Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications
JEROME, Idaho—It’s safe to say that no script was followed at this week’s Senior Amateur Championship. Two first-time winners hoisted their respective trophies, while the third held it like it was their first. For a field featuring the top senior players in the state, both men and women, age seemed to be less of a factor than one would have imagined. And for being one of the more recognized courses on the “rota” for the Idaho Golf Association, Jerome Country Club proved it was once again worthy to host such a tournament by keeping players at even par or higher at about 97 percent of the time—only yielding five sub-par rounds to the field for the week.
Fran Matthias, who had to win it on the 54th hole, is crowned the champion of the Super-Senior Men’s division by posting scores of 74-76-74 to finish at 224 (+8).
Super-Senior Men’s Division
After moving to Idaho four years ago, Matthias hasn’t wanted many more things in life than to stand in the winner’s circle of an IGA Championship. He’s competed in various tournaments with hopes of breaking through but has pulled a U.S. Open Phil Mickelson (sorry to use his name for those who are anti-LIV) by finishing in second place on several occasions.
Having been in pursuit of Mike Rawls—the eventual runner-up in this event—for the four years he has been in Idaho (his words), Matthias finally found himself ahead of his playing competitor as he stood on the tee of the par-4 11th. Matthias had just watched the “Snake River part” as Rawls double-bogeyed the hole—producing a four-shot swing between the two and a narrow path to victory. Knowing that it wouldn’t be easy, Matthias buckled down and played the remainder of the tournament the way he knew how—having spent hours honing his game at the range and investing in clubs that were fitted specifically to his swing.
Matthias stated: “It was the first time I’ve been in the lead in a state championship tournament in my life, and instantly you can feel the nerves coming on. I thought ‘my goodness, you play a lot of golf, come on.’”
The lead dropped down to a single shot as Matthias bogeyed the difficult par-3 12th. Doing his best to maintain his lead, Matthias’ par putt lipped out on No. 17, and with frustration showing on his sleeve, Matthias approached the 18th tee box now tied for the lead and knowing this was what he had been working toward.
Probably wishing it didn’t have to come down to the final hole of the championship, the soon-to-be winner watched as Rawls sent his drive nearly out of bounds down the right side of the hole. With a little sense of peace, Matthias put his tee shot on the left side of the fairway, which gave him a perfect angle to the green with a back-right hole location.
"I thought here is an opening, so take advantage of it,” Matthias said. “So, I hit a good drive right down the middle, left-edge of the fairway…Thank goodness, we found [Mike’s] ball. I didn’t want to win with [him] going out of bounds.”
Rawls, having to hit his next two shots out from under a tree, left himself with a tough putt down the slope for par, while Matthias laid three just a few feet from the hole. Missing his putt, and knowing his errant tee shot may have cost him, Rawls walked away from the hole with his hands on his head as he shook it back and forth.
Matthias, having “never felt this nervous on a golf course before,” stepped up and knocked in his putt from about three feet for his first Super-Senior Men’s Amateur victory!
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Super Senior Men’s Division Payout
-1st Place Gross $500 Fran Matthias
-2nd Place Gross $400 Mike Rawls
-3rd Place Gross $200 Bob Lutz
-1st Place Net $450 Joe Malay
-2nd Place Net $250 Mike Prohorenko
-3rd Place Net $150 Jody Boline