From left – Ben Greve, Charlie Hoyle and Jon Olson.

Eden Prairie’s (MN) Ben Greve (-7) missed one green and still made birdie to go along with six others during U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying at Cedar Falls’ Beaver Hills Country Club. Greve admitted it was a boring day, yet rewarding.

“I hit it really well,” Greve said of his medalist performance. “I was in control all day and putted pretty well. It was a low stress round really. There are some tee shots you have to hit it in spots. It’s always sweet (to qualify). I am excited to play in the U.S. Mid-Amateur.”

Ankeny’s Jon Olson and Coralville’s Charlie Hoyle earned the other two qualifying spots at Beaver Hills CC, both posted in rounds of 68 (-4).

The 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be played at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and Fenway Golf Club, in Scarsdale, N.Y., Sept. 9-14, 2023.

Click here for full results

West Des Moines’ Grant Smith (right) and Norwalk’s Dennis Bull qualified for the 123rd U.S. Amateur to be contested at Cherry Hills Country Club, Colorado. Smith was medalist outright at (-3) 139, while Bull (-2) qualified after a four-way playoff which took three holes to be decided.

The qualifier, contested at Coldwater Golf Links, Ames, featured golfers from numerous states. Whippy morning winds and firm conditions made for some of the most difficult play Coldwater has seen, evoking comparisons by a player to the Scottish links, and the grueling 36 holes tested competitors’ stamina.

Smith carded a first round (-1) 70 to keep himself in the mix. Most importantly, he felt comfortable with his shot selections going into the afternoon, despite the strong winds.

“I hit the right shots the first round, just didn’t make as many putts,” Smith said, explaining how he hit an 8 iron when 210 yards out on Hole 7 before subsequently hitting an 8 iron when 120 yards out on Hole 8. “Strategy was a big part [of my success]. I kept the ball in front of me and kept shots around the green going into the wind.”

In the afternoon, strong putting helped Smith to a superb 4-under first nine, helping him to finish -2 on the round and -3 on the day.

Smith commented he is excited to head to Colorado to compete in his first U.S. Amateur.

On the other hand, this was not Dennis Bull’s (right) first rodeo. Having qualified for the U.S. Amateur the previous two years, his experience showed when the second qualifying spot came down to a four person playoff. Ottumwa’s Cale Leonard, West Des Moines’ Braeden Nelson, and Clive’s Ryan Horner joined Bull in the four-for-one playoff, as if 36 holes wasn’t enough for the day. After Nelson and Horner were eliminated on the first playoff hole, Bull and Leonard tied on the second playoff hole, but Bull won decisively with a birdie on the third hole.

While happy to advance, Bull was more than ready to call it a day.

“Don’t make me walk too far,” he warned as we headed to take his photograph.

Bull will join Smith at Cherry Hills for his third straight U.S. Amateur.

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The U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier on June 12, at Ames Golf and Country Club ended in a three-way shootout for the two entries into the U.S. Junior Amateur. Noah Kent (right), of Naples, FL, and Ethan Blomme, of Bettendorf, qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, to be contested July 24-29 at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, SC.

Kent, Blomme, and Oak Grove’s Peyton Savageau all finished the single-round tournament 3-under, navigating heavy late-morning winds. The three way playoff began on hole 7, and University of Iowa commit Kent wasted no time. A strong drive and an approach to within a few feet gave Kent a tap-in birdie. With pars from Blomme and Savageau, Kent punched his golden ticket to the Junior Amateur. Blomme, a rising junior at Pleasant Valley High School, took home the second ticket after a par on the second playoff hole, #8.

Kent and Blomme (left), who both started the day on hole 10, capitalized on calmer first nine conditions. Kent scored birdies on 16, 17, and 18 and Blomme birdied 15, 16, 17, 18. After an unsatisfactory start, Blomme got his putter rolling.

“I made a really good 30-footer for par on #14 and then rolled four straight in,” Blomme said. “The back nine started playing really tough just with the wind. [. . .] Just grinded it out, you know, when I made a bogey I got it back with a birdie.”

Blomme knew he had to go low if he wanted a shot at qualifying, but believed the wind worked in his favor.

“Scores will be higher with this wind,” he said. “I feel like I’m a good wind player, being from Iowa, so the more and more it becomes windy I feel like the better shot I’ve got.”

Kent and Blomme look forward to one of junior golf’s biggest tournaments, where names like Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth have left their legacy.

Click here for full results

University of Iowa alumnus Alex Schaake qualified for the U.S. Open after a nerve wracking 8-hole playoff at the U.S. Open Final Qualifying at Springfield Country Club in Springfield, Ohio. Monday, coined “Golf’s Longest Day” by the USGA, featured numerous 36-hole Final Qualifiers around the country, where some of the best amateur and professional golfers looked to secure their spot in the U.S. Open to be held at Los Angeles Country Club later this summer.

Schaake (right), an Omaha, Nebraska native, had a prolific amateur and collegiate career. In high school Schaake was a two-time Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion, continuing in college to win four-straight Nebraska Amateur titles, and holds the second-most wins in Nebraska Golf Association tournaments ever. He was the only Hawkeye to be voted Big Ten Player of the Year twice, only Hawkeye to be all-conference all four years, holds the lowest season scoring average yet, and holds three of the top four lowest 54-hole totals in university history.

The road to the U.S. Open wasn’t easy for Schaake. Before yesterday’s 44-hole marathon, he scraped his way through local qualifiers by birdieing his final three holes last month at Omaha Country Club. A 2-under first round at Springfield Country Club kept Schaake in contention, but it was a stellar second round that propelled Schaake to his playoff berth. One eagle and five birdies, four of which in the back nine alone, rounded out a 5-under 65 and a three-way tie for fourth in the standings.

He joined Dylan Wu and The Ohio State University’s Maxwell Moldovan in search of one of the two remaining spots. Wu clinched the first spot after birdieing the first playoff hole, but the battle between Schaake and Moldovan was only beginning. Matching scores for seven holes, Schaake finally broke away with a short birdie putt on the eighth hole to Moldovan’s par. It was a joyous scene as Schaake celebrated, clearly elated, in the dying evening light.

Schaake has earned his place at the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club (June 15-18) and the opportunity to compete with some of the best players in the world.

The challenge of qualifying for the U.S. Open awaits several players as they compete in the final U.S. Open qualifying round. The players named below are attempting to qualify for the 123rd U.S. Open to be played at Los Angeles Country Club, June 15-18. Final qualifying results and links are listed below.

Lambton Golf & Country Club – Toronto, Ontario

Hillcrest Country Club – Los Angeles, Calif.

Pine Tree Golf Club – Boynton Beach, Fla.

Hawks Ridge Golf Club – Ball Ground, Ga.

Woodmont C.C. (North Course) – Rockville, Md.

Canoe Brook Country Club – Summit, N.J.
– Lucas Scherf, Drake University / Pleasant Hill

Lakes Golf & Country Club/Brookside Golf & C.C. – Columbus, Ohio
– Nick Voke – Iowa State University
– Zach Johnson – Cedar Rapids / Drake University

Springfield C.C. – Springfield, Ohio
– Mac McClear – University of Iowa
– Alex Schaake – University of Iowa
– Jack Dumas – Drake University / LeClaire
– Troy Merritt – Osage

Old Chatham Golf Club – Durham, N.C.

Tacoma Country & Golf Club – Lakewood, Wash.

NOTE – Clinton’s Josh Bousman participated in Final Qualfying at Northwood Club and Bent Tree Country Club – Dallas, Texas, on May 22nd and did not advance

Changes to U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifying will be introduced in 2024

In an effort to continuously enhance and evolve the competitor experience, the USGA is announcing significant modifications to its amateur championship qualifying model for the first time in more than 20 years. These changes, which will take effect for the organization’s four premier amateur championships beginning in 2024, will allow the events to retain their openness while ensuring that high-caliber players are provided ample opportunity to earn a spot in the field and that qualifying can be conducted at the highest level among growing entries and field sizes.

“The openness and aspirational nature of our championships is a defining characteristic of USGA championships,” said Brent Paladino, senior director, Championship Administration. “As the number of entries and qualifying sites have continued to increase on a yearly basis, we looked at ways to evolve our structure to ensure the long-term sustainability of qualifying without excessively burdening Allied Golf Associations (AGAs) and host clubs. These revisions will provide players with additional pathways to our championships through traditional qualifying, expanded exemption categories and performance in state, AGA, regional and national amateur championships.”

In 2022, the USGA accepted 44,737 total entries and collaborated with AGAs to conduct a combined 678 qualifiers across 15 championships.

The most significant revisions for 2024 are to the U.S. Amateur, which will move from a one-stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole local qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites. Other adjustments include:

• Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
• Expansion of World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) exemption category to top 100 ranked players (previously 50);
• Establishment of local exemptions, which include top finishers in USGA championships, state/AGA amateur championships and top 600 WAGR players.

Changes to the other championships’ qualifying structures are outlined below:

U.S. Women’s Amateur 

• Modest reduction in qualifying sites through the establishment of geographic rotations;
• Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
• Expansion of WAGR exemption category to top 50 players (previously 25).

U.S. Junior Amateur / U.S. Girls’ Junior 

• Alignment of qualifying structure to encourage AGAs to conduct joint or concurrent qualifying;
• Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national junior amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
• U.S. Junior Am expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 100 (previously 85);
• U.S. Girls’ Junior expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 50 (previously 40).

There will also be a lowering of Handicap Index® limits across all four championships and modifications to the performance policy that will be announced later. Determinations on the individual state, AGA, regional and national championships that will be part of the 2024 exemption criteria will be published prior to the release of entries for the respective championship.

The modifications will result in a net reduction of 94 qualifying sites, while providing more opportunities for players to earn a spot in a USGA championship through expanded exemptions, state/AGA amateur championships and traditional qualifying.

Entries for 2024 USGA amateur championships will open next spring. The 2024 U.S. Amateur will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.; the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.; while the 2024 Junior Amateur will be held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and the 2024 Girls’ Junior will be played at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif.

David Combs (above left) and Michael Canfield (above right) are headed to a USGA Championship for the first time in their careers. After qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, hosted by Geneva Golf and Country Club, Combs and Canfield will travel to Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin come early September. 

Canfield had to sit and wait for the rest of the field to finish after turning in his three-under round of 68 early in the day. The wait was worth it, but there was still work to be done.

Canfield joined Combs and two others in a four-player playoff to decide the qualifiers and alternates. With a par on the first and second holes, Canfield and Combs shook hands and congratulated each other as first-time USGA Championship qualifiers. 

It was a special moment for the two qualifiers. Full of excitement, Canfield hopped into the cart, after taping in and called his family. 

“I made it,” Canfield said. 

The feeling of qualifying for a USGA Championship is like no other. Only 18-holes to qualify makes it important to get off to a strong start.

“I haven’t played in a qualifier in a while, so early in the round I had to put myself in the position to go get it,” said Combs. 

At the turn, Combs was sitting at even par and three shots back. Birdies on 10 and 11 put Combs one shot back of Canfield. Combs made a putt off the green on 17 for birdie to tie Canfield and sneak into the playoff. 

Tying Combs and Canfield at three-under, Ryan Horner earned 1st Alternate honors after making a bogey on the second playoff hole. Horner had it going early in his round, but a bogey on the 17th hole sent him into the playoff. 

The 2nd Alternate honors went to Charlie Hoyle, who rounded out the four-way tie for first place. Hoyle’s impressive four-under start through his first four holes gave him an early edge. Late bogeys on 15, 16 and the first playoff hole put Hoyle in the 2nd Alternate position. 

On August 8-9, the IGA is conducting the 57th Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Lake Panorama Golf Course in Panora is hosting the historic championship. Use our live scoring feature to follow the leaderboard next week.

U.S. Mid-Am Qualifier
T1. Michael Canfield -3 68 *Qualifier*
T1. David Combs -3 68 *Qualifier*
3. Ryan Horner -3 68 *1st Alternate*
4. Charlie Hoyle -3 68 *2nd Alternate*

Dennis Bull (above right) did it again. Bull, a 2021 U.S. Amateur qualifier, repeated the same success this year at Davenport Country Club, a Golf Digest Top-100 course. Now heading to The Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club (New Jersey), Bull reflected on his rare accomplishment.

“Qualifying two-times in a row is awesome,” Bull said. “I’m old, I looked at Gary (Ellis) on the range today and said, ‘Is everyone getting younger or are we getting older’. It feels good, and I love this golf course.”

The former Iowa Amateur Champion fired a five-under 65 in round one and followed it up with a one-under 69 to conclude his day with a one-shot victory. Bull earned his 2020 Iowa Amateur title at this very course. Having many successful days in Davenport, Bull shares how he has managed to play this course at such a high level.

“Today was soft and gettable if you were in control of your ball,” Bull said. “You have to be precise when hitting the greens. I think it is a golf course that kind of separates good ball strikers. Ironically, I shot 65 and a 69 in the first two rounds during that Iowa Am.”

There are many emotions that you feel during a 36-hole day, and Notre Dame’s, Angelo Marcon (above middle) battled through them. The San Francisco native grabbed the second qualifier spot with a five-under tally.

“I wasn’t really feeling the same during that second round,” Marcon said. “I was a little off and kind of rushing things a little bit. Pops was on the bag, and he did everything he could to calm me down and say, ‘Hey you are still in this’.”

His father’s advice worked. The duo made birdie on 18 to get back into the race and proceeded to card a three-under back-nine to earn the second qualifying spot. The first-time USGA Championship qualifier had the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship marked on his calendar.

“I knew I would be there, I just had to prove it first,” Marcon said.  

Gunnar Broin (above left) will be joining Bull and Marcon in New Jersey after taking the third and final spot out of Davenport. Broin made a clutch birdie on his final hole to break out of a tie and earn the final spot alone.

Jack Dudeck was our first alternate with a three-under total. Dudek posted rounds of 68 and 69 to give himself a chance. Aksel Moe was our second alternate after winning the four-player playoff.

The 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship will be held at The Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. The championship will take place August 15th through the 21st and will be available on Peacock and Golf Channel.

Check out the standings after the first round of the 98th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship, held at Cedar Rapids Country Club. The race is close after round one, follow the rest of the championship on Tuesday and Wednesday using our live scoring feature.  

U.S. Amateur Qualifier
Dennis Bull -6 65-69=134 *Medalist*
Angelo Marcon -5 65-70=135 *Qualifier*
Gunnar Broin -4 65-71=136 *Qualifier*
Jack Dudeck -3 68-69=137 *1st Alternate*
Aksel Moe -2 68-70=138 *2nd Alternate*

Curtis Holck (above) will travel to The Kittansett Club in Marion, Massachusetts for the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Holck fired a three-under round of 69 to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. 

Totaling five birdies gave Holck the advantage over the field. Allen Peake, of Macon, Georgia, was close behind, but after a clutch birdie on the 17th, Holck only needed a bogey to win the qualifier. 

“I didn’t know exactly where I stood, but Levi (Slings – caddie) told me that a birdie would be good,” Holck said. “I was hot in the middle of my round and got it to four-under. Levi was a big help because he plays out here and he knows the greens. I trusted him.”

Peake carded a two-under round to earn the first alternate spot. He was able to get into contention with an eagle on 15 and a birdie on the final hole. Peake’s last-minute effort fell short of Holck’s impressive performance. 

A playoff between Sam Billmeyer and Dave Gaer was needed to decide the second alternate position. After defeating Billmeyer in a playoff, Gaer earned the second alternate spot into the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. 

Laura Leszczynski (above middle) and Rose Kubesheski (above right) share co-medalist honors at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier held at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston. Leszczynski repeated the success she had during last year’s qualifier.

“It feels good – It feels really good,” Leszczynski said. “To go to my second U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in a row is a great accomplishment.”

Kubesheski is headed to her fifth USGA Championship. This was her second time qualifying for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship since 2017, and she couldn’t be happier. 

“I am not sure how many more opportunities I will have to qualify for a USGA Championship, so this one means a lot,” Kubesheski said. 

Robin Webb (above left) earned the third qualifying position with a 12-over round. Webb will join Kubesheski and Leszczynski on a trip to Alaska for the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, held at Anchorage Golf Course. Michelle Klein was the first alternate and Olivia Iturbe earned second alternate. 

U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier
Curtis Holck -3 69 (Medalist)
Allen Peake -2 70 (1st Alternate)
Dave Gaer -1 71 (2nd Alternate)

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier
Laura Leszczynski +7 79 (Co-Medalist)
Rose Kubesheski +7 79 (Co-Medalist)
Robin Webb +12 84 (Qualifier)
Michelle Klein +15 87 (1st Alternate)
Olivia Iturbe +16 88 (2nd Alternate)