Day One: Alternate Shot & Parent Child Championship

Nampa, Idaho – Today tee’d off the first day of the Alternate Shot and Parent Child State Championships at Redhawk Golf Course. The conditions took a pleasant turn and the rain subsided for a beautiful day of amateur golf.

The father-son duo: Scott and Jeff Masingill took the lead of the Parent Child Championship with a score of 66 (-5) leaving them with a seven-shot lead over another father-son duo, Houston and Todd Ostrom.

Perhaps Scott’s former professional career prepared him to put up a low number with his son Jeff. Scott was also a member of the 2019 PNGA Cup Team.

In the Alternate Shot, Hunter Ostrom and Kim Ostrom finished with a 68 (-3). Kareen Markle and Scott Vermeer finished close behind with a score of 69 (-2).

Hunter Ostrom is currently playing at Notre Dame, and a Treasure Valley graduate from Bishop Kelly High School. The final round should be interesting with Hunter and Kim Ostrom holding a one stroke lead over Kareen, the 2018 Women’s and Senior Women’s Player of the Year, and Scott Vermeer member of the 2018 PNGA Cup Team.

View the event photo album on our facebook page   

Be sure to follow along with the final round and view all scores HERE.

Vanier wins Back-to-Back Senior Am Titles, Lodge Dominates Super Senior Division

McCALL, Idaho - Gary Vanier’s game was just hot enough to overcome cold conditions in the mountains of central Idaho. The Tetonia, ID resident won the 2018 Idaho Senior Amateur Championship, shooting 74-72-73 (219) to best Scott Masingill by a stroke.

Vanier is the second player of the week to win back-to-back senior championships (following Karen Darrington a day before).

Vanier, Masingill, and Randal Cross were tied at 146 following the second round of play. Vanier’s front nine featured four birdies en route to a 3-under 33. Masingill (Payette) made the turn at even par, and Jay Sutton (Meridian) entered the conversation with a 1-under start.

As the leaders made their way to the closing stretch at hole 16, Vanier was one up on Masingill after a double-bogey on the 14th hole. Masingill, just off the green on 16, hit his chip with some pace. The ball struck the back of the cup with authority and dropped in for birdie. Vanier couldn’t answer with a birdie of his own and it was all square going into 17.

The dogleg left par-4 #17 spelled trouble for the leaders. Two errant drives found the wetlands to the left. Masingill was forced to lay up after a drop, while Vanier knocked his shot onto the green. Vanier two-putted to take a one shot lead at that point.

On 18, Vanier found the fairway and struck an excellent shot to a safe spot on the wildly sloped green. Masingill’s drive found just enough tall grass to make for a difficult approach. He was able to play out just short of the green, but the next shot from about 20 yards short came to rest far from the pin.

Masingill two-putted for bogey, and Vanier 3-putted for the one stroke victory. You can view the full results from the regular senior division here.

Paul Lodge (Caldwell) cruised to a victory in the Super Senior division with a final round 2-under 70, finishing 12 strokes ahead of 2nd place. Mike Rawls (Eagle) and Greg Tatham (Lewiston) tied for runner-up honors. Click here for full Super Senior results.

Defending Champion Darrington Wins 2018 Idaho Women's Senior Am Title

McCALL, Idaho - Karen Darrington is a well-known name around the Idaho golf community, and for good reason. The winner of multiple state championships adds another trophy to her collection with a win at the 2018 Idaho Women’s Senior Amateur at Jug Mountain Ranch in McCall, ID.

Boise’s Darrington started in impressive fashion with an opening round 73 (1-over) in chilly conditions. The front nine included three birdies and four bogeys, but a clean one birdie and one bogey back nine capped the day. Sheryl Scott (Boise) lurked one stroke behind with a 74.

In the final round, Darrington had a less than ideal start, but the competition didn’t fare much better. A back nine reminiscent of the first round would likely seal the championship, and that’s exactly what occurred. Another even par back nine gave Darrington a comfortable victory - three strokes ahead of Scott.

Karen successfully defended her 2017 Women's Senior Amateur title. She is also a six-time winner of the Idaho Women's Amateur and serves on the IGA Board of Directors.

Shawna Ianson (Boise) took home 1st net while Kelly Loeb (Eagle) took home 2nd net.

View full results here.

Higham & Rammell Earn Spots in US Mid-Am

Tanner Higham

The 2018 US Mid-Am qualifier was held at Idaho Falls CC on August 20, 2018

Tanner Higham of Riverton, UT took home the lone qualifying spot in a playoff over Idaho Falls’ Jed Rammell.

On the first playoff hole, Higham made an 8-foot putt for birdie to secure the spot just after Rammell left a 12-foot putt for birdie just short.

Rammell, the first alternate, has since received a spot in the field at the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur held at Charlotte Country Club in Charlotte, NC on Sept 21-27.

There was a 5-player tie for the second alternate spot. After 3-holes, Michael Blackham secured the spot over Jason Graff and Dean Park.
 

Jensen Comes Through Late for Mid-Am Title, Gooding Holds on in Women’s Mid-Am

McCALL, Idaho – The winner of the 2018 Idaho Mid-Am came from a rather unlikely place. Matt Jensen of Winnemucca, NV shot 73-71-71 (215) to win by 3 strokes over Jason Huff and Gavin Parsons at Jug Mountain Ranch.

Jensen recently moved to his wife’s hometown of Winnemucca from New Hampshire, making the roughly 6-hour drive to play in the Idaho championship for ages 25 and up.

Jensen started the final round at even par, one shot behind Huff (Moscow) and Dan Stewart (Elko, NV). On the front nine two early birdies helped him make the turn at 1-under. Huff and Stewart both played the front 1-over and Jensen took the lead.

The early stages of the back nine belonged to Huff. Two early birdies of his own gave him a 2 shot lead going into the 13th hole. Disaster struck for Huff as he took a double-bogey on 13, at the same time Jensen making birdie. Meanwhile, Stewart has rattled off his 9th consecutive par.

Things were not over for Huff quite yet. Bogeys on 14 and 15 from Jensen opened the door. Huff birdies 16, and suddenly has a two shot lead over Jensen. The two difficult closing holes at Jug Mountain Ranch can often lead to heartache and Sunday’s final round had plenty of that.

Stewart played the course very well all day, but wasn’t able to find the bottom of the cup on any birdie putts. Still, he was very much alive down only one shot going into 17. Jensen owned 17, making birdie while his competitors made bogey.

The final hole provided a ton of drama in McCall. First up, Jensen found the fairway of the tight 435 yard 18th hole. Huff’s tee shot flared left, and he was forced to take hacks out of extremely thick grass to get it back in play. Stewart goes opposite into the wetlands on the right side, now forced to punch out short of the green.

Jensen now had the upper hand. Sticking his approach to around 7 feet, he essentially had the trophy in hand. He proceeded to drop the birdie putt followed by a Tiger-like fist pump, putting the exclamation point on the tournament.

In the Women’s event, Michelle Gooding of Parma, ID held on to her first round lead to best last year’s winner Karen Darrington by one stroke. Gooding went 73-80 (153) to capture the Women’s Mid-Am title.

Michelle Gooding

View full results:

Men
Women

Idaho Junior State Am: Carter and Reinke Outlast Competition

KUNA, Idaho – The Boys and Girls Idaho Junior Amateur Championships became a tale of two stories at Falcon Crest Golf Club. The Girls division featured a dominating performance and the Boys division was an all-out battle royale with players entering the fray and folding as the minutes ticked past.

Two competitors emerged victorious. Carly Carter led from start to finish, shooting +1 overall to win the 54-hole Idaho Girls’ Junior Amateur by six strokes.

Carter started the day five shots clear of Christine Cho. A rough start to the final round allowed Cho to get within two shots. A birdie on the eighth hole gave Carter a jumpstart to get the round back together; she finished the back nine 1-under for a 74. Cho would finish second.

Drew Reinke was able to bounce back from a difficult final round in brutal heat and wind to win in a playoff over Jake O’Neil. Reinke was +8 overall for the 54-hole event, making birdie on the first playoff hole to secure the Idaho Junior Amateur title.

Reinke also had a rough front nine start, but was able to control the damage from two double-bogeys with three birdies. The birdies didn’t show up on the back nine, though, and his back nine 40 led to a 77.

Tensions were high in the scoring area as players awaited scores from the final pairing. Of those players, Jake O’Neil, was in the clubhouse tied with Reinke at 224. His final round 75 was one of the better final rounds out of the leading groups.

On the first playoff hole both players were within 15 yards of the green off the tee. O’Neil’s chip from the rough landed short and he got up and down for par. Reinke played a low chip shot that wrapped around the edge of the cup, leaving him a short putt to close it out.

Makena Rauch was the winner of the Girls 16-18 division and finished 3rd overall. Lindsey Lloyd came in second.

In the Boys 13-15 division, Taylor Mortensen was able to hold off Joe Gustavel for the win. Mortensen finished at -8 overall, three strokes ahead of Gustavel.

The Diamond Line Players of the Year (season long points race for the Idaho Junior Tour):
Girls 13-15- Carly Carter (Eagle)
Girls 16-18- Makena Rauch (Moscow)
Boys 13-15- Joe Gustavel (Boise)
Boys 16-18- Charles Taylor (Rexburg)

View full results here.

Idaho Junior Am Day 2: Carter in Control

KUNA, Idaho – If Wednesday’s second round was any indication of what’s to come, then the final round of the 2018 Idaho Junior Amateur is sure to come down to the wire.

Meridian’s Jack Curran remained atop the Boys 16-18 division leaderboard, but a few new faces joined him there. Brayden Ogle (Hayden) and Nick Roberts (Meridian) had solid rounds of 70 and 72 respectively to join Curran at +2 for the tournament. Four others are within 5 shots.

The Girls division didn’t quite have the same parody as the boys. Eagle’s Carly Carter posted an even par 72 to remain the sole leader at -1 overall. Carter continued to drive the ball with accuracy, setting herself up for great birdie opportunities. Girls Jr. America’s Cup teammates Christine Cho and Makena Rauch will join Carter in the final pairing. Cho is +4 overall while Rauch is +9 overall.

The round of the day belonged to Taylor Mortensen of Meridian. He piled up nine birdies on the day en route to a 6-under 66. He leads the Boys 13-15 division by 7 strokes at -8 overall.

The shot of the day went to Cole Jaworski. On the 8th hole at Falcon Crest, Cole struck a shot with 9-iron from 156 yards out that took a couple short hops before spinning right into the cup for a hole-in-one!

The 9-hole players wrapped up their Junior Amateur experience on Wednesday.

The four division winners:

Girls 9-10 – Amanda Nguyen (Spokane, WA)
Girls 11-12 – Chloe Singpraseuth (Meridian)
Boys 9-10 – Justin Anderson (Idaho Falls)
Boys 11-12 – Tyce Helmick (Ontario, OR)

The Diamond Line Player of the Year Awards were announced as well. Points accrued from Idaho Junior Tour events throughout the course of the season decided who would take home the trophies.

Diamond Line Player of the Year:

Girls 9-10 – Eliana Cho (Eagle)
Girls 11-12 – Chloe Singpraseuth (Meridian)
Boys 9-10 – Justin Anderson (Idaho Falls)
Boys 11-12 – Tyce Helmick (Ontario, OR)

View the full leaderboards here:

Ages 9-12

Ages 13-18

Idaho Junior Am Day 1: Packebush Packs a Punch

KUNA, Idaho – Usually as August rolls around the focus of kids around the country turns to the impending school year, but on Tuesday at Falcon Crest Golf Course the focus was narrowed on the first round of the 2018 Idaho Junior Amateur sponsored by Diamond Line Delivery.

The round of the day belonged to Garrett Packebush of Liberty Lake, Wa. His 6-under 66 including 6 birdies and an eagle placed him 4 shots clear of second place in the Boys 13-15 division.

The Boys 16-18 division featured a tie for first between two Treasure Valley players. Meridian’s Tristan Belue and Jack Curran both shot an even par 72 on a long, difficult setup.

Carly Carter, fresh off an appearance at the Girls’ Jr. America’s Cup, topped the leaderboard of the Girls 13-15 division with a 1-under 71. The Girls 16-18 division is led by another Girls Jr. America’s Cup Team Idaho member – Makena Rauch with a 74 (+2).

The 9-hole players (ages 9-12) made a statement, too. Tyce Helmick and Reid Piron have been stalwarts in Boise area Junior Tour competition and continued playing well in the pressure packed season finale. Both boys shot 34 (-2) to lead the Boys 11-12 division.

Tuesday night was capped with games hosted by Joe Malay and a dinner for all players and their families.

Players age 9-18 qualified through Idaho Junior Tour District Tournaments, Top 1000 AJGA or Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings, or District Player of the Year Exemptions. Winners of the Boys & Girls 16-18 divisions claim the Joe Marmo Cup (Boys) or Jackie Gasser Cup (Girls).

View the full leaderboard:

Ages 9-12

Ages 13-18

PGA Rocky Mountain Section Retains Carter Cup

The PGA Rocky Mountain Section retained the Carter Cup with a late comeback over the IGA Amateur team at RedHawk GC in the 2018 edition of the event. The PGA Pros won with 30 1/2 points to the IGA’s 29 1/2.

The Carter Cup is a Ryder Cup style event held every 2 years featuring alternate shot, four-ball, and singles matches.

PGA Team:

Lance Rieber, Jonathan Gibbs, Fred Luthy, Zach Abels, Jim Empey, Ben Bryson, Brett Nagel, Luke Sestero, Brent Fleshman, Fred Sutton

IGA Amateur Team:

Phil Kennedy, Scott Vermeer, Dan Pickens, Gilbert Livas Jr., Justin McAfee, Colby Dean, Brian Swenson, Kenny Walker, Rod Skyles, Henry Bernard, Joe Malay

Idaho Golf Recap: Pacific Coast Am, Jr. America’s Cups

The week of July 23, 2018 was a busy one for some of Idaho’s top golfers. Teams representing Idaho competed against the top talent in the country (and worldwide).

Here’s a brief recap of each event:

PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR

(left to right) Carson Barry, Josh Gliege, Derek Bayley

• The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America.
• The Morse Cup is a team competition held concurrently with the Pacific Coast Amateur, held July 24-27 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
• 15 member associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association, including 13 from the United States and two from Canada.
• The IGA team was represented by Carson Barry, Derek Bayley, and Josh Gliege
• The IGA finished T-8 for the Morse Cup (held the first two days of competition)
• All 3 players made the 54-hole cut
• Derek Bayley was the IGA’s top individual, finishing at -1 total and notching a Top-20 finish (T16)
• Isaiah Salinda of Stanford University won the tournament, finishing one shot ahead of the competition at -12
• View full results here
• Team IGA bios

BOYS JR. AMERICA’S CUP

(left to right) Caleb Cox, Drew Reinke, Joe Gustavel, Jake Slocum, Zach Martin

• The Boys Jr America’s Cup was held July 22-26 at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in Anaconda, MT
• Team Idaho: Drew Reinke, Jake Slocum, Joe Gustavel, Zach Martin
• The 54-hole stroke play competition features 18 teams comprised of four players from the western United States, Canada, and Mexico
• Team Idaho placed 10th
• Drew Reinke led in scoring for Team Idaho, finishing at -3 for the tournament (T17)
• Team Captain: Caleb Cox
• View full results

GIRLS JR. AMERICA’S CUP

(left to right) Makena Rauch, Carly Carter, Karen Darrington, Christine Cho, Emily Cadwell

• The Girls Jr America’s Cup was held July 23-27 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, CO
• The format is identical to the boys’ competition (see above)
• Team Idaho: Carly Carter, Emily Cadwell, Christine Cho, Makena Rauch
• Team Idaho finished 11th
• Carly Carter led Team Idaho in scoring, finishing 19 for the tournament (T24)
• Team Captain: Karen Darrington
• View full results

Nist Adds Name to Idaho Women’s Amateur Trophy for the Second Time

BOISE, Idaho – Haley Nist began the final round of the 2018 Idaho Women’s State Amateur with a 3 shot lead, and after an up-and-down final 18 holes at Shadow Valley she walked away the champion.

Nist, soon to be a senior at The University of Colorado-Boulder, did not make any birdies in the second round. She improved on that statistic right out of the gates on Saturday. Birdies on two of the first three holes boosted the lead and alleviated some of the pressure on Nist.

Nist struck the ball with consistency and backed it up with excellent putting on the front nine. Nist hit every fairway, but her iron play separated her from the competition. 7 out of 9 greens in regulation led to some makeable putts, many of which Nist missed by mere centimeters.

At the turn Nist looked to be well in control – the only player in the final pairing under par. The back nine was a different story.

The rough back nine started with a drive landing near the base of a tree on #10. After a punch out, Nist bogeyed the hole. A similar situation on #12 led to another bogey. She was dropping shots, but fortunately for her the closest competition couldn’t apply any pressure.

The competition, 14-year-old Kelli Ann Strand, was excellent off the tee, but struggled to hit greens all day. Strand showed flashes of great play, but ultimately couldn’t find any key putts to fall. She finished with a final round 76.

Nist hit 4 fairways and 6 greens in regulation on the back, but brilliant short range putting kept her lead safe. With a six shot lead heading into the 16th hole, Nist had control over her own destiny.

On the 18th with a four shot lead, Nist calmly hit both fairway and green, and 2-putted for victory. A fitting representation of the steady play that showed up from Nist all week. She finished the tournament 75-74-75 224 (+8), 4 strokes ahead of Strand.

Nist’s name will now appear twice on the trophy. She previously won the event in 2014. “ It’s always nice to get a win in your hometown,” she said after the round. “I had not played a lot of golf recently, but this win should be a good start for me heading into the fall college season.”

The Idaho Women’s State Amateur has been contested since 1934.

View full results here.

Women’s State Am Day 2: Nist Shoots to the Top of the Leaderboard

BOISE, Idaho – Shadow Valley Golf Course got the best of most of the field in the second round of the Idaho Women’s Amateur. Tricky hole locations and stronger winds led to a higher scoring average on Friday. Haley Nist of Meridian, ID shot the low round of the day, a 2-over 74, to take the lead heading into the final round.

Consistency was the key to Nist’s second round. 16 pars and 2 bogeys provided little excitement to the round, but it was enough to get the job done on moving day. Nist says she’d like to make more birdies in the final round, but is content with playing consistent and shying away from big mistakes.

Nist is no stranger to understanding what it takes to win the Women’s Amateur; she won the event in 2014. Nist will be a senior playing for the University of Colorado, Boulder in the fall after transferring from Oregon State.

Tied with Nist for low round of the day was Allison Olberding of Des Moines, Iowa. Olberding plays for the College of William & Mary in Virginia and is currently a USGA PJ Boatwright intern with the Idaho Golf Association. Idaho Junior Tour players and parents may recognize her from her assistance with the program.

Olberding and Kris Fenwick of Boise are 9 shots behind the leader.

Round 1 leader Kelli Ann Strand stumbled in her second round, shooting 80, but lands in the final pairing with Nist and Olberding 3 shots back of the lead.

View full results here.

Women’s State Am Day 1: Strand Proves She Belongs

BOISE, Idaho – Kelli Ann Strand is set to take the golf world by storm. The 14-year-old from Challis, Idaho has already qualified for two national junior golf tournaments this summer. An Idaho State Amateur trophy may be next on her list of accolades, and she isn’t even a high school freshman yet.

Strand shot an even par 72 in Thursday’s first round and leads by 3 strokes at Shadow Valley Golf Course.

Strand recorded 3 birdies and no bogeys on the front nine for a 3-under 33. On the back, she showed no signs of slowing down with an eagle on the par-5 13th hole, but then a triple bogey on 15 slowed the momentum. Still, Strand is proving that she belongs at the top of the leaderboard even as the youngest player in the field heading into the second round.

Oregon State golfer Haley Nist and former Idaho Women’s State Amateur champion (2014) is in a tie for 2nd after posting a 75 (+3).

Tied with Nist is the 2018 State Match Play champion Kris Fenwick of Boise.

The Idaho Women’s State Amateur has been contested since 1934.

View full results here.

Idaho’s Derek Bayley Qualifies for the US Amateur

By the Washington State Golf Association

Pullman, Wash. – Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho shot rounds of 64-74 to earn medalist honors in leading the field of 50 players who competed today in 36-hole U.S. Amateur Sectional qualifying at the par-72 Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wash.

Along with Bayley, the other player to advance from this qualifier is Chris Hatch of Mukilteo, Wash., who shot rounds of 70-69.

Bayley and Hatch now advance to the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held August 13-19 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.

Bayley blistered the morning round in today’s qualifier, firing 11 birdies and making only four pars on his way to an 8-under 64.

Bayley continues his summer of quality golf. Last week he won the Rosauers Open Invitational in Spokane, Wash., competing against the region’s PGA professionals. This is the second time he has won the Rosauers, which is one of the Pacific Northwest Section PGA’s majors, having previously won it in 2016. Earlier this month he made it to the Round of 32 of the PNGA Men’s Amateur.

Last fall Bayley was named the 2017 WSGA Men’s Player of the Year, after finishing second in the Washington State Men’s Amateur and runner-up in the PNGA Men’s Amateur. He is a recent graduate of Washington State University, where he starred all four years on the men’s golf team. Today he competed on the school’s, and his, home course of Palouse Ridge.

In today’s afternoon round, Hatch was 5-under after 12 holes, and had a 1-shot lead over Bayley, but had two bogeys coming in to finish one shot back.

Hatch graduated from Western Washington University in 2017, where he played all four years on the men’s golf team, and was named a GNAC All Star all four years and First Team All-GNAC for three years. He set a GNAC record for 119 rounds played. He played in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2015. Hatch also made it to the Round of 32 at the PNGA Men’s Amateur earlier this month.

The two alternates from this qualifier are Brian Mogg of Issaquah, Wash. (first) and Grant Cole of Pullman, Wash. (second).

The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted this Sectional qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifier
Palouse Ridge Golf Club
Pullman, Wash.
7202 Yards, Par 72

State Am Champ Colby Dean Adds US Amateur Qualifier to Resume

EAGLE, Idaho – On a blistering hot Monday at BanBury Golf Club Colby Dean once again found himself in contention to achieve one of amateur golf’s greatest accomplishments. Dean was 3 shots behind the leader after the first round, but a second round including two eagles and five birdies catapulted Dean into the lead. A 36-hole total of 133, 69-64 (-9) gave the 2018 State Amateur Champion the lone qualifying spot for the U.S. Amateur, held at iconic Pebble Beach this August.

The first highlight of Dean’s final round occurred on hole #12. Two long irons set up a short approach shot into the par-5. His wedge shot from 105 yards out landed 10 feet behind the hole and spun back into the center of the cup for eagle.

The next highlight came on the final hole of the tournament. Dean hit a crisp iron shot into the short par-5 and left himself with a 10-foot eagle putt. He would go on to sink that putt and celebrated with a fist pump. After the round Dean said he knew making that putt would be the difference maker.

In similar fashion to last month’s State Am, it was Hunter Ostrom and Dean battling for first place, although the two were not paired together for this qualifier.

Notre Dame’s Ostrom (2 shots back after 18) and round one leader Connor Johnstone of Boise State still topped the leaderboard after 27 holes of play. The familiar foes went toe-to-toe in the pairing right behind Dean.

Johnstone and Ostrom exchanged birdies throughout the final round. Two shots right next to the hole on the par-3 16th hole and subsequent birdie putts summarized the way these two rivaled each other. Ostrom’s relatively mistake free final round 66 was good enough to earn him the first alternate spot. A couple of mistakes off the tee for Johnstone set him back a little, but a solid final round 69 was good enough for third.

View full results here.

If history is any indication, there is a good chance that Ostrom could make it into the field at the U.S. Amateur as an alternate. Dean says he’s excited to play Pebble Beach for the first time in such a prestigious tournament. He’s also looking forward to spending the week with a former college teammate from Chico State who qualified earlier this week.

This year’s U.S. Amateur will be held August 13-19. Two round of stroke play will be followed by match play. Match play will be broadcast on FS1.

Bicknese, Garcia Punch Their Tickets to U.S. Junior Ams

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho’s future stars were on the course today at Crane Creek Country Club in a battle for a single spot in the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur.

Jonas Bicknese of Fruitland, Idaho shot a 2-under 70 to punch his ticket to the U.S. Junior Am held at the historic Baltrusol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. “I wasn’t expecting to play well today. I played poorly in the State Am this past weekend, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Bicknese said after the round.

On a difficult setup at Crane Creek, Bicknese was forced to convert many up-and-downs from off the green. He gave credit to his putting for these par saves. Spectators and Bicknese’s playing partners agreed, saying that he practically made every putt he had.

The highlight of the round for Bicknese came on holes 14 and 15. A bogey on the par-5 13th dropped Bicknese to 1-under after hitting a tee shot that ended up in a hazard. Bicknese birdied the next two holes, a move that would prove crucial as the rest of the field hovered around par.

The girls’ qualifier was also extremely competitive. As the heat turned up in the Boise foothills, it became apparent that no career rounds were to be shot. Whoever made the least amount of mistakes would survive and advance to the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Julia Garcia, all the way from Temple, Texas, shot a 1-over 73 to outlast the competition. Garcia’s bogey, bogey, bogey start was not ideal, but 4 birdies throughout the round brought her back into the fold.

Pocatello’s Payton Fehringer was the first alternate and Boise’s Emily Cadwell won a playoff in three holes to become 2nd alternate.

For the boys, Seattle’s Daniel Tiscareno was the first alternate and Meridian’s Jake Slocum won a playoff to become 2nd alternate.

The U.S. Junior Amateur takes place July 16-21, 2018 (broadcast on FS1)
The U.S. Girls’ Junior takes place the same dates.

Full qualifier results:
Boys

Girls

Dean Captures 2018 State Am

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Not often do we see a dominating performance at the Idaho State Amateur. The event reserved for the state’s finest players was led start to finish by Eagle’s Colby Dean. Colby hoisted the trophy on Sunday afternoon after finishing with a score of 10-under at Canyon Springs Golf Course.

If you’ve been following along you’ll already know that Dean is a former Chico State golfer who played for state championship teams at Eagle High School, as well. “High school and college victories are nice,” said Dean, “but winning on home soil in front of friends and family is well near the top of the rankings for me.”

Dean began Sunday’s final round at 10-under; five shots ahead of Hunter Ostrom in second place. The round started off a little shaky for Dean. A misplaced drive on the Par-4 12th left him with a difficult approach shot into an elevated green guarded by trees right in Dean’s line. The approach landed next to a tree root off the green; Dean could not convert and walked away with a bogey.

At that point, Dean switched gears and put on a fantastic ball-striking display on Canyon Spring’s back nine.

A booming drive in the middle of the fairway on the par-5 14th set up an easy wedge shot into the green. Dean knocked it to about 12-feet from the hole and drained the eagle putt. Right after that on the Par 3 15th, Dean struck a perfectly flighted iron shot that landed a mere 5 feet from the hole. Once again, he capitalized on the opportunity and made the birdie putt.

Consistent play tee-to-green was the theme of the rest of the first nine holes (back nine). Great drives and short irons in set up great chances, but many of the birdie putts just missed.

On the second nine, Hunter Ostrom put the pressure on Dean. Ostrom outdrove his competitors by a wide margin and was finally able to get some birdie putts to drop. After birdies on 1, 3, and 4 cut the lead down to 4 strokes. Dean made a rare bogey on the par-3 5th hole and suddenly the lead was only 3 with 4 holes remaining.

An unfazed Dean bounced back by hitting the green in regulation on the last four holes, preventing him from any high pressure putts. Dean made par on those last four holes, sealing the victory.

Dean says he plans on remaining an amateur for the summer and will play in events like the PNGA Amateur before turning pro. After turning pro, Dean plans on playing in pro events in Asia with the eventual goal of moving his way up to the PGA Tour.

View full Idaho State Am results here.

STATE AM DAY 2: Cross Makes His Way Into the Picture

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Day 1 leader Colby Dean started off Saturday’s second round with a couple mishaps, but he didn’t let that affect him for the rest of the day. Dean shot a 3-under 69 to stay atop the Idaho State Amateur leaderboard.

A couple of wayward tee shots on holes 13 and 14 resulted in bogeys for the Chico State grad. On 14, Dean remained focused after going O.B. left and knocked in a 15-foot putt with confidence to save bogey.

Perhaps 4 years of college competition prepared Dean to bounce back from adversity. Maintaining a lead is not an easy task considering Chris Carew in 2nd place was off to a hot start in the same group.

Dean finished his first nine holes with 2 birdies to climb back to 1-over on the day (-6 total). Dean fared much better on the back nine. Accurate drives set up a few birdie chances, which he capitalized on with great putting. A key highlight on the second nine being a birdie on the difficult par-3 5th hole playing straight into wind gusts of up to 25mph.

Hunter Ostrom also finished the day 3-under, giving him a two day total of 139 (5-under). Ostrom once again put an eagle down on the scorecard, and made 2 fewer bogeys than Friday (3) proving that his game is trending upwards heading into Sunday.

Carew finished with a 75 (+3), but remains in 5th at 1-over. Rounding out the final pairing is Jason Huff who fired a 73 (+1) which was good enough for 4th place at even par.

One of the more fascinating stories of moving day was Randal Cross. The Twin Falls resident played in the first flight, but shot a lights-out round of 68 on Saturday to give him a two-day total of 140 (-4) – which, yes, is currently in third place. The 54-year-old is one year shy of senior status for IGA championships, but is showing the state why he belongs in the top 5 of the IGA’s hallmark event.

Be sure to follow along with the final round and view all scores from Canyon Springs in Twin Falls here.

(Note: players from the first flight are eligible to win the event, winners from net scores in the first flight remains the only difference between the championship flight and first flight; handicap index separates flights)

Colby Dean Leads State Amateur Field by 5 Strokes After Day One

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The first day of the 2018 Idaho State Amateur proved to be a tough test for the state’s top players. Colby Dean of Eagle, ID leads the field with a 7-under 65. Trailing in second place are Meridian’s Hunter Ostrom and Chris Carew, who each dropped a score of 2-under 70. Jason Huff from Moscow, at 1-under, was the only other player under par at Canyon Springs Golf Course in Twin Falls.

Dean, a recent graduate of Chico State University, played with impressive consistency. A bogey free round with 7 birdies puts Dean 5 strokes free of second place. “I was pretty good tee to green, and I didn’t leave myself with any stressful putts,” he said after the round.

Ostrom will be a junior at Notre Dame in the fall, and is already a 2018 IGA championship winner at the Four-Ball. He went eagle, birdie, birdie on holes 14, 15, and 16 to get to 2-under. Carew, a high school teammate of Dean at Eagle High School, played his way into second place by only making 2 bogeys with 4 birdies. Huff is a former University of Idaho golfer who stayed in contention by staying away from any high numbers and balanced bogeys with birdies, much like Carew.

A few of the expected leaders going into Friday’s first round played well enough to stay in contention, but they’ll need low rounds on the weekend barring a major collapse by the front of the pack.

Saturday’s second round is predicted to be affected by strong wind gusts, so it might not be surprising to see results higher than the first round stroke average of 76.92.

Click here for scores and statistics

Junior Tour Kicks Off 2018 Season

BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Junior Tour season kicked off the 2018 season with tournaments in three districts on Wednesday. District 1 played their matches at RedHawk GC and Lakeview GC for 13-18 year-olds and 9-12 year-olds respectively. Twin Falls GC was host to District 2’s events, and District 3 hit the links of Teton Lakes GC.

The future of the game in Idaho is in good hands. Junior Tour veterans showed up ready to shoot low scores, and first timers made the best of their opportunity to grow as players and young men and women.

The Idaho Junior Tour is Idaho’s only premier junior golf tour, available to any Idaho golfers between the ages of 9 to 18. The Idaho Junior Tour is dedicated to providing junior golfers the opportunity of playing golf competitively while applying the rules of golf, practicing proper golf course etiquette, and encouraging and developing sportsmanlike conduct.

The Idaho Junior Tour is divided into four districts: District 1 (Western Idaho), District 2 (Central Idaho), District 3 (Eastern Idaho), and District 4 (Northern Idaho).