Jon Brown won his second Iowa Mid-Amateur in a three-way playoff
(Iowa Golf Association Photo)
MARSHALLTOWN, IA (May 14, 2016) - On a wild final day Jon Brown has won the 31st Iowa Mid-Amateur. With the wind blowing in the mid-20's for much of the day and temperatures in the 50's first round leader Josh Black dropped from 5-under to start the day to 10-over following a final round 80 subsequently opening the door for the rest of the field.
“I knew it was going to be one of those days, where the weather is not so good and you just try and hang in there,” Jon Brown told the IGA. “I couldn’t really tell what everyone else was doing. We were all having trouble. We had a logjam there (towards the end). It was anyone’s game.”
Three players were able to capitalize on a day where nobody broke par at Elmwood Country Club and post 3-over to earn their way into a playoff. Joining Brown in the playoff were Sam Zoske and 2007 winner Justin Schulte who began the day in second place.
Zoske shot the best round of the day among three players in the playoff with a 2-over 72 but in the end Brown was able to survive and win his second Iowa Mid-Amateur. His previous victory came in 2008.
Jon Brown of Clive, IA began the day even-par and five off the pace but in the tough final round conditions he was able to do enough to secure a spot in the playoff. On his way to a 3-over 73 Brown carded two birdies and five bogeys but played steady down the stretch parring the final four holes to hold his position.
“On the first 12 holes I could not make a putt,” Brown said. “So on the 13th, I switched to cross handed and I one-putted in. Every green. I found a little something there. The conditions were so tough, it was a truly a grind. This feels great (to win).”
First round leader Josh Black ended the 36-hole championship in seventh place while two-time defending champion and three-time winner Jon Olson finished in a tie for fourth, one shot out of the playoff at 4-over. Olson shared fourth place with Mike McCoy and four-time championship winner Gene Elliot.
For the first time the Iowa Mid-Amateur winner was awarded the Michael McCoy Mid-Amateur Trophy. Since the event was first played in 1986 McCoy has won the championship six-times with his last win coming in 2006. McCoy did't know the trophy was going to be named for him until the announcement following the completion of play.
In the Senior Division Ron Peterson of Urbandale captured the title. Peterson put together rounds 71-70 to finish 1-over and three clear of Matt Weresh (+4) in second place. Peterson carded an impressive five birdies on a difficult day to play.
Matt Steddom (+5) was third, Scott Briggs (+7) finished fourth while Tom Norton (+9) in fifth rounded out the top-five.
-The Iowa Golf Association contributed to this story
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ABOUT THE
Iowa Mid-Amateur
54-hole stroke play championship with Mid-Amateur
(25+), Senior (50+) and Super Senior (65+) divisions.
Eligible entries
must be amateur golfers as defined by the USGA
rules, must be a resident of the State of Iowa and
must
have reached their 25th birthday by the start of the
tournament.
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