Category: Uncategorized

U.S. Amateur Qualifying

July 5, 20180 commentsUncategorized

Follow the action on Monday, July 9th at Beaver Hills Country Club in Cedar Falls as 84 players vie for three (3) qualifying spots into the U.S. Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The 84 players is the most at the Iowa U.S. Amateur qualifier since at least 2002.  In all, 7,463 players have entered the U.S. Amateur, including 43 of the top 50 amateurs in the current World Amateur Golf Rankings.  Iowa’s Mike McCoy is exempt from qualifying, thanks to his victory in the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

312 players will make the field at Pebble Beach where they will face 36-holes of stroke play to determine the low 64 players who will make up the match play draw.  The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for August 19th.  You can view the action Aug 15, 16 & 17 on Fox Sports 1 and August 18 and 19 on Fox.

Click here to follow the Iowa qualifier.

 

Follow the 81st Iowa Masters

July 3, 20180 commentsUncategorized

One of Iowa’s oldest and most prestigious tournaments gets underway this weekend when Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames hosts the 81st Iowa Masters.  Gene Elliott will look to defend his title in the Open Division while Ron Peterson looks to win the Senior title for the second straight year.

Elliott’s 2017 title was his third overall in the Iowa Masters, all coming since 2009.  His 11-under par total of 205 was two shots clear of four-time champion Jon Brown.  Brown recently won the IGA Match Play for the third time in his career.  Both Elliott and Brown are members of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.

Peterson’s win in 2017 was a runaway.  He posted 5-under par 211 while his closest pursuers were 12 shots back.

The tournament kicks off with round 1 on Friday, July 6th and wraps up with the 3rd and final round on Sunday, July 8th.  There is a cut after 36 holes.

Follow all the action by clicking here.

2018 IGHSAU State Tournament Central

May 29, 20180 commentsUncategorized

The 2018 Iowa Girl’s High School State Golf Tournaments are underway today (May 29).  They will conclude with the final round tomorrow.

The four classes are spread across four golf courses in Iowa.  1A is being contested at American Legion GC in Marshalltown, 2A at Lake Panorama National GC in Panora, 3A is at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames and 4A is at Elmwood CC in Marshalltown.

Click here to follow the scoring, as all sites will be updating scores about every six holes.

2018 IGHSAU HIGH SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENTS

Bull, Jahn compete at U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

May 20, 20180 commentsUncategorized

Dennis Bull of Norwalk and Charles Jahn of Sperry are competing this weekend at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in Jupiter Hills, Florida.  They are not partners, however.

Bull is teamed up with Andrew Price of Lake Bluff, Illinois while Jahn’s partner is Sam Range of Waterloo, Illinois.

There are 128 sides competing in two rounds of stroke play (May 19 & 20) to make the top 32, which will comprise the match play draw.

Follow the scoring here.

The Classic launches this weekend

April 27, 20180 commentsChampionships, News, Uncategorized

The Classic, the new modified stableford competition taking place at Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown, gets underway this weekend.  67 golfers are scheduled to compete in the inaugural tournament.

This will be the first Iowa Golf Association point event played under the stableford format, in which players earn points per hole based on their score.  In this case, the administrators at Elmwood CC have modified the traditional stableford point system as follows:

  • Double Eagle: 12 points
  • Eagle: 8 points
  • Birdie: 4 points
  • Par: 2 points
  • Bogey: 1 point
  • Double Bogey or worse: 0 points

This modified scoring system will put a premium on making birdies and eagles and should make for some exciting “go for broke” golf.

Play will begin on Saturday with the first 18 holes and conclude on Sunday with the final round.  There is an Open and Senior Division. In addition to a trophy and gift certificate, the champion will receive the “White Jacket” with The Classic logo embroidered on the chest.

Follow all the action by clicking here.

IGA launches Youth on Course Program to help Grow the Game

April 16, 20180 commentsUncategorized

The Iowa Golf Association has partnered with a national organization that will benefit junior golfers as well as IGA member clubs.  It is called Youth on Course and it was started in 2006 by the Northern California Golf Association.  At its most basic level, it is a program that subsidizes rounds of golf for juniors at participating courses.

The concept is this: A junior age 6 to 18 can join Youth on Course for a $15 yearly fee. That gets them access to any participating Youth on Course facility (there are over 700 nationally) to play a round of golf for $5 or less.  Then the participating course receives a subsidy for that round (usually another $5). Participating courses can put restrictions on days and times when the YOC rates are available, making it an opportunity for to help grow future golfers plus drive additional business during non-peak hours.

We see the program as a “link” between the Iowa PGA Swings with Kids (Golf in Schools) program and the competitive Iowa Junior Tour.  It essentially eliminates the financial barrier for a junior player to play an actual round of golf.  We are certain there will be kids who get introduced to the game through Golf in Schools, then utilize Youth on Course to start playing real rounds.

Kids can sign up now for the yearly membership. Simply click here to start that process.

One requirement for the juniors is that they complete an online life/course curriculum.  It takes about 20 minutes to complete and it covers some basic FAQ’s, golf course etiquette and rules tips.

We are currently working to “on-board” participating courses.  Some of you have already agreed to participate, and we are very grateful for that.  If you have not yet heard about this but think it would be of interest to your facility, please give us a call and we can fill you in on more of the details. We would love to have a majority of Iowa courses offer this program.

Finally, this is a program that will be administered under the IGA Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the IGA.  For the first two golf seasons (2018 & 2019) the subsides to the golf courses will be paid by Youth on Course national.  Beginning in 2020, the IGA Foundation will be paying those subsidies.  Therefore, we are taking donations for this program.  Usually, the subsidy to a course is $5 per round, so if you donate $100, you are paying for 20 rounds of golf for juniors.  Click here to donate.

You can find complete information here or you can look for Youth on Course under the IGA Foundation menu item.

We have no doubt that the Youth on Course program will be a home run. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to support and grow the game.  This program develops new golfers and that benefits everyone involved in the game of golf.  It was a “no-brainer” for us.

Iowa Amateur adds qualifying with lower fee, reduces field to 132

April 6, 20180 commentsChampionships, Iowa Amateur, Uncategorized

The Iowa Golf Association has made some changes to it’s flagship event, beginning in 2018.  The Iowa Amateur will hold two qualifiers to identify golfers who will join the exempt players into the final field at the Tournament Club of Iowa.

The payment structure has been adjusted to encourage more players to try to qualify.  Those who enter a qualifying event will pay $85.  The players that make it through qualifying to play in the championship proper will then pay an additional $65 fee ($150 total).  Players who are exempt will enter the championship proper at TCI directly and will pay the full $150 entry fee at the time they enter.

Additionally, the field size at the championship proper at TCI will be reduced from 156 to 132 players.  This was done to to insure adequate pace of play during the championship, allow for more flexibility with weather and also to insure the necessity of the qualifying events.

“In the past, when we would bring 156 players to the championship proper, we would schedule qualifiers and then either cancel because we only had 156 total players enter, or we would have 80-90% of those in the qualifiers making their way through to the championship, which seemed a bit silly,” stated IGA Executive Director Chad Pitts.  “This would cause undue strain on the member courses that had agreed to host when we would cancel a qualifier.  Sometimes, that meant they could have hosted another outing or event on those days.”

“Granted, we may still have to cancel or have a very high qualifying rate even with reducing the field to 132, but the chances of it happening are drastically reduced”, added Pitts.

The qualifying events will take place at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames on July 11 and Amana Colonies GC in Amana on July 13.  The championship proper will be contested at Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City from July 23-25.  You can find entry information here.

 

Watch 8 USGA Championships without commercial interruption in 2018

March 15, 20180 commentsNews, Uncategorized, USGA

During FOX Sports’ presentation of the U.S. Open from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (pictured above) in June, Rolex will present the final hour of coverage in this uninterrupted format and support a rich, interactive media history experience that will launch in April on usopen.com.

Innovative Broadcast Experience with Uninterrupted Coverage for Golf Fans Highlights Extended USGA-Rolex Partnership

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. – Continuing a relationship that began in 1980, the USGA and Rolex have extended their partnership, assuring that together they will continue to steward some of golf’s greatest moments for the long term. 

Through activation across broadcast, digital, social and emerging media, the USGA and Rolex will deliver new ways to promote and celebrate the game and its rich history.  

“Rolex’s support through nearly four decades has been instrumental in helping us drive the game forward,” said Mike Davis, CEO/executive director of the USGA. “We are excited that the continuation of our partnership will expand our impact on golf around the world and elevate and celebrate our championships’ iconic venues, legendary champions and signature moments in innovative ways.”

This will be most clearly seen through the uninterrupted broadcast of multiple USGA championships. Beginning in 2018, Rolex will be the exclusive presenting partner of coverage for eight USGA championships on FOX Sports and FS1, including the U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur. Rolex’s commitment will ensure an uninterrupted broadcast of these events, providing golf fans hours of continuous live golf action as history unfolds.

“We are excited to further FOX Sports’ commitment to innovative and immersive viewing experiences for our audiences, as well as targeted messaging for our partners,” said Bruce Lefkowitz, executive VP of ad sales at Fox Networks Group. “These uninterrupted broadcasts give us the opportunity to innovate and differentiate our telecast, while capitalizing on the unique nature of the USGA championships to provide viewers with more live action and new perspectives on the golfers and championships.”

The innovative format will allow FOX Sports and the USGA to deliver more golf content to fans around the world, while providing Rolex the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the amateur and professional game. Features and video vignettes highlighting signature moments, legendary champions, and the iconic venues that make up these championships will be seamlessly integrated to further entertain, engage and educate the audience. 

With involvement at all levels of competition, Rolex has a longstanding and enduring relationship with the game of golf. 

“Our deep commitment for over 50 years to championing the great game of golf and fostering individual excellence have hallmarked our USGA partnership, which stands as one of the longest and widest reaching,” said Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex SA Director of Communication and Image. “We are proud to showcase the greatest moments in golf together and to foster our commitment to developing this great game for years to come.” 

During FOX Sports’ presentation of the U.S. Open from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (pictured above) in June, Rolex will present the final hour of coverage in this uninterrupted format and support a rich, interactive media history experience that will launch in April on usopen.com. The innovative digital destination will honor the history and legends of the game and further the celebration of all U.S. Open champions and the grand stages that identified them as the world’s best players.  

Rolex will also continue to serve as the lead partner for Rules of Golf content and remains committed to supporting the work being done to modernize the Rules of Golf globally. 

The full USGA on FOX broadcast schedule, which will be released this spring, begins with coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship May 31-June 3. 

“The winner in this partnership, ultimately, is the fan,” said Davis. “Uninterrupted live golf coverage across eight of our championships is unprecedented. We are excited for the viewer to see the creativity of FOX Sports and be inspired by the stories that unfold across our championships.”

About the USGA
The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.

About Rolex

Rolex, the Swiss watch brand headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities, as well as philanthropic programmes.

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