Smith wins 2024 Southeast Iowa Amateur
The Preserve on Rathbun Lake, home of the Southeast Iowa Amateur crowned a winner this past weekend. In the Open Division, a familiar name stood on top of the leaderboard; Grant Smith of (West Des Moines) held the lead after Saturday’s round with shooting a 67 (-5).
Not too far behind was Roman Roth (Wayland) shooting a 68 (-4), Kelly Brown (Marshalltown) shooting 70 (-2), and Jake Weissenburger who just won the Lake Creek Am carded a 71 (-1). Will Simpson (Pella) and Jack Winkel (Ankeny) were tied for fifth shooting an even par of 72. Entering into Sunday’s round it was anybody’s tournament.
Winkel would play steady and 71 (-1) and Simpson would move up the leaderboard and card an impressive bogey free 65 (-7). Smith and Roth would shoot a pair of 66 (-6), but Smith would stay on top and was crowned Champion. Followed by Roth runner-up and Simpson in third.
In the Senior Division there was a close race. In this six-man field after round one, Tony Newkirk (Des Moines) and Matt Steddom (State Center) both opened up with even rounds of 72. Followed by a tie for second with a pair of 77s (+5) by Troy Underhill and Jon Weeks (Slater). In solo third was Eric Jensen (Hedrick) shooting a 78 (+6).
Round two proved to be a battle till the end. Jensen shot a 78 (+8) sitting in third, while Newkirk and Steddom were going back and forth. In the end Newkirk’s birdie on #18 sealed the win shooting a 71 (-1). Steddom would finish in second, shooting an even round of 72.
Only two Super Seniors were in the field, but both Mark Urbanek (Hudson) and Bill Corrick (Fairfield) were not willing to give up. Urbanek opened with an 81 (+9) and Corrick an 83 (+11). Round two both Urbanek and Corrick played solidly. Corrick was making up ground and shot a 78 (+6), but Urbanek would end up staying victorious shooting a 79 (+7).