First Tee Idahome

By: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

Just a few years before First Tee Idaho’s inaugural year of programming in 2005, Nick Blasius spent an afternoon at Pierce Park Greens feeding the larva stage of his golf bug with a bucket of range balls. His father, Bruce, snapped a photo.    

“I can’t be older than like nine-years old in the photo,” he said, sitting on the patio in front of Pierce Park’s boutique, but unsophisticated, clubhouse. “And it looks like I’m standing on that left side of the range and those trees there are a lot smaller.”   

The row of seven, mostly-coniferous trees that shield the first hole from the driving range have spent the last 20 years reaching for the sky – and Blasius has, too. In high school, he took his first golf job just down the block at Plantation Country Club (now The River Club); and by the time he was 25, he’d gone from cart kid to head professional. Last month, the 32-year-old executive director of First Tee Idaho arranged a deal for his chapter to buy Pierce Park Greens, putting those familiar trees into the hands of an organization that has grown up alongside them.  

For nearly two decades, First Tee Idaho has borrowed pockets of space and time from the 27 acres that surround their trunks, sending kids from all walks of life to venture through their shade and out onto the nine-hole track that wraps around the range, always guided by the non-profit's faith in the virtues of the game. Some of those kids have grown deep roots in golf, finding life-long passion in a game that’s bound to open doors for them as they grow older, taller and wiser. Others have taken their roots elsewhere, armed with a strength of character to plant themselves as upstanding members of their chosen communities. But no matter where they’ve settled, a generation of First Tee disciples found fertile soil at Pierce Park Greens.  

“When I started talking with the family that owns the land, I kept making sure they understood how important I knew this place was,” Blasius said. “And I would always call it a ‘community asset’ — it’s not just a golf course.” 

* * * 

For Blasius and his seed-sewing deputies – Program Director Katie McKelvey and Coordinator Britnee Nieto – having a garden of their own is the key to a new era of growth. And it’s a dream that’s lived at the center of their efforts since COVID-19, when a flood of registrations first left waitlists overflowing.  

“We grew from 450 registrations in 2019 to over 1,000 in 2021.” McKelvey said. “Now we are pretty much maxed out at right around 1,200.” 

But the dream of a green-grass facility for First Tee Idaho is not just the product of pandemic pressures. It’s a dream with roots in the chapter’s founding. But at that time, Dennis Labrum – one of Pierce Park’s original owners and former First Tee Idaho board member – helped eliminate the immediate need for property.  

“[Labrum] graciously agreed to let Pierce Park kind of be our central location for programming,” said Anne Williamson, who took the reins as the chapter’s first executive director in 2005. “And, even back then, it was a great place to start. But from the get-go, our dream was to eventually have a course to call home.” 

Williamson says funding also stood in the way, which is why having a course to call home is a common dream for First Tee chapters across the country. According to Jennifer Weiler, First Tee’s national Senior Vice President, just 51 of First Tee’s 150 chapters currently own or operate their own facilities. She says those arrangements vary widely.  

Some chapters, like First Tee of Metropolitan New York, operate courses owned by a local YMCA or parks department. Some have been gifted land at public facilities to construct a learning center; or, in the case of First Tee Cleveland, gut and renovate an abandoned school building next to a public golf course. Others managed to raise enough money to build from scratch. 

“Once you’ve seen one First Tee chapter,” Weiler said, “you’ve seen one First Tee chapter.” 

But until last month, First Tee Idaho was part of the majority: a nomadic, if not homeless, chapter stuck between the benevolence of local golf course operators and the public's booming appetite for golf. As American golfers continue to book more rounds, and national First Tee registrations trend above pre-covid levels, Weiler says 47% of First Tee chapters have reported some loss of access at host courses.      

First Tee Idaho has continued to enjoy the generosity of many Treasure Valley golf courses over the years, but there is only so much space they can ask for. So, in 2021, when Blasius dusted off his organization's old dream, he went out looking to build. He had a single anonymous donor ready to finance the project and a three-to-five-year plan to make it all happen. Eventually, he found some headway with the city of Boise.  

“It sounded like a bit of a pipe dream,” said Burke Spensky, a First Tee board member and one of Idaho’s premier mid-amateurs. He notes that Boise’s growth has made desirable land incredibly difficult to acquire, and the costs may mute the vision of what First Tee Idaho wanted to build. He imagined a First Tee-branded Top Golf – artificial turf and colorful targets; something functional but far from ideal.  

“Kids need to learn how to play golf on grass,” he said. “They need to be around grass; they need to feel grass underneath their feet; we all do.”     

After a deal with the city of Boise fell through this spring, a frustrated Blasius pivoted back to where First Tee Idaho began, approaching David Parker – Pierce Park’s owner since 2009 – about his exit plans. And just a few months after years of progress dissolved in a city of Boise boardroom, Blasius was a signature away from giving First Tee Idaho a permanent home. 

“Everything in life happens for a reason, right?” he said. “We looked into all these different avenues and it led us to here. And this couldn’t be a better fit for us. 

* * *  

Today, the team at First Tee Idaho is wading into a dream come true – and a whole new world of golf course ownership. By attaching themselves to a for-profit engine like Pierce Park, they will, in effect, double their operating budget. And that will put the facility in a unique position. Few First Tee Chapters have this sort of capacity to generate revenue, and few golf courses function as private non-profits. Blasius expects them to feed each other. 

“It will be fun,” Blasius said. “I was talking to Hailey, my wife, about it last night – it’s just so exciting to have a blank slate in the sense of: what can we do, ya know?”  

In another sense, Pierce Park Greens is anything but a “blank slate.” First Tee Idaho will certainly enjoy a newfound autonomy over the time and space they have for programming, but that freedom comes with a slate of new responsibilities. McKelvey and Nieto, who are settling into new office space, have become acutely aware of that.  

McKelvey says a wall is likely on the way for their corner of the clubhouse, but, for now, the exposure to the front desk has been convenient for getting up to speed on the day-to-day operations of running a golf course. They’ve been taking turns manning the desk, getting familiar with Pierce Park’s point of sale system, season-pass holders, and inventory. McKelvey and Nieto are far from strangers at Pierce Park, but the realities of ownership will take their time to settle in.       

“Is it okay if they come play the course with us?” McKelvey turned and asked a longtime Pierce Park employee, looking to take a couple IGA employs on a tour of the course. 

“You’ll have to ask someone from First Tee Idaho about that,” he quipped. 

For Nieto, working at Pierce Park represents her own full circle moment. She’s a product of the Covid golf boom, growing obsessed with the game in the summer of 2020. That winter, she received a holiday punch card to Pierce Park, which pushed her further down the path to her gig with First Tee. This past month, she was put in charge of designing them.  

“I still say this, but it is my current dream job,” Nieto said. “It checks all the boxes for me.”  

One of those boxes is certainly golf, but the biggest one is working with kids. And that’s the box that makes the acquisition of Pierce Park so exciting for her. Having grown accustomed to turning kids away each summer, they now have the capacity to reach more kids than ever before. She says that because their waitlists are capped at 10, the 60-70 kids who missed out this summer may just be the tip of the iceberg. 

McKelvey, who Blasius described as the “nucleus” of First Tee Idaho, also has her eyes set on how much closer their community is set to become. Since she started with First Tee as an intern in 2017, she’s been able to visit other chapters and has witnessed just how vital a central, consistent location can be.   

“I just kept thinking about how incredible that would be just because of the cohesiveness,” she said. “When kids see the same people day in day out, that’s ultimately when our program functions the best – when they are able to be with people over and over again and actually build a relationship.” 

Blasius, who is armed with experience in managing a golf course, is particularly taken by the fact they are now in charge of something that already functions as a community asset. Back in front of the clubhouse, where he reflected on the photo of himself on the left side of the range, his focus shifted down the rope line. 

“There are guys out there right now,” he said. “They show up at the same time together and they just go hit balls together. And who knows what they talk about, but it’s like their spot. Some guys go out to lunch, they have their routines, go for walks on the greenbelt. But this is their spot, you know? Just in the couple weeks we’ve owned the place I’ve probably seen them eight or nine times.” 

Weiler says that one key advantage of owning a property with an active, adult customer base is marketing. First Tee Idaho recently updated the pins on the practice putting green with their logo, and more branding is on the way. Weiler thinks that will foment broader community awareness of the chapter’s mission.         

Looking forward, Blasius sees Pierce Park as a community center as much as anything. He was raised by the game, found his own community in it, and wants to build what he described as “a club for every kid.” He says future plans for the property will aim to underpin that ethic. And it won’t be too long before his 18-month-old daughter, Isla, will become a First Tee kid too, raised in part by the row of trees he can see from his office window.  

“I hope one day that she’s proud that her dad worked really hard to try to do something cool for junior golfers in Idaho,” he said. “And she can come to work with me... She can go work on her short game while I’m getting some stuff done in the office.”  

A Hall of Fame night to remember

Written by Caleb Cox, Executive Director

Fall’s arrival is for many people a welcome sight as the heat subsides and fall activities commence. As fall makes its entrance, the atmosphere transforms around us; the air turns crisp, the colorful leaves come about, and gatherings of friends and family begin to take place as we near the holidays.  That was exactly the feeling that took place at the inaugural Idaho Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony in early October.  An unforgettable event, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the state’s golf legacy, was held at the Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State University. The atmosphere was electric with excitement, reverence and admiration as inductees, families and golf enthusiasts gathered to celebrate Idaho’s legends.

Wayne Berry, Karen Darrington, Shirley Englehorn, Arnold Haneke, Joe Malay, Scott Masingill, and Jean Lane Smith were enshrined as the inaugural Hall of Fame Class in the company of a great crowd of 250+ people.  Meeting the inductees and their families in person was a true privilege. Each inductee had a unique story and contribution to the sport, whether as a record-setting player, a dedicated teacher or a committed supporter of golf in Idaho. Listening to their stories brought to light not only their achievements but also their perseverance, discipline and passion for the game and the people it has touched.

The ceremony was highlighted by conversations that brought both laughter and tears to the audience. Many inductees took this opportunity to reflect on their journeys, sharing anecdotes from memorable days, pivotal moments, and the mentors who shaped their paths. The event allowed attendees to walk down memory lane, connecting with Idaho’s golfing history while honoring those who paved the way.  And by and large, the event felt to me like the first-ever Idaho golf family reunion. A truly marvelous celebration.

In addition to celebrating these men and women, the inductees expressed their hope that younger generations would continue to carry the torch, embracing both the competitive and sportsmanship aspects of the game. It was a reminder of how powerful golf can be as a source of community, mentorship and personal growth.

As the night concluded, I personally felt an immense amount of gratitude—not only for the chance to meet these incredible inductees but also for the shared stories and the warmth of their families. This gathering underscored the sense of community that golf fosters and the bonds it creates, on and off the course. I left with a renewed gratefulness for the game and a deeper respect for the people who have devoted their lives to it. It was an honor to be a part of such a meaningful celebration, one that will undoubtedly inspire Idaho’s golfing community for years to come.

Your 2024 IGA Players of the Year

By: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

Men’s Player of the Year: Derek Lekkerkerk

Derek Lekkerkerk put the Idaho amateur golf scene on notice last year when he won the Match Play in comeback fashion over Trevor Garus, the eventual 2023 Player of the Year. This year, he repeated that feat, downing Garus in the semi-final match before going on to win his second consecutive title at the Match Play. One month later, Lekkerkerk arrived at the Men’s Amateur at BanBury GC ready to flash his talent in stroke play competition. Opening each of his first two rounds with bogey-free scores of 30, Lekkerkerk stayed in the heat of contention for three straight days, entering the final round two shots clear of the field. The Twin Falls native was eventually tracked down by Ashton McArthur and Nate Smith, but the third-place finish hardly overshadows an exceptional week of golf against the state’s strongest field. To top his season off, Lekkerkerk returned to his favorite format (match play) to make a deep run into the semi-finals at the PNGA Men’s Amateur.

Women’s Player of the Year: Leighton Shosted

Leighton Shosted says she remembers playing Hillcrest Country Club when she was 12 years old, but that was hardly an asset when she showed up for the Women’s Amateur Championship this year. Fresh off announcing that she would be transferring to the University of Tennessee, Shosted returned to her home state amateur with her late grandfather on her mind. After opening with rounds of 66 and 68, she rolled into the final round with a nine-shot lead. Finishing with back-to-back bogeys, she won by 10 strokes. Shosted would go on to round out her summer with a fifth-place finish at the Utah Women’s Amateur.

Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year: Nate Smith

After a second-consecutive 67 at the 2024 Idaho Men’s Amateur Championship, Nate Smith said he didn’t care as much as he used to. The former pro considered that to be a weapon; since he no longer makes a living with good golf shots, he finds it much easier to let the bad ones roll off his back. But when he entered the final round two shots behind the leader, the margin for poor golf shots was small. When he arrived on the 54th tee tied with two other players, nothing short of two exceptional golf shots would suffice. After he pulled them off, he buried a 30-foot bomb to win the title. The win would punch Smith’s ticket to the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship. Smith also went on to compete at the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur, advancing to the round of 64.

Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year: Madison Gridley

The highlight of Madison Gridley's season came in July at her place of work. After graduating from Northwest Nazarene University in the spring, the newly-minted Mid-Amateur arrived at Hillcrest Country Club for the Women's Amateur Championships feeling like she had a home game on her hands. After taking a four-shot lead in the Mid-Amateur field with an opening round of 73, she coasted home to a five-shot victory over defending champion Bailey Henley. Also competing in the Women's Amateur Field, Gridley finished T-6.

Men’s Master-40 Player of the Year: Burke Spensky

Burke Spensky has long proven himself to be among Idaho's top amateur players, but the 2024 season represented a breakthrough over a decade in the making. The year started with good vibes as he went out and won the 2024 Idaho Hickory Championship and the IGA’s Mixed Couples Chapman (events that, while highly mentionable, do not count toward POY points). Then he was onto the 2024 championship season. Last year, Spensky lost in a playoff to Jesse Hibler at Pinecrest GC for the 2023 Mid-Amateur title, and found himself face-to-face with Hibler in a playoff again this year out at RedHawk GC. But this time, a par on the first playoff hole earned him both the Mid-Amateur and Master-40 titles — his first two major IGA Championship titles. Spensky returned to Pinecrest this fall for the Tournament of Champions and finished second.

Women’s Senior Player of the Year: Sheryl Scott

The 1997 Women's Amateur Champion got her 2024 season off to a roaring start with a victory at the Senior Women's Match Play Championship – her third career match play title. In July, Scott was one of a few senior players to take up the task of competing in both the Mid-Amateur and Women's Amateur fields at the 2024 Women's Amateur Championships. Finishing tied for 19th in the Women's Amateur, Scott collected a top-5 finish in the Mid-Amateur. Scott finished T-4 at the Women's Senior Amateur in August before rounding out her season with a second-place finish at the Senior Tournament of Champions.

Men’s Senior Player of the Year: Brian Swenson

Swenson, the 2017 Idaho Mid-Am champion, played some remarkably consistent golf this season. Swenson finished in the top five at three different championships this year, including a heartbreaking playoff loss for the Senior Amateur title. His top 20 finishes at the Idaho and PNGA Mid-Amateur Championships round out an impressive championship season. The Spurwing member also finished fourth at the Master-40 Championship.

Golf is a Woman's World

Cecilia and her father.

Written by: Cecilia Baney, Director of Junior Golf

The summer before my freshman year of high school, my dad came home with a set of $14 golf clubs, a dollar per club, that he had bought at a yard sale—the famous Tour Model 2s with the golf bag included. I remember looking at the bag of clubs and my dad, and thinking to myself, “I’m never going to use those.” 

More than 20 years later, I sit here, having had a long career in the golf industry. My journey through golf has taken me down several different paths—playing competitively, working at courses, coaching, and now working in golf administration—paths I never considered when I thought about what I wanted to do when I grew up. 

The beauty of golf is that you can start at any age, and I got my start when I was 14. While I had been around the game my whole childhood, following my dad around the course, I never really had a desire to play. I remember I would go out to Country View Golf Course in Ontario, Oregon, with my dad and walk around with him while he played in the men’s league. Until one day, I decided to start playing in it with him. As intimidating as it was to play with a bunch of men, it really helped prepare me to play competitive golf as I got older. And at the time, I didn’t realize it wasn’t typical for girls to outdrive and outscore men. I just knew that I could play with them and beat them.

After playing high school golf, I was given the opportunity to play collegiately. I played for two years at Treasure Valley Community College and finished my college career at The College of Idaho. While most juniors dream of playing Division One golf, I am extremely glad that I took the route that I did. I was able to play so many courses and travel with no stress of keeping up with my studies and practicing. I got to enjoy the college golf experience. 

After college, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. (Such a silly phrase for someone who had just spent five years getting a college degree.) At the time, I was helping coach The College of Idaho’s golf team, while also holding a position at the newly opened TimberStone Golf Course in Caldwell, Idaho.

What started as a part-time gig, just something to have until I figured things out, quickly turned into an “I could do this for a living” career. I quickly grew a passion for teaching golf, working mostly with juniors, and running tournaments. 

I left my job at TimberStone to take on two new challenges in the golf world: becoming a collegiate golf head coach and running the junior golf program at the Idaho Golf Association. I was not only the coach for the women’s team but also for the men’s. While it was a pleasure to coach at my Alma Matar (The College of Idaho) for two years, my heart just wasn’t in it. It was then that I decided to leave coaching to focus all my attention on the IGA and junior golf. 

Here I am at the IGA, seven years later, getting to do the two things I have a growing passion for: working with juniors and running tournaments. I have dedicated myself to growing opportunities for junior golfers in Idaho—offering programs such as Youth on Course, Junior Playdays and free community events.

It has been such a fun journey to watch these juniors grow through our programs. My only hope is when they look back on their time with the Idaho Junior Tour, they think of how much fun they had. I am extremely excited for this next year as we introduce some new junior programs that will have a huge impact on golf in Idaho.  

I never thought that a set of $14 golf clubs would make such a lasting impact on my life. There are so many opportunities for females in the golf world that are not talked about enough. Girls, don’t be afraid to get started. You never know where this game may lead you. There are so many opportunities that golf can provide for you! All we must do is dare to dream and remember that golf is a woman’s world.

Volunteer of the Year: Bruce Robinett

By: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

Boise, ID – The Idaho Golf Association relies on a sizeable cast of volunteers to ensure the best possible experience for championship and recreational players alike. They camp out in the heat to keep live scoring up to date. They shuttle players through cumbersome walks from greens to tees. Some study for and pass the USGA Rules test to provide expert rulings during critical moments of competition. Others travel around the state as course raters, collecting the data that keeps the World Handicap System consistent, fair and up to date.

What is rare, however, is to find a volunteer who tackles all the above – a volunteer whose love for golf is matched by the kind of expertise and enthusiasm that elevates every service the IGA offers to its members.  

That is why the IGA is proud to announce Bruce Robinett as the 2024 Volunteer of the Year. 

“Every organization needs a Bruce Robinett!” said IGA Volunteer Coordinator Anne Williamson. “The person that you can rely on — even if he’s not on the volunteer schedule — who steps up and is willing to do the most menial task when asked. Oftentimes, he does those tasks before you have a chance to ask him. This year he has worked as an event volunteer, course rater and rules official. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of Volunteer of the Year!” 

Robinett was a consistent force in the championships department throughout the 2024 season. When the IGA shows up at water-laden venues, a long day is required to make sure penalty areas are appropriately marked for play – and Robinett routinely showed up early and ready to paint. And during weeks he isn’t competing, you’re likely to find him patrolling the fairways as a rules official.  

A Hillcrest Country Club member, Robinett was integral to helping secure his home club as the venue for the 2024 Women’s Amateur Championships. But his involvement didn’t stop there. From sunup to sundown, Robinett was on site, radio fixed in his ear, helping with everything from course set up and starting to rules and scoring. Robinett even dug into his own pocket to provide fresh fruit for players on the first tee.   

“Bruce has made himself available for any and all things IGA.” Manager of Rules and Competitions Kyle Weeks said. “Rules, scoring, championship set up, course rating – the whole kit and kaboodal.” 

Last week, the IGA invited Robinett to serve as a rules official at the 2024 Carter Cup, an event with little to no need for rules experts. Experience amateur players and PGA professionals seldom find themselves in need of a ruling. But Robinett responded to the call anyway, ready and willing to lend his expertise. After a brief ambush – a surprise public acknowledgment of all he’s done this year – we sent him home early. 

Bruce is a known commodity around IGA championships, but he’s also taken up a role in what is arguably one of the most important departments at any Allied Golf Association – course rating. Course raters spend long days out at golf courses across Southern Idaho, much of it walking from fairway to fairway with a clipboard in hand, taking measurements of landing areas and green surrounds. This work provides the foundation of handicapping services worldwide. Without course raters, skilled players, like Bruce, would take far too much of your money in the weekly skins game.  

“Bruce has become a very good leader in a very short amount of time.” Course Rating Chief Nicole Rutledge said. “He’s only been course rating for a year or so, and I always trust him when he’s out with raters who are still learning the ropes. He brings a valuable perspective to the team.” 

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer with the Idaho Golf Association click the button below.

IGA Stays on Ice, RMSPGA Retains 2024 Carter Cup

By: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

Early signs of winter out at RedHawk Golf Course kept the amateurs on ice for yet another year as the Rocky Mountain Section’s Snake River Chapter retained the Carter Cup in its 49th playing last week. The pros lead team IGA 36-13 all time.  

Returning captains Michael Kastner (RMSPGA) and Joe Malay (IGA), rolled out teams stacked with familiar faces for the bi-annual match-play event. Scott Masingill, Ty Travis, Joe Panzeri and reigning mid-amateur champion Burke Spensky headlined a team of amateurs looking for their first victory since 2014. Travis and Darren Kuhn are the only two players who returned from that team a decade ago. The pros arrived with a team headlined by experience, featuring players like Justin Snelling, Mike Hamblin, Ben Bryson and Tad Holloway, all with many cup appearances under their belts.  

Every other year, the Carter Cup is competed over two days with three sessions of match play – Wednesday morning four-ball, afternoon foursomes and Thursday singles. Each match employs a Nassau format with three points up for grabs (front nine, back nine, and overall).  

Session Totals:

Four-Ball: 11 - 4, PGA

Foursomes: 10 - 5, PGA

Singles: 15.5 - 14.5, IGA

Total: 35.5 - 24.5, PGA

Leading Point Getters:  

PGA: Tyson Bowen – 8.5 of 9  

IGA: Joe Panzeri – 8.5 of 9 

A cool, crisp morning set the tone for Wednesday’s Four-Ball session. With a group photo captured, players hit the course for fourball matches and the pros make quick work of putting blue on the board. None of the first four IGA pairings collected more than a half point in the morning, with Dan Potter and Joe Panzeri taking 2.5 in the final match. RMSPGA left the session with a 11-4 lead.  

The afternoon foursome matches got off to a marginally better start for the IGA, as Scott Masingill and Gilbert Livas battled through a back-n-forth match to win the back nine and tie the overall match, walking away with a point and a half. The next three matches, however, were less fruitful, adding just half a point to the IGA’s session total as players from both teams battled cold and blustery conditions. Joe Panzeri – this time playing alongside Jesse Hibler – won all three points to bring the IGA total up to 5 for the session and 9 on the day.     

Rolling into singles with a 21-9 lead, team PGA found themselves in auto pilot for Thursday singles. Scott Masingill and Tad Holloway traded blows for 18 holes, with Holloway making birdie at the last to tie the match 1.5 to 1.5. The pros went on to win five of the remaining nine matches on Thursday, earning plenty of points to retain the cup. The IGA did collect a few especially decisive wins that would hand the amateurs a win in the singles session. Ty Travis would shoot 66 in the final match to beat Justin Snelling and push the IGA total to 24.5 for the week.    

Former Boatwright accepts position with IGA

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Golf Association is excited to announce the hiring of Shane René as the new Administrator of Media and Communications — a newly created position that brings the total IGA staff count to eight.

Having worked for nearly a year as a USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern, nine months this year and roughly three months in 2023, René showed his true value through his hard work, impressive knowledge of the game, and his way with words.

"[Shane] has more than earned his keep with the IGA,” said Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications. “He did everything I ever asked him to do and more. He brings a deep toolbox of skills that will be invaluable to the IGA for years to come. His passion for this game is shown in everything that he does and says. We are thrilled to have him on staff as a full-time member and can’t wait to see what is next in his offerings for the IGA.”

René graduated from the College of Idaho in the spring of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Literature. While as a Coyote, he played on the men’s golf team.

Before transferring to finish his undergraduate, René spent four years at Depaul University in Chicago, where he played on the university’s club golf team and served as the editor and chief of the student newspaper, The DePaulia, in his final year.

He also worked for several years at Shadow Valley Golf Course, a staple for many golfing Idahoans in the Treasure Valley.

When asked about his recent hire, he said: “I've been a lunatic about golf for as long as I can remember, and the last year I've spent as an intern with the IGA has only confirmed for me why this game means so much to me and so many others. State and local golf associations are an essential piece of any golf community, and I'm thrilled to join the IGA team long-term as we continue to grow and enrich this increasingly dynamic community here in my home state of Idaho.”  

Golfers will continue to see the IGA’s newest hire at all of its championships, USGA Qualifiers and membership events. He will also be heavily involved with the IGA’s social media pages (Instagram, Facebook and X) and website—producing stellar content for all to see and read.

Welcome to the family, Shane René.

Idaho Golf Hall of Fame: The Inaugural Induction

Photos and story by: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

As the sun fell toward the horizon on Oct. 11, a unique group of Idaho golf enthusiasts and their families stepped off elevators and filed into Stueckle Sky Center – a space perched high above Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium – for the inaugural induction of the Idaho Golf Hall of Fame.  

The sense of history in the air was fit for the golden hour pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows.  

The night had arrived after three years of work from the Idaho Golf Association’s board of directors, staff and PGA Rocky Mountain Section representatives. For far too long, golf in Idaho had gone on without formal recognition of those who have pushed the game forward for decades.  

Of the seven members of the inaugural class – Wayne Berry, Karen Darrington, Shirley Englehorn, Arnold Haneke, Joe Malay, Scott Masingill, and Jean Smith – the latter three were in attendance Friday night. Siblings and children represented the other four inductees. The only living member of the class who did not make the trip to Stueckle Sky Center was Darrington, who is currently serving a mission on the South Pacific Island of Tonga.  

“I’m overwhelmed by this moment,” Jean Smith said as she arrived on Friday night, carrying a framed photo of her sister who had passed away earlier this year.  

Scott Masingill was second to arrive, accompanied by his wife, Laurie, and a small collection of family and friends. Masingill expressed a similar reaction to Smith, still struggling to process the honor of being part of this inaugural class as he strolled by shrines to each of the candidates.  

Last to arrive, but always easiest to spot, was Joe Malay – but much of the crowd had never seen Malay dressed in so few colors. His brilliant white suit was accented by a bright red cummerbund and a red-stitched Idaho Golf Hall of Fame logo on his jacket. Somehow his outfit was both unusually subdued and quintessentially loud.  

After some mingling, IGA Executive Director Caleb Cox gathered the crowd for a few private opening remarks, and a champagne toast lead by Board of Directors President Kris Fenwick, before more guests arrived for dinner and the induction ceremony.  

With dinner on the tables, former KTVB anchor and local golf enthusiast Mark Johnson took the mic and got the evening started.

“Welcome everybody to, seriously, what is a historic occasion,” Johnson said. “After more than a century of remarkable golf here in Idaho, we are honoring several legends whose contributions have shaped the very fabric of the sport that we know and love in our great state. It’s incredible to think how far this game has come since the turn of the century, and the first golf courses in the treasure valley, and the swings that were taken on those four and six hole golf courses and where it’s come now… These seven people — legends — are pioneers, trailblazers and champions in every sense. Their stories, as you’re about to hear tonight, span decades — embodying the essence of perseverance, integrity, and sportsmanship. All of those traits that define golf in Idaho. The Hall of Fame is not just a testament to their individual accomplishments, but it’s a celebration. And tonight we are going to enshrine these seven Idaho golf legends into Idaho golf history now and forever.”

Each candidate accepted awards to the following videos.

Wayne Berry

Shirley Englehorn, LPGA

Joe Malay

Jean Lane Smith

Karen Darrington

Arnold Haneke, PGA

Scott Masingill

HOF Spotlight: Jean Lane Smith

By: Shane René, Administrator of Media and Communications

Jean Lane Smith’s name will always live in gold on the front plaque of the Idaho Women’s Amateur Trophy — which was named in her honor in 2019 — but her legacy lives in the long list of appearances her name makes around the sides of it.

Smith stands alone with seven Idaho Women’s Amateur titles, besting fellow Hall of Fame inductee Karen Darrington by one. Smith notched her first Idaho Am win in 1984 and went on to win the event six more times in the following 14 years. Smith used those years to make a historic run at Darrington, who’d won three titles before Smith had corralled her first. Darrington reached six titles in 1992, but Smith, almost 20 years her senior, knocked down three more wins over the next five years to cement her legacy over Idaho’s flagship women’s amateur event.

“Even today we go out and play, and it’s still like that — it’s just ingrained in us,” Smith laughed about her rivalry with Darrington. “They were good matches; some were close, some were runaways. But what comes out of it in the end, and which is most important to me, is to just look at the friendship that came out of it.”

She found similar success in the IGA’s senior division, winning five Women’s Senior Amateur titles, joining a rare club of players with double-digit IGA Major titles. Smith also won a number of titles outside of Idaho. In 2003, she won the PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur. She is also a six-time winner of the Western Golf Associations Senior Women’s Amateur.

But Smith’s success in state and regional championships takes a back seat to the pinnacle achievement of her career: winning the 1995 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. To this day, she is the only Idahoan to win a USGA Championship event — professional or amateur, male or female.

Born and raised in St. Louis, golf was not an obvious path forward for Smith. Tennis was the game of choice before her 16th birthday when she was gifted a set of golf clubs, taking to the fairways at Old Warson Country Club. Today, the St. Louis club's website refers to Smith as “Old Warson’s Best Woman Ever.”

Smith is known as a fierce competitor, bringing the sort of intensity to her craft that you can only find in the most accomplished athletes. But her competitive fire never overshadowed her model sportsmanship, a value she always sought to pass along to the generation of players she inspired to play and play their best.

“Jean Smith has left an indelible mark on golf in Idaho and inspired countless individuals with her dedication, skill and passion for the game,” 1997 Idaho Women’s Amateur Champion Sheryl Scott wrote. “Her journey as a golfer has been marked by remarkable accomplishments that underscore her status as a true icon in the golfing community.”

Smith was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) Hall of Fame in 2005.

Accomplishment Highlights:

• Idaho Women’s Amateur Champion (1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995 & 1998)

• Idaho Women’s Senior Amateur Champion (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2014)

• USGA Women’s Senior Amateur Champion (1995)

• Inducted into the PNGA Hall of Fame in 2005

HOF Spotlight: Shirley Englehorn

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

Known affectionately as “Dimples,” an allusion to her infectious smile and prodigious skill on the golf course, Shirley Englehorn is a name to count among the likes of Harmon Killebrew as one of Idaho’s greatest sporting exports of all time.

Born in Caldwell, Idaho, Englehorn received a royal introduction to the game by LPGA co-founder Shirley Spork, and her talent emerged quickly thereafter. At 15, Englehorn won the 1955 Trans-Miss Championship, earning some national recognition as women’s golf was just beginning to establish the institutions that continue to push the game forward today. She remains the youngest player to ever win the event almost 70 years later.

As she finished school at Caldwell High, Englehorn made a short but emphatic splash on the Idaho amateur golf scene, collecting three-consecutive Women’s Amateur Championship titles in ‘56, ‘57 and ‘58. She’s since been elected into both the Caldwell High School Sports Hall of Fame and the North Idaho Sports Hall of Fame

In 1959, Englehorn made what now seems like an obvious decision to turn professional. What followed was a career defined by triumphs over near tragedy. In 1960, Englehorn was involved in a major equestrian accident in Georgia which sidelined her from competition for many months. She earned her first two victories during the 1962 season, winning the second by seven strokes, and continued to make herself known at the highest level of women’s professional golf. In 1964, she paired up with PGA Tour great Sam Snead to win the Haig & Haig Scotch Foursomes event.

Englehorn’s career took another harrowing turn in 1965 when she was nearly killed in a car accident. After an arduous, year-long recovery, she returned to the winner’s circle at the Babe Zaharias Open in 1966 and continued her run toward 11 career wins on the LPGA Tour. The next year, Englehorn won her own tournament at Purple Sage Golf Course in Caldwell (which she hosted from 1966 to 1968), beating LPGA legend Kathy Whitworth in a playoff.

In 1968, she received the Ben Hogan Award for her recovery.

Englehorn won her lone Major Championship on the LPGA Tour at the 1970 LGPA Championship (Now called KMPG Women’s PGA Championship), once again besting Whitworth in an 18-hole playoff.

“She was a wonderful player and could have won many more tournaments than she did,” Kathy Whitworth said in an article published by the LPGA. “Unfortunately, she had two incredibly bad accidents that most people probably would never recover from. She did recover though and returned to win again. She had a lot of courage.”

Engelhorn continued to struggle with injuries at the end of her playing days, returning to competition from surgery twice in the early 1970s — including a run of four consecutive wins in 1970. But once she put her playing days behind her, Engelhorn's golf life morphed into that of a widely celebrated teacher, earning her way into the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame in 2014. In 1978, a year before her retirement from competition, she won the LPGA’s Teacher of the Year award.

Throughout her career, she would often return to Caldwell to visit her parents at their home along the third hole of Fairview Golf Course.

Accomplishment Highlights:

• 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including one major championship in 1970 (LPGA Championship)

• Awarded the Ben Hogan Award in 1968

• The LPGA Teacher of the Year Award in 1978

• Inducted into the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame in 2014

HOF Spotlight: Wayne Berry

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

Just over a decade after its founding, Wayne Berry was appointed as the first executive director of the Idaho Golf Association in 1980, giving clear direction to an organization that has grown to serve more than 23,000 golfers and more than 80 golf courses across the IGA’s jurisdiction.

Berry’s leadership was a defining moment for amateur golf in Idaho. Those close to him say he was instrumental in establishing more cooperation between Eastern and Western Idaho for professional and amateur golfers alike. The richness of the Idaho golf community, and the cooperation today’s members enjoy from Weiser to Driggs, is the direct result of efforts Berry made in his role with the IGA. At the same time, Berry wanted the IGA to be as approachable as possible, making it a key resource for professionals and amateurs across the golf industry. This often meant making himself available around the clock, always eager to answer questions and make sure that the community of golfers around him could maintain a fulfilling relationship with the game.

Those close to Berry describe him as one of the most honorable men they knew, the kind of person with clear reverence for rules and regulations. That worldview made Berry well suited to become one if Idaho’s leading experts in the rules of golf. His authority on the rules, which was nationally recognized, gave Idaho more credibility in the national golf landscape and today Idaho hosts as many as eight USGA qualifiers every year.

After a decade at the helm of the IGA, Berry joined the PGA Tour as a rule's official in 1991. He went on to become Tour Director of the Hogan Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) before he retired in 1998, a job that made him proud to bring the Albertson’s Boise Open to his hometown every year.

“When you go to a play in a tournament, you expect the best,” said Blue Lakes CC Head Professional Mike Hamblin. “Wayne always put the best product forward. No matter what golf course we went to, he knew how to set a golf course up, he knew how it would play the best and bring out the best in the players.”

In 2008, Berry was given honorary membership into the PGA’s Rocky Mountain Section for his expertise on the rules and, most notably, his routine willingness to serve the Idaho golf community whenever called upon.

“He always seemed eager to share his time,” said PGA Member Kyle Weeks, who was a professional at Eagle Hills where Berry played much of his golf in his later years. “He was everybody’s friend.”

Berry attended La Grande High School in Oregon, earning varsity letters in Football, Baseball, Basketball and Golf. While golf would come to define his life and legacy, football paved his immediate path out of Oregon, landing a scholarship at Washington State University. After four years in Pullman, he was drafted by the New York Giants.

TOC: A fitting finale at Pinecrest GC

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

The Tournament of Champions occupies unique space on the IGA Championship schedule. A celebratory bookend to the season, the TOC is more laid back and vibey than the others.    

Club, local and state champions who earn a place in the field were rewarded with a skin game and raffle prizes for the first round. A short-course challenge stoked a casual but competitive flame. Water coolers were sprinkled with soda and beer. And players arrived at the first tee on Saturday to walk-songs selected during registration or, in the case of Mid-Am champ Burke Spensky, by the IGA’s Beaux Yenchik.   

Open Men’s Division  

Spensky found the fairway to the tune of LMAFO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know it” and went on to post a handsome six-birdie round of 66 to lead by four in the Open Men’s division. Grayson Giboney, the BanBury club champion who also won at the Eagle and Caldwell Amateurs this summer, posted an even-par 70 to find himself aways back in tie for second with Pinecrest club champion Edward Charles. Purple Sage’s Gilbert Livas rounded out the top four with an opening 71.  

The Mid-Am champion stumbled early with a bogey on the opening hole and his lead had vanished by the time the final pairing left the 5th green. Giboney birdied three of his first five holes, including the long par-3 5th, and made a fourth birdie on the next hole to keep himself tied at the top. But when Spensky made bogey at the 7th, Giboney never let go of his lead.  

“I was finally able to put a round together in an IGA tournament,” Giboney said. “Pretty much have done it in every other way but not in an IGA tournament yet, so it feels good.” 

After his sixth birdie of the day on 14, Giboney was bogey-free and just one shot off the amateur course record out at Pinecrest golf course. After pars at 15 and 16, Giboney missed a short birdie effort at 17 and found a divot in the 18th fairway but managed to find the green and two putts for par to close out a two-shot victory over Spensky who fought back with a birdie-birdie finish. 

“All things considered, if I’m able to play like this more often, I feel like I can play with anyone,” he said. 

Open Women’s Division  

Sierra Oyler, out of Clear Lake Country Club, took control of the Women’s division with an opening round of 73 and never looked back. In pursuit, former Boise State Bronco and Hillcrest club Champion Lori Harper leaked some oil coming down the stretch to find herself three shots back with a 76 along with Arielle Cherry from Rexburg. 

Harper was keeping herself in contention through the early goings of the second round but stumbled on the par-4 8th after mistakenly playing the wrong ball. The double bogey would prove costly, as she played her final nine in even par. But after a rare misstep from Oyler on the 10th, the Buhl resident coasted home with eight consecutive pars to win by two.   

“I had a lot of fun out here on the golf course,” she said. “The greens were in great shape, and I was glad I could represent Clear Lake Country Club and play so well and consistently.”   

Senior Men’s Division 

Scott Masingill showed up Saturday seeking his fourth-consecutive TOC title but was in line to win his first as a member of the Idaho Golf Hall of Fame. The Mayor of Scotch Pines had a friendly setup out at Pinecrest where he won a State Amateur title in 1980, and he looked plenty comfy through 18 holes, firing 67 to take a four-shot lead. Senior Amateur champion Darren Kuhn and Spurwing’s Senior club champion Brian Swenson used rounds of 71 to follow Masingill on the leaderboard. 

The second round in the men’s senior division featured four sub-70 rounds. Bret Rupert was the first man to break par on the day, reaching four under through eight holes, but dripped some oile coming home for 69. Stephen Hartnett, out of Quail Hollow, used a five-birdie round of 67 to get himself back to even par for the tournament. And David Bishop, playing in the final group, hopped on a roller coaster to begin his round, making just two pars on the front nine to shoot three-under par with an eagle, a double, four birdies and a bogey. He kept things marginally calmer on the back nine to finish with 68.  

Of course, Masingill was the fourth and final sub-70 round. He fired his opening tee shot out of bounds but chipped in for bogey. Then he made a second bogey at the second hole and went on to make six birdies and matched his opening round of 67. When asked if it winning ever gets old, he smiled and shook his head.  

“No. And it never gets easier either.” 

Senior Women’s Division:  

Looking to repeat her TOC win from 2023, Kris Fenwick cruised out to a two-stroke lead, making three birdies and three bogeys to shoot even par. Dorothy Sells had things cooking on the front nine, making three birdies in a row to get two under through nine holes. A double bogey on the 17th would eventually drop her out of the lead and into solo-second ahead of Abby Black with 73.  

Sells and Black fell quickly off the pace in the second round, while Fenwick stayed in cruise control. The 2024 Lamey Cupper went out in 36 for a second-consecutive day, and used a two-over back nine to finish 6 shots clear of Senior Women’s Match Play champion Sheryl Scott.  

“It always feels good to win,” Fenwick said with a laugh. “That never gets old.” 

Kris Fenwick is also the President of the IGA Board of Directors and spoke to the significance of the tournament in the IGA’s schedule. 

“The Tournament of Champions is a huge celebration for the end of the year,” she said. “It has a little bit of a different field from one of the state amateur or mid-amateur champions in that not every club’s champion is a single digit handicap. But I think it’s great that they all get to play in an IGA event; I think they all look forward to it and I hope they view it as a celebration.”   

Super-Senior Divisions:  

Former TOC Champion Dan Pickens stormed out of the gate in the first round, posting a score of 70 to take a six-shot lead. Bob Hansen from BanBury golf course was way back in second place with a round of 76, followed by Super Senior Match Play Champion Peter Sacks with 77.  

Sack put together the best round of the day on Sunday, posting 73 to finish two-shots clear of second place. But Pickens couldn’t be threatened, coasting home with a round of 75 to win by five strokes.  

“We were kind of spitting oil there – our whole group was struggling, we lost four balls on the front, but we hung in there and kept going.” he said. “I had a good lead, so I knew just needed to not do something real stupid.”    

On the women’s side, Caldwell Ladies Golf Association champion Sue Tracy jumped out to a two-stroke lead over defending champion Shawna Ianson. Tracy’s round of 74 was tied for the lowest in the flight (Marilyn Celano posted the same number in round two to follow an 85).  

Tracy kept her steady play going in the second round, making just two more bogeys and one less birdie to shoot 77 and win by 4 strokes. 

“Elated,” she said. “I’m unbelievably elated. I’ve never been in this position before!”  

Of course, she has been in a similar position, winning the Caldwell Ladies Association Championship – but this is her first victory in an IGA event.  

“It means a lot to me to represent the Ladies Golf Association and Purple Sage.”

Teamwork makes the dreamwork: 2024 IGA Four-Ball Championship

Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications

JACKPOT, Nevada — There is a quote out there that many of you may have stumbled upon at one time or another that goes like this: “The best rounds of golf are those played with friends.” Those rounds could be the dawn patrollers or dew sweepers that strike their shots as the newly-found daylight warms the faces of each golfer. It might be a buddy’s golf trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, where, from sun up to sun down, thousands of footsteps are had along those hallowed Oregon grounds. But for several Idahoans, it was the two rounds played at Jackpot Golf Club for the 2024 IGA Four-Ball Championship.

Women’s Four-Ball Champions: Abby Black (left) and Lori Harper (right)

Battling for the glory, bragging rights, and frosted crystal trophies, the competition grew fierce in what was one of the strongest four-ball fields the IGA has seen for some years. In the Men’s Division, it was Nate Smith, the 2024 Men’s Amateur Champion, and Jason Azzarito who shot a scintillating 66-62=128 (-16) to claim victory. In the Men’s Senior Division, it was Brian Swenson and Mark Newman who came from behind to win, carding a 70-65=135 (-9). In the Women’s Division, Abby Black and Lori Harper held on to their three-shot lead from day one to step into the winner’s circle with a 68-76=144 (E).

For the golfers who made the drive to the town of Jackpot, Nevada, a population of maybe 1,200 (the census takers may have been a little generous on the numbers), a battle awaited them, not just with the elements but with a course that can sneak up and bite you if you aren’t paying attention and/or playing carelessly. It has extreme elevation changes, a supposed “everything breaks to the airport” line of thinking on the greens, and a few occasional shots that demand extreme accuracy. If one is not focused, one’s scorecard may look like a weatherman or woman in winter got a hold of it and began penciling in snowmen (8s) in each box—by the way, opening tee shots were being hit in 30-something degree weather. Brrrrrrr!

When asked about what skills were working that week en route to their victory, the team of Black and Harper gave great insight into how to play Jackpot GC: distance and scrambling around the green. Being two of the longest hitters in the women’s field put this dynamic duo in places on the course that the rest of the women’s field rarely saw. Any golfer knows that having a wedge or short iron in your hand more often than not leads to more scoring opportunities.

Men’s Senior Four-Ball Champions: Mark Newman (left) and Brian Swenson (right)

And if you look at the games of the other two teams that won, distance off the tee truly helped.

Yet, when failing to hit the green with an errant second or third shot, a touch of short-game magic was often needed. One could find their ball at the bottom of a bush or a tuft of fescue grass, or it could be lying on a piece of hardpan that plays as firm as if one were to play it off a cart path. You either strike that ball just right or you’ve just hit the clump of grass further than the ball or you’ve sent your ball rocketing over the green into who knows what.

And who did this the best? The winners when they were in said positions. Yes, the winners had some low scores from countless birdie opportunities, and yet, when they needed to, they could get up and down to save par or walk away from a par-5 with a birdie. A skill that Harper said Black demonstrated on countless occasions throughout the event. (Not everyone has the iron game that Smith has. If you don’t believe me, ask his partner, Azzarito.)

"[Abby] can get up and down from anywhere on a golf course, absolutely anywhere,” Harper said of her partner. “Having a partner that no matter where they are on a golf course, knowing you have par in the bag is just the most helpful thing on the earth.”

Besides the two above-mentioned skills, the IGA’s Four-Ball winners willed their way to victory. The team of Swenson and Newman could have easily counted themselves out of the event before the final round even started. They were among the first groups to go out in the Men’s Senior Division, meaning they were not one of the leaders, and they fired a final round, 65, leapfrogging into first place. They leaned on each other, and sometimes that is the best solution to having a successful round in a four-ball format. It helps when you can fire off five birdies in six holes like they did on the back nine during the final round of the event. That shows the will to win if you ask me.

"It is always good to have a security blanket, knowing someone is there to back you up,” said Swenson. “[Mark] just has a great attitude on the course. He keeps everything loose. He is a steady player as well…Like I said earlier, it’s just nice to be able to know you have a backstop—somebody who is going to make birdies and pars when you are kind of stumbling.

Men’s Four-Ball Champions: Nate Smith (left) and Jason Azzarito (right)

And sometimes, you just have to pull off THE shot. It is the six-foot par putt when your partner is out of the hole or knocking a wedge close and making the following shot when you know you need a birdie to keep your one-shot lead with one to go. Some call it the clutch gene, or others say it’s having that “dog” mentality. Azzarito and Smith did not walk off No. 18 green with a 20-shot lead. They finished one up with a clutch par on the last and two missed birdie putts by their challengers, Connor Johnstone and Daniel Uranga. If Azzarito and Smith had not each hit THE shot during their round, the outcome could have been entirely different.

"[Connor] and [Dan] didn’t make it easy,” Azzarito shared. “We were exchanging barbs left and right. It was a really fun day…[Nate], he is a great player. That birdie on 17 was an absolutely monster putt.”

After all that being said, I think we could agree that teamwork really does make the dreamwork.

CLICK HERE for a look at the complete, final leaderboard.

HOF Spotlight: Arnold Haneke

Painted portrait of Arnold Haneke featured in the main entrance at Hillcrest Country Club.

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

Just over a decade after its establishment in 1940, Arnold “Hank” Haneke arrived at Hillcrest Country Club when the golf course was just nine holes. Under his leadership, Hillcrest blossomed into one of Boise’s preeminent golf clubs — and one of the finest in the region — as Haneke became the figurehead of golf in Idaho for the better part of four decades.

Born and raised in Oregon, Haneke began his golf career as a caddie at La Grande Country Club and turned professional at 15 years old. In 1935, he became the head professional at La Grande, also serving as golf course superintendent, and there seemed little question that a long life in golf awaited him.

When World War II broke out, Haneke enlisted with the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Ranger through the end of the war. Then, Haneke found himself on the east coast, serving as head professional at clubs in Florida and Maryland before heading to Idaho where he would live and work until he passed away in 1994.

During his tenure at Hillcrest, Haneke’s reputation as a masterful teacher and authority on all things golf towered over his famously small frame. He worked with players of all abilities, including high-handicap members and budding superstars like Shirley Englehorn. He made passing down his rich understanding of the game to everyone willing to listen his life’s work. As a player, he battled through back injuries to qualify for and play the 1966 PGA Championship.

Haneke is also credited as an innovator in the pro-shop. A man driven by details on and off the golf course, his pro shop at Hillcrest was notoriously clutter-free, deploying his well-trained staff to hold the highest standards of professionalism. When members entered a spring-loaded door at the side of the pro shop, he insisted that his staff greet the member by name before the door snapped shut behind them. Haneke always encouraged his pro shop staff to play golf with members, a policy that helped tighten the fabric of his community and gave his staff opportunities to meet and learn from successful figures in the community. His commitment to those details, and that consistency, established the reputation that Hillcrest maintains to this day.

Haneke believed strongly in decorum; and those who knew him describe him as a man who commanded respect — but they are all careful to note that he never demanded it. At the 1990 Women’s Amateur at Quail Hollow — where Haneke was teaching lessons after his tenure at Hillcrest — the Quail Hollow Women’s Association asked Haneke to serve as the honorary starter and scorer for the final pairing. He arrive on a hot sunny day in slacks and a suit jacket and walked all 18 holes. Even while navigating Quail’s hilly terrain at 72 years old, Haneke refused to take a cart, insisting that officials at events of such magnitude should always walk the course.

Set behind his professionalism, but never hidden by it, Haneke was well known for his cheerful, friendly demeanor and was a champion of community above all else. Those who say they were fortunate enough to ask him questions about life and golf say those conversations would often reverse themselves, as he peppered them with a series of genuine questions about their own lives.

“I think about him every day,” said First Tee Utah Executive Director Paul Pugmire, who worked for Haneke while he played golf at Boise State. “I always want to treat people the way Mr. Haneke did.”

At Haneke’s funeral in 1994 — which required the closing of four city blocks for the procession — then-sitting-Governor Cecil D. Andrus arrived alone, without security or state representatives by his side, to pay his respects to the man who embodied the game we all love.

Accomplishment Highlights:

• 1987 RMSPGA Teacher and Coach of the Year

• 1988 RMSPGA Bill Strausbaugh Award Winner

• Original figurehead of golf in Idaho

• Head professional at Hillcrest CC from ‘54-82

HOF Spotlight: Joe Malay

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

Joe Malay is the kind of guy you’re likely to spot on the driving range or in the clubhouse before you meet him. Under a trademark goatee and a plume of white hair, selections from his brightly colored and boldly patterned wardrobe spill down toward his feet as he buzzes from person to person, old friends and new ones, representing everything good and everything golf in Idaho.

“Joe Malay, Weiser, Idaho” is how he introduces himself to new faces, proud to represent his beloved hometown along the Oregon border where he’s achieved a rare celebrity among locals. He’s held the course record at his home club — Rolling Hills GC — for more than 40 years. He’s won the club championship 41 times. He’s gone out of his way to play at least one round with every member of the club. And when the maintenance crew is unavailable or understaffed, Malay is always ready and willing to hop on a mower.

Malay graduated from Weiser High School in 1967 and shipped off to Kansas City Community College where he played on the golf team for a year before signing up with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. He received an honorable discharge in 1969 and returned to Weiser where he “hung around, played golf and had no real plans.”

Planned or not, Malay turned his golf life into something far more significant than “hanging around.” For decades, his presence in the Idaho golf landscape is felt far beyond the Ore-Ida border towns that raised him, consistently competing across the state — with notable success — in every format and division that he could find. And when he’s not playing golf, Malay is one of the most visible champions of junior golf in Idaho. During any given week — even with his 80’s beaming on the horizon — Malay could leave his home town of Weiser, drive to McCall to emcee a Calcutta, hustle through passes to run putting contests at the Junior Amateur in Rexburg, drive through Boise to pal around at a tournament in the Treasure Valley and then turn around to play in the Senior Amateur before driving back home. If you’ve ever wondered what a golf nut looks like, the answer is Joe Malay.

Malay is one the founders of the Idaho Junior Golf Foundation, an organization that raises and distributes money to junior golf programs around the state. Since its founding in 1997, IJGF has provided essential funding to programs like the Idaho Junior Tour, First Tee Idaho and sends Idaho juniors to college on the foundation’s Cody Hayes Scholarship. Every year, Malay hosts a putting competition and raffle at the Idaho Junior Amateur Championship for all players.

In the winter, when there are no golf tournaments to attend, Malay’s charitable nature never cools down. His annual holiday fundraiser — Santa’s Ho-Ho Express — has raised more than a quarter million dollars for underprivileged youth in the Payette/Weiser area. In 2001, locals nominated Joe’s Ho-Ho Express for a national competition put on by Walmart to profile local charities. When Malay won the competition, Walmart sent a camera crew to film a commercial which aired in all 50 states over the Holiday season.

While his legacy is most defined by his presence off the golf course, Malay commands plenty of respect as a player. He’s represented Idaho (as both a player and captain) on more than 50 different cup teams, won the Idaho State Four-Ball seven times, qualified to play in eight USGA Public Links Championships, and carved his name into the Men’s Amateur Championship trophy in 1986.

In 2019, the IGA’s Senior Amateur Championship trophy was named in his honor.

Accomplishment Highlights:

• Co-founder of the Idaho Junior Golf Foundation

• Men’s Amateur Champion (1986)

• Men’s Four-Ball Champion (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1999 & 2011)

• Represented Team Idaho on 50 different cup teams and at four Pacific Coast Amateurs

HOF Spotlight: Karen Darrington

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

With 21 major amateur titles, Karen Darrington is the most prolific amateur championship player in Idaho state history, consistently dominating her competition across multiple divisions for the better part of five decades.

The serendipity of Darrington’s golf career is a marvel of its own. Arriving in Provo, Utah as a freshman basketball player, the Twin Falls native befriended one of the players on the women’s golf team. Tagging along to golf practice one spring, Darrington — who’d played just a few rounds in her life — suddenly found herself in a qualifier against another player for the final spot in the team's next tournament. Trading scores of well over 100, the other player decided that softball might be more fun and Darrington found herself in New Mexico playing college golf for Brigham Young University.

The golf course that the BYU team played in that event featured large putting greens, prompting some discussion amongst the team over how to navigate them. When one of the players jokingly suggested she would simply chip to avoid lengthy putts, Darrington took her advice. Shortly after, word of a young Idahoan chipping off the greens spread around the tournament. That young Idaho would go on to become one of BYU’s best players.

“I was really out of my league paired with really good golfers who had been playing since they were young,” Darrington said. “I shot well over 100, but I was hooked.”

With basketball in the rearview mirror, Darrington watched her scores tumble out of the 100’s and into the high 70’s. Then, in 1979 — just two years removed from her tournament golf debut — Darrington won her first Women’s Amateur Championship and successfully defended her title the following year.

After her third victory in 1983, she nearly won consecutive titles for a second time if not for fellow Hall of Famer Jean Lane Smith, who won her first Women’s Am title in 1984. Darrington got back in the winner’s circle in 1985 and then waited six years before she won her last two titles back-to-back in 1991 and 92. Of the 20 Women’s Amateur’s hosted from 1979 to 1998, Darrington and Jean Smith combined to win 13 of them. But as both women moved on to mid-amateur and senior divisions, Darrington took her dominance to the next level. She won three consecutive Mid-Amateur Championships beginning in 2015, took a year off, and won another batch of three in 2019, 20 and 21.

Much like fellow Hall of Fame inductee Scott Masingill, Darrington still shows up to play in the Idaho Women’s Amateur most years to test herself against some of the best up and coming talents the state has to offer. In a generation driven by speed, Darrington may be among the first to admit that winning a 7th state title would be a tall task to conquer. But those close to her say this is evidence of a few of her defining qualities: an deep competitive instinct that made her such a prolific champion, a fearless approach to any competition that comes her way, razor sharp abilities that just won’t quit and an undying love for the community of championship golfers that she’s spent so much of her life making her mark in.

A natural competitor, known among IGA players for her steely fist pumps, Darrington has always been a beloved member of her community. In rare moments of defeat, you’re sure to find her congratulating the champion. As a longtime supporter of junior golf, she’s volunteered as a captain for Idaho’s Junior Girl’s Cup Teams eight times and served for eight years on the IGA’s Board of Directors.

In 2023, Darrington stepped down from the board of directors and announced that she would take a year away from competition in 2024 to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Pacific island of Tonga. At the 2023 IGA Tournament of Champions, Darrington was acknowledged for her years of service to the Idaho golf community after she finished her final round of amateur competition until 2025.

While players in the IGA’s Senior Women’s division may, in moment of competitive thinking, welcome her absence from leaderboards in 2024, her presence will be missed by all.

Accomplishment Highlights:

• Women’s Amateur Champion (1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1991 & 1992)

• Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Women’s Senior Amateur Champion (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 & 2023)

• 16-time PNGA Lamey Cup Player

Lady Hype

Written by Amber Balbas, IGA Board Member

Everyone has something they could call their “passion”. That thing that people think of when they hear your name. For me, it’s golf. I don’t love many things more than the gift of golf. Whether I am watching it, playing it, or learning about it, golf brings me so much joy. In fact, the word has become so synonymous with my name that people are often shocked to learn that I have not been a golfer my whole life, or even in high school. My passion for it leads people to assume I was raised to love it or have played since I was young. 

I was born into softball and about every other team sport my dad could get me in. They taught me to be competitive and tough as nails (physically… still working on the mental part), never give in, keep my chin up, and always be the loudest voice out there.

However, with all of that fierceness, you are also taught all of the cheers, special high-fives or handshakes, and showered with lots of encouragement. Softball is a sport that guarantees that no matter what happens, you have a team that has your back. Always ready to pick you up by the bootstraps when it gets tough. You never felt like it was just “you” because it was bigger than just you.

I loved softball and all that came with it. Not always was I the team MVP, but I was consistently the girl who received the “most encouraging”, “spirit of the game”, or “warrior” recipient. Every year. I was known as “the ultimate hype girl”. Even off of the field, you could find me at every track meet screaming the loudest, at every soccer game waving our school flag, and at all those pep assemblies just being the number one fan of every athlete there.

The camaraderie and rallying were my favorite part of sports, and I absolutely loved it. I so cherished being a competitor, but seeing others do something incredible or achieve a new personal best was what I lived for. Whether I was on the field or on the bench, they always heard my voice and I made sure of it. 

In my freshman year playing third base for my college softball team, I endured a terrible shoulder injury that resulted in surgery. I was told I wouldn’t be able to throw from third as I could before, so my scholarship and roster status would likely dissolve. In desperation to at least get my swing back, I tried all sorts of rehab.

Looking to help, a friend on the men’s golf team invited me out to the driving range to try to swing his golf clubs to ease back into it, hopeful that maybe I could at least bat. After a few times out there, continuously attempting to hit this tiny ball straight, I was asked if I wanted to play a round with the team (all boys at the time and their coach). I had no clue what I was doing, but they didn't seem to mind so I was all in. 

After 4 hours of trying to get this ball into the hole 18 times without having an aneurysm or throwing anything, while the men’s golf team observed and laughed (a lot I'm sure), I fully expected that to be the last time I visited a golf course.

I’ve learned so many times though that my plan is usually far different than what God has planned. “Amber, we are starting a women’s golf team here at Corban, we would like you to be the first player and if you’re interested and your softball coach gives the ok, we’d also like you to be the team captain.” Those were the words out of Coach Sisler’s mouth after that round and no, it wasn't a joke… I asked.. multiple times.

I slept on it, prayed about it, and before I knew it, I had a set of King Cobra Golf clubs, multiple fancy polos, a bag with my name on it, and soon, four other girls expecting me to lead the way to… well I wasn't really sure where you go with golf, but I just knew that we were going and we would have some big smiles our faces!

Being new to the college golf scene, I didn't know how tournaments operated or even what the proper etiquette was. l did know that walking 4 rounds of 18 holes (push carts or fancy rangefinders weren't allowed yet), mostly in the Oregon rain, definitely meant we needed snacks and lots of smiles (and extra socks).

I still remember my very first tournament. I clapped for each competitor who teed off before me. Then, my name was announced at the first tee box, “Next to the tee, Amber Meeker from St. Helens, Oregon…” I aimed about 80 yards left of the fairway (softball) like always and hit the nastiest slice you've ever seen that landed about 240 yards in the middle of the fairway. I took 127 painful shots after that.

In round one, the three girls I golfed with that round were silent. They didn't clap, high-five or cheer. It was so odd to me. I remember seeing a teammate of mine make an awesome putt on the green next to us, so naturally I yelled, “Great shot, Hailey!” I was thrilled for her, but I could have just murdered someone with my divot fixer judging by the looks I received. Noted: don't yell.

We turned around to play our second round of 18 for the day. I offered snacks to my playing partners, then ate them all myself because apparently eating during a tournament was also taboo. I continued to congratulate my group on great shots, even encouraging them during tough holes. At the end of the round, we shook hands and that was that. They all looked so miserable. I would have loved to have played like they did, but they didn't seem to have enjoyed themselves.

Amber is "Nicole's biggest fan" and it definitely shows!

That next day, the silence was near painful. I continued to offer snacks and all of the words of encouragement I thought might help. I played heaps better, so my spirits were much higher but the vibe in the group was still drab.

It was nearing the end of the last round and one of the girls broke her silence to say something to me along the lines of, “You’re really nice, even when you play bad.” Then she smiled. A real smile. I was elated.

Two weeks later at the next invitational, on the first tee box, our group traded scorecards and introduced ourselves. The same girl was in my group and when she handed me her scorecard, she wished me luck and smiled. In that round of golf, we both played well. We congratulated each other on good shots, we laughed a few times, and by the end of the round, the other girls even joined in some high fives.

Each tournament that first year, the reuniting party in the clubhouse grew more and more. Girls were excited to see and compete with each other, all eager to hear who they were seeded with for the weekend. It was the best.

Ever since I started playing competitive golf, I’ve been told that I need to want to beat the people I play against. I assure you, I am one of the most competitive people you will meet. I want to blow you out of the water no matter the challenge. But I never, ever want you to be miserable. I want to beat you when you are playing your absolute best. I want to see you celebrating an amazing eagle putt. I want to be a part of your victory dance when you shoot a career low. I want you to succeed. Whether it is that shot, that hole, that round. I know how amazing it feels when you experience even those small victories, and I want everyone to have that. We need more of that.

After college, I coached high school softball and golf in Colorado for a number of years. My athletes called me (and still do) “Lady Hype” or “Lady Coach”. Our teams were not always the state champions or all-state athletes, but I continually receive calls and messages from them over the years commenting on the impact of the encouragement they received from me.

Some of my athletes have gone on to coach teams themselves, writing to tell me that they try to be to their teams “the hype girl I was to them.” (Insert teardrops on my keyboard here.) We need more hype girls. More hype bros. We need to be the encouragement for others that we all so desperately need sometimes.

I was specifically asked to write about “What golf means to me”. What golf has become to me these past 16 years, is more than just a game; it is a profound expression of my faith, a place where I encounter God’s creation in its most intricate detail. It is joy. It is a gift God gave me during a time of sorrow and confusion.

Each time out, I try to take in the beauty of the landscape and the rhythm of each swing, being so thankful for the Creator’s handiwork. At times, the game becomes a prayerful meditation, where each moment of calm and challenge reminds me of the grace and patience that God extends to me. The joy I find in golf goes beyond the game itself; it’s about planting a passion and a sense of community in others. But, the true reward comes from seeing others find their own joy in the sport, as it mirrors the excitement and happiness that golf has brought to my own life. It’s a beautiful exchange of enthusiasm and encouragement that I so cherish.

I’ve realized the mental berating we give ourselves as golfers is inevitable at times. I chose to share a short-ish version of my story with you in hopes of giving you a new outlook. I know the terrible things I've said to myself during a round of golf. I have experienced the feeling of absolute failure and anger after a tournament. I’ve nearly left my golf clubs on the side of the road with a “free” sign. I don't want anyone to experience that feeling.

If I can be a small part of helping you smile or gain a little more confidence during a round, then I know I am turning my passion into a purpose. If I’m losing to you, you’ll still hear me. If I didn’t make the cut, I’ll still come to watch you grind. If I am melting down on the 14th green after hitting two “OB” and you make birdie, you bet I’ll have a high-five for you. I want to be a person who helps you feel all the positives because I have been in a place with nothing but negatives and no one deserves to be there. So go out and play a round of golf, whether it be your first or your thousandth, find grace in every stroke, and just smile. 

HOF Spotlight: Scott Masingill

By: Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

If the Idaho amateur golf community had a Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods-type figure, most would point to Scott Masingill.

The Payette native was born into one of the families that established Scotch Pines Golf Course in 1962 (then Payette Golf Course), where the seeds of his historic amateur career took root. A couple decades later he would try his hand at course architecture during the course’s expansion from nine to 18 holes, and he served as president of its board of directors. For decades, his love of golf has been rivaled only by his commitment to the communities that raised him.

“I’ve lived in Idaho my whole life,” he said. “So, anything that says it’s a state tournament, I’m interested in it.”

Golf was not always the obvious path forward for Masingill, who grew up showing talent for a variety of sports including basketball and baseball. In fact, baseball was the family sport, played by his father and uncle, and a popular pastime in the town that raised MLB legend Harman Killebrew. But as Masingill arrived at his sophomore year, Payette High School wouldn’t allow him to play both sports due to the amount of time each would force him out of classes. When his parents arranged hitting lessons with Killebrew for Masingill and his cousin Brad, the Hall of Famer suggested, on account of their slender builds, that they better stick to golf.

Today, Masingill’s legacy, which is highlighted by stunning longevity, stands on the shoulders of his unmistakable talent. After winning his first junior tournament in 1967, it wasn’t until 1999 that he endured a title-less season on the golf course. Following consecutive state titles with Payette High School, Masingill played for his beloved Oregon State Beavers, where he won the PAC-8 championship in 1971, besting the likes of Tom Watson and Craig Stadler.

In 1972, Masingill captured his first Idaho Men’s Amateur title, beginning a run across four decades that would become the flagship accomplishment of his career. Today Masingill stands alone with nine state titles, winning his last in 2001, and continues to make strong showings in the event as he wades into his 70's. In 2023, he entered the final round with just three players between him and the lead — two of them were yet to graduate high school and the third was 22 years old.

“I was a college kid trying to beat the older guys; I was the older guy trying to beat the college kid; I was the father just trying to cobble something together,” he said. “So, each of those eras was a completely different challenge.”

Masingill turned professional in the wake of his final Men’s Amateur win, at 50 years old, and spent a few years Monday qualifying into events before earning status on the Champions Tour in 2006. Across 33 appearances in Champions tour events, including a handful of Senior Major Championships, he shared fairways with many of the game’s greatest champions. But ultimately, Masingill says the magnet that drew him back to the amateur game is the people who play alongside him. They are doctors and lawyers, plumbers and schoolteachers, students and social workers; they are successful, he notes, in other parts of their lives. Their lives are enriched by the game, but never made miserable (at least, not too miserable) by the horrors of their short game. They are people for whom golf is not a matter of life and death, but a matter of heart and soul. 

Masingill is drawn to them because he’s one of them; he’s one of us. He just happens to have won more times than most of us have in our dreams.

The IGA announced in 2019 that the Men’s Amateur trophy be named in Masingill’s honor and he’s handed the Scott Masingill Cup over to the winner every year since — even after being in contention to win it many of those years.

“I’m flattered that somebody feels that way about me,” Masingill said as he reflected on having his name on the Men’s Amateur trophy. “When you’re doing this, you don’t know what legacy you’re going to have. And that just embedded that all of the things that I’ve done — and what I’ve been — is worth it.”

Accomplishment Highlights:

• Idaho Men’s Amateur Champion (1972, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2000 & 2001)

• Match Play Champion (5-time winner)

• 1997 PNGA Master-40 Champion

• Champion’s Tour (2001-06)

Patience Pays: The 2024 Senior Amateur Championship

Jug Mountain Ranch asks players to be patient.  

The golf course, as Joe Malay put it after his opening round, asks you to play it the way the way it was designed to be played — from point A to point B, and only then may you advance on to point C. To disobey, you must push two shots and a golf ball into the middle of the table and roll a die weighted against your favor. And when you lose, you’ll be forced to withstand anxious walks along the edges of meadows so lush you’re better off not finding your ball. 

Jug Mountain is a reliable test of resilience — and resilience may be the best word to describe 2024’s trio of Champions. Fran Matthias fought his way back from an opening 81 to run away with his third consecutive Super Senior Title. Jennifer Harper earned her first IGA Championship title from five-shots back. And Darren Kuhn, a six-time runner up finisher in IGA Championships (including the 2024 Senior Match Play), outlasted newly minted senior Brian Swenson in a two-hole playoff.  

SUPER SENIOR   

Fran Matthias cruised out of the gate on Thursday morning with squeaky-clean 36, making nine consecutive pars as he rolled into Jug Mountain's feast or famine final nine. A bogey on the 10th and a second on the 12th (the week’s easiest par-4) then sent him trending in the wrong direction. When he arrived on the 16th tee, the beginning of Jug’s most notorious stretch, at three-over par a leftward tee shot found the penalty area.  

“I had a brain fart and should have taken a drop,” Matthias said. “That was kind of silly on my part.”  

It took Matthias three swings to free his ball from the lush native area beyond the red line and he chased his ball into the hole for a quadruple-bogey nine.  Two more bogeys on the troublesome 17th and 18th sealed the deal on a rare birdie-free round of 81, eight shots back of the lead set by 2017 champion Skip Pierce. 

Matthias got back on his horse in the second round, using three birdies and two bogeys to stroll into the clubhouse with a round of one-under 71. But Boise-native Joel Hickman did the same, posting 71 to follow an opening round of 75 and take firm control of the golf tournament through 36 holes.  

Paired with Hickman in the final round, Matthias sat six shots back of the lead on the first tee. But after just one hole, the deficient was down to three after Hickman opened with a triple-bogey. With a birdie on second for Matthias, he found himself one back after Hickman made bogey. By the time they turned onto the back nine, Matthias held onto a two-shot lead and never let it go. He’d go on to win by four.   

“It’s very gratifying,” Matthias said. “It was a pretty rough start the first day, but after that I just put my head down and went one shot at a time. It’s an old cliche, but that’s the way you’ve got to do it. Just a little bit at a time... 

“I’m pretty pleased with how I finished.”  

WOMEN’S SENIOR  

The Women’s Senior field arrived at Jug Mountain Ranch on Wednesday morning without a clear favorite on the leaderboard for the first time in a long time. With Karen Darrington out of the picture, there was a clear opening for a new name to find its way onto the Karen Darrington Cup with just two former champions in the field — Shawna Ianson and Sheryl Scott. 

Jennifer Harper established her campaign for her first IGA Championship title early on, riding a bogey-free 33 on the back nine into the clubhouse for a one-over par 73 and a one-shot lead. In close pursuit, Kris Fenwick made five birdies in her opening round, but stumbled on 17, making double bogey to take the luster off birdies at 16 and 18.  

Stacey Camara and 2021 Champion Sheryl Scott — who battled in the final match at the 2024 Senior Women’s Match Play — rounded out the top four with rounds of 77.  

Harper stumbled in the second round, beginning and ending her back nine with runs of bogey-bogey-double and signed for 83. Fenwick found some steady play early on Friday, making birdie at the 2nd and 4th, but a double bogey at the ninth moved her over par. Then the 17th reared its ugly head once again, as the creek swallowed Fenwick’s approach and dished out double bogey for a second day in a row. But it was Camara who found herself floating to the top of the leaderboard, finishing bogey-par-bogey to lead by one.  

Just one shot back to begin the day, Kris Fenwick moved back into the lead after nine holes and moved two up through over Stacey Camara after the 10th. Mean while, Jennifer Harper had moved along steadily on the front nine, matching Fenwick with 39. Then as Fenwick and Camara began bleeding strokes on the back nine, Harper’s steady play continued, and she found herself floating toward the lead.  

On the par-5 16th, Fenwick four-putt for double bogey and found the water with her approach on the 17th for a third consecutive double bogey on the hole. As the final pairing stood on the 18th tee, Fenwick was one back of Camara and Harper who shared the lead at 17-over par.  

All three pushed their tee shots up near the front of the 18th green and Fenwick stuffed one into just inside 10 feet for birdie. Harper then sent one by the difficult hole location and down the back of the green. Camara tentatively left herself a long putt below the hole.  

With Fenwick’s miss, and Camara’s three-putt, Harper found herself with 6 feet for par and the win. She poured it in the middle.    

“I’m feeling butterfly-ie on the inside, a little nervous, disbelief, happy,” Harper said. “Last year when you guys hosted the State Am, and all the high school kids and college kids were out and it was set up quite difficult, I was hoping to break 90 every day. So, I was looking forward to the forward tees today.  

“It means a lot [to win].” 

SENIOR MEN’S 

Crane Creek’s John Drescher came out of the gates firing with an opening round of 68 (-4) to take a three-stroke lead on Wednesday. In the group behind him, Darren Kuhn and Gary Sherrell were the only other players to break par, one stroke ahead of Brian Swenson who opened with a round of 72.  

Through the second round, Drescher struggled early, making consecutive double bogeys on the 5th and 6th, and limped home with a round of 75 to fall back to one-under par. And as Kuhn played a smooth round of even par, making two birdies and two bogeys, Brian Swenson stormed through the front nine with an eagle and two birdies to go out in 32. He would reach five-under on the day with a birdie at the 13th.  

But as after a poor tee shot on the 17th, Swenson was forced to lay up to just outside 100 yards for his third. With a back hole location, Swenson flagged it, landing his ball just a couple paces long of the hole and received an inexplicably long, hard bounce over the green and into the hazard long of the green. He would walk away with a quadruple bogey 8 and fell to one-under par for the tournament. 

In the final round, Dean Park — who began the day two back of the lead — made a late charge but stumbled coming home on the 18th hole to post two-over for the tournament. And as John Drecsher struggled in the final pairing with Darren Kuhn and Brian Swenson, the latter two had the tournament focused on themselves.  

Kuhn made bogey at 15 and handed Swenson a one-shot lead with three to play. Swenson then birdies the 16th to take a two-shot advantage as he turned toward the hole that derailed him the day before.  

Both Kuhn and Swenson trickled their tee shots into the hazard long through the fairway, but both were able to get a club on the ball. Swenson elected to chip his down the fairway, and Kuhn chose to go for the green.  

“I’ve I wasn’t two-back,” Kuhn said. “I probably would have laid up.”  

His second from the hazard came out well right of the green and took a long hard hop further to the right, leaving himself a difficult up and down. But Swenson, meanwhile, dumped his third into the bunker short of the green. Kuhn hit a quality pitch shot to 15 feet above the hole, and Swenson scared the hole with his bunker shot, but it released out to less than a foot beyond Kuhn’s mark, forcing him to putt first.  

Swenson missed, and with the help of his read, Kuhn buried the putt for par — moving them to 18 in a tie for the lead.  

After trading pars on the 18th, Swenson and Kuhn moved into a playoff, both finishing with rounds of 73 in a tie at even par for the week. They would trade pars again on the first playoff hole (hole No. 1 at Jug Mountain), and moved to the par-5 second.  

Kuhn hit an ideal tee shot up the middle of the fairway, while Swenson tugged one into the left rough. Still within striking distance, Swenson fired at the green, missing short right in the rough. Kuhn hit a beautiful shot falling just beyond the bunker short left of the green.

But when Kuhn arrived at the green, he was stunned to see the gallery searching for his ball behind the green. Once found, he had a difficult chip to a front left hole location. Swenson caught his chip a little bit thin, sending it a good 20 feet by the hole, and Kuhn misread his, leaving it a good 12 feet right of the hole.

But much like the 17th, Kuhn used the information from Swenson’s putt to pour his in the center.

“I’m a little overwhelmed,” Kuhn said. “It was a tough day — a tough three days. The golf course was pretty tough, you always have to be on guard. I’m just grateful to have it work out the way it did.”

After six runner-up finishes in IGA Championships, Darren Kuhn collected his first last week.

“It get’s frustrating I think because you want it so much and then it gets so far away when it gets down to it,” he said. “Today I just tried to stay calm and in the moment even when it wasn’t going well…. It’s always more up here [pointing at his head] than it is anywhere else.”

Lawson wins PNGA Mid-Amateur in Playoff

Written by Tom Cade, Director of Communications for WA GOLF/PNGA

McCall, Idaho – Andrew Lawson of Dallas, Tex. shot rounds of 71-75-69 and then survived a two-hole playoff to win the 39th PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, held this week at Jug Mountain Ranch in McCall, Idaho.

Andrew Lawson, winner of the PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur

Lawson defeated Jesse Hibler of Meridian, Idaho, in the playoff to take the title.

Andrew Lawson, winner of the PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur.

The 54-hole stroke-play championship featured a strong field of the top men’s mid-amateur players from across the Pacific Northwest.

Championship links:

• Final Results

• Complete Information

Lawson started today’s final round four shots back of Hibler, who held the top spot at the top of the leaderboard after the second round. Between Hibler and Lawson were Colton Kleis of Kenmore, Wash. and Michael Cairns of Carnation, Wash., both at two shots back of Hibler.

Hibler still held a two-shot lead after the front nine in today’s final round, and when Lawson double-bogeyed the short par-5 13th, the way looked clear for Hibler. But he ran into trouble on the relatively innocent par-4 15th and double-bogeyed as well, to fall behind Lawson by a shot. When Lawson bogeyed the final hole, he and Hibler headed for the playoff.

Lawson was playing the second-to-last group today. “I had no idea what was going on behind me (in Hibler’s group),” he said. “I was just trying to take care of my own game.”

On the 13th, Lawson four-putted for the double-bogey, scuffing a six-inch tap-in. On the 18th, from the middle of the fairway he hit his second shot to the back edge of the green and proceeded to three-putt from there, then watched as Hibler parred the final hole to force the playoff.

Lawson and Hibler were the only two players in the field to finish under par.

Lawson, 41, spends his summers in Sun Valley, Idaho, playing the resort’s Bigwood course, as well as the nearby Valley Club. “I played in college, but that was many years ago,” he said. “Then I played absolutely no golf at all for four or five years. Didn’t pick up a club. But now I try to play in a few events each summer. I’m already planning on defending my title in this championship next year. I’ll be back.”

Hibler brought a lot of experience to Jug Mountain this week, having won back-to-back PNGA Master-40 titles in 2021-2022, with the 2022 championship held at Jug Mountain. He also won the 2019 IGA Men’s Tournament of Champions, and the 2023 Idaho Men’s Mid-Amateur. He has been named to several PNGA Lamey Cup competitions as a member of the Idaho Golf Association team.

To be eligible for this championship, players had to be 25 years of age or older by August 6, 2024 and have a USGA Handicap Index or Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or lower at the time of entry, and must be a member in good standing of a PNGA Member Association.

The PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship is one of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.

About Jug Mountain Ranch

Designed by Donald Knott, the golf course at Jug Mountain Ranch was named second-best new public course by Golf Digest in 2008, and was named one of the “Best Courses You Can Play” in Idaho by Golfweek in 2016. The course is an amenity of a 1,410-acre private residential community set beneath Jughandle Mountain’s 8,310-foot peak. Roughly 75 percent of the Ranch (1,000 acres) has been set aside for preserved open space and a championship golf course. Visit jugmountainranch.com for more information.

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