After finishing in the top 5 of the POTY standings three of the past four years, Indianola’s Leanne Smith had a breakthrough season in 2020. She piled up two victories and a pair of top ten finishes on her way to earning her first IGA Women’s Player of the Year title.

Smith opened the year with a victory at the 9th IGA Women’s Match Play Championship, defeating Sydney Eaton 4 & 3 to capture the title. Later in the summer she teamed up with Erin Schaffer to capture the crown at the IGA Mid-Am Series Event #3, which featured a four-ball (Two-Gal Best Ball) format. Additionally, she posted a runner-up finish in the 59th IGA Women’s Club Team Championship and a top ten finish in the 96th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship.

2018 Iowa Women’s Player of the Year Sydney Eaton, of Mason City, finished runner-up in the 2020 standings after rattling off three top five finishes. Joy Chou, of Ames, came in third place following her victory at the 96th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ankeny’s Karli Kerrigan (4th), and Dubuque’s Rosalie Kubesheski (5th) rounded out the top five in the Player of the Year standings.

Click here to view a full recap of Women’s Player of the Year standings.

Rose Kubesheski, of Dubuque, further etched her name into the history books in 2020 by earning her fifth IGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year Title.

Kubesheski’s season was highlighted by her victory at the 55th Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, capturing the title for her seventh time. She also earned victories in the 10th IGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship (with Margene Grady – pictured), IGA Mid-Am Series Event #1, and IGA Mid-Am Series Event #2. She posted top five finishes at the 96th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship, 59th IGA Women’s Club Team Championship, and the IGA Mid-Am Series Event #3.

Finishing runner-up for the second consecutive year was Rockwell City’s Kathy Fortune. Fortune captured a victory at the 96th Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship and posted five top five finishes in 2020.

Completing the top five was Kelly Grimes (3rd), Janece Schwartzkopf (4th), and Margene Grady (5th).

Click here to view a full recap of Senior Women’s Player of the Year standings