over 29,100 participants worldwide. The Iowa Golf Association serves as the governing body of golf for the state of Iowa. As such, we enthusiastically support any program, event or effort to encourage the game of golf and welcome new golfers into the community.

The Iowa Golf Association serves as the governing body of golf for the state of Iowa. Run by amateur golfers the IGA provides a variety of programs and services that benefit everyone who plays the game.

Several from Iowa, with state ties chase U.S. Open dream today

June 5, 20170 commentsNews, USGA

Known by many as ‘Golf’s Longest Day’, several players either from Iowa or with Iowa ties are set to chase the dream of the U.S. Open at today’s sectional qualifiers being held across the country. Players will compete over 36-holes with a chance of qualifying for the U.S. Open to be played at Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin, June 12-18.

Lakewood CC – Dallas, TX
Mike McCoy (West Des Moines)

Brookside G&CC/The Lakes G&CC – Columbus, OH
Brian Bullington (Former U of Iowa)
Nate Yankovich (Former U of Iowa)

Springfield CC – Springfield, OH
Mitch Tucker (Oskaloosa)
Matthew Mickelson (Lamoni)
Vince India (Former U of Iowa)
Michael Roters (North Liberty)

Germantown C.C./Ridgeway C.C. – Memphis, Tenn.
Cameron White (Former Iowa State U)
Michael Wuertz (Davenport, Former Iowa State U)

Hawks Ridge GC – Ball Ground, Ga.
Andrew O’Brien (Clive)

Elliott, McCoy win 22nd IGA Four-Ball; Palmer, Cook fire 60 to win Senior Division

May 30, 20170 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball, News

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.

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