2009 Championship Changes

IGA Announces Changes to 2009 Championships, Player of the Year Races

March 18, 2009

The Iowa Golf Association Board of Directors approved several changes to the IGA Championships and Player of the Year point races to be implemented in 2009, including moving the Iowa Mid-Amateur to the fall on a permanent basis.

The Iowa Mid-Amateur, held in May in the past, has experienced weather-related delays in three of the past five years. The final round was rained out in 2005 and the entire event was postponed to the fall in ’04 and again in ’08. According to an IGA survey, conducted at the end of the 2008 season, the shift to September was favored by a majority of respondents who felt that the IGA Four-Ball and Mid-Amateur events were scheduled too close together, making it difficult for them to compete in both events.

A September date for the Mid-Am does, however, mean less daylight so the field for the Mid-Amateur will be reduced from 156 to a maximum of 120 entrants. Eligibility for the Mid-Amateur is limited to golfers aged 25 and over and there will no longer be a separate “Senior Division” competition included in the event. This does not eliminate senior age golfers from participating in the event. By definition senior golfers aged 50 and over are still eligible to enter and compete and a high finish in the event will earn bonus points in the Senior Player of the Year race, much like the Iowa Amateur and IGA Match Play. The 2009 Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship will be played Sunday-Monday, September 13^th and 14^th at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames.

A significant change to the IGA Player of the Year point system was made in order to encourage more participation in USGA qualifiers held in Iowa. Bonus points will now be awarded to the top ten finishers at all USGA qualifying events starting in 2009. In recent years many of the Iowa sites have been very close to receiving an additional qualifying spot and the IGA felt this action could provide more opportunity for Iowa players to advance to our National Championships. Modifications to the number of points awarded for performance at the national sites are also seen to more accurately award those Iowans who truly excel at the USGA events. You can view the entire Player of the Year Point System here and the Senior Player of the Year Point System here.

Other changes adopted for 2009 include:

· A USGA Handicap Index maximum of 10.0 will be required for entry into the Iowa Amateur Championship.

· The oldest age division of the Iowa Junior Amateur will now include golfers who are age 18 and have not entered college. The previous oldest age was 17.

· After a two year experiment, the “Net” Handicap competition has been eliminated from the Iowa Senior Amateur.

· The Iowa Senior Amateur will now have only two age divisions, 50-64 and a 65+ ‘Super Senior’ division. Previously 50-59, 60-69 and 70+ age divisions were offered.

· The IGA approved a new Pace of Play policy and a new Conduct Policy which can be viewed in their entirety at www.iowagolf.org.

Entries forms for all IGA Conducted Championships are currently available. Golfers can enter online or print an entry application here.