Dave Studer Wins Senior Award
Nathan Leary Wins Junior Player of the Year
By any account Jon Brown had one of the greatest years ever recorded in the history of amateur golf in Iowa.
The 39-year-old Urbandale golfer won both the Iowa Amateur Championship and the IGA State Match Play Championship to become the first player to register that achievement since current PGA Tour player Jerry Smith did it in 1986.
In addition, Brown won the Briarwood Amateur, was low amateur and 3rd overall in the Herman Sani Invitational and finished 2nd in the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship, losing a playoff to 2005 IGA Player of the Year Mike McCoy.
Brown’s dominate performance in 2006 extends a remarkable four-year run in which he has finished either first or second in the IGA points race. He won his first Player of the Year award in 2004 and finished 2nd in 2003 and 2005.
Brown’s achievements overshadowed a break out year for Player of the Year runner-up Cory Braunschweig of West Des Moines. Braunschweig had two major victories at the Northwest Amateur and the Iowa Open. He also finished as runner-up to Brown in the State Match Play Championship and at the Herman Sani Invitational.
Seven time Player of the Year Mike McCoy of West Des Moines. McCoy recorded victories in the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship and partnered with 2005 Iowa Amateur Champion Brian Verduyn to win the State Four-Ball.
Complete results of the Player of the Year race can be found online at www.iowagolf.org.
Studer Wins Senior Player of the Year
Dr. David Studer of West Des Moines recorded three victories on his way to winning his first Senior Player of the Year Award. He won the Senior Match Play title in early June and followed that with stroke play wins at the Fort Dodge Amateur and the Iowa Masters. He finished 5th in the Iowa Senior Amateur.
Senior Amateur Champion Sam Aossey of Cedar Rapids finished second in the points race. Robb Pomerantz of Des Moines finished third and 2005 Senior Player of the Year Jim Butler of Fort Madison finished fourth.
Nathan Leary Wins Junior Player of the Year
Iowa Junior Amateur Champion Nathan Leary not only excelled in junior competition in 2006 but he proved that 17-year-old can compete with the adults when he won the Iowa Masters Championship in July! Leary, of Waterloo, also advanced to the final 16 in the State Match Play Championship and recorded third place finishes in the Callaway Junior Series event at Elmcrest CC and the Iowa PGA Westfield Junior Sectionals.
The IGA junior point race is the only Junior Player of the Year competition in Iowa that recognizes junior players for competing against the top adult players in major statewide competitions. The IGA hopes that more junior players will take note of this and take on the challenge to “step up” and compete against the best players in Iowa.
The Player of the Year Awards will be presented on Friday, November 3rd at a special dinner at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines.