Birdies for Burke: The 2024 Mid-Amateur Championship

Burke Spensky getting a yardage for his approach on the 10th hole at RedHawk in the final round of the 2024 Match Play Championship.

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

Burke Spensky arrived at RedHawk Golf Course Friday morning for the 2024 Mid-Amateur Championship with a cocktail of context swirling beneath his bucket hat.  

The reigning Master-40 Player of the Year left the 2023 Mid-Amateur at Pinecrest Golf Course wounded by the memory of a five-foot putt railing off the right edge on the final hole of regulation. Less than an hour later, after finding the wrong side of Pinecrest’s famously lush tree lines, he lost in a playoff.  

“Last year I lost a heartbreaker to Jesse Hibler,” Spensky said following a two-under opening round of 68.  

“So, I’d like to avenge that. I’m right where I want to be.”    

This year’s venue, however, seemed poised to soften the scar tissue. After a strong showing at the 95th State Amateur and heartbreak at the Mid-Am, Spensky won his second IGA Four-Ball title with Justin Merz at RedHawk Golf Course this past fall. 

“I love this course,” he said. “It’s a fun course; it gives you a lot of options ‘cause there’s not very many trees, so you can hit the ball left to right or right to left. It plays firm and fast which is a lot of fun. And the greens are good — you guys had a few nasty hole locations out there.” 

Spensky for a closing birdie on Saturday.

Spensky said his spring was a bit of a struggle — despite winning the 2024 Mixed Couples Chapman with Kris Fenwick in May — and was pleased to find a bogey free 32 on the back nine to vault himself just two-shots behind Andrew Cornella’s lead (-4) and tied with Hibler, setting the stage for a repairing of the final round in 2023.  

First out on Saturday morning, both players managed two bridies in the first four holes, moving into a tie for the lead at four-under par. But it was Hibler who ultimately stepped into the spotlight, playing his first 15 holes bogey-free with five birdies. Tap-in bogeys on the brawny par-3 16th and from an awkward fairway bunker lie on the 18th would drop him back to five-under, but still leading the way. Stumbling through the turn, Spensky birdied two of his last five holes for 69, leaving him two shots back at three-under par.  

In Saturday’s afternoon wave, Gilbert Livas stormed out of the gates with 31 on the front nine to tie Hibler but stumbled down the stretch, making nine on the drivable 15th to kick him out of Sunday’s final pairing. Meridian’s Sean Travis buried a long birdie putt on 18 to be the last of three men under par, earning a place in the final pairing. Cornella, the round-one leader, struggled early and withdrew.  

Hibler playing his second on the par-5 ninth.

With two shots separating each of the three men in Sunday’s final pairing, Hibler was in a position to separate himself early — and he did. Matching Spensky with a birdie on the opening par-5, Hibler watched his lead balloon to four-shots as Spensky bogeyed two of his next three holes. But you could almost see the steam rising off Hibler’s brow as the defending champion rolled onto the back nine.  

A third consecutive day of clinical ball-striking had suddenly gone unpaid by his putter. A short par putt on the long par-3 sixth limped wide of the left edge for a second consecutive bogey to see his lead shrink back to two. His birdie putt on the short par-3 8th died in the jaws. An equally good look on the par-5 9th did the same.      

Sharing a cart with Hibler, Spensky rolled in a clutch par save on the 8th after a poor chip and cut the deficit to one with a six-foot slider for birdie on nine. Trading pars at 10 and bogeys at 11, Spensky’s ball horseshoed out of the hole as he tried to clean up for par.  

Back to where he started the day, Hibler stepped up on the par-3 13th and hit the kind of golf shot we expect of championship players, stuffing one inside 10 feet to a back-right hole location shoved against the water. With his momentum slipping, Spensky needed to respond.  

“I just had to step up,” Spensky said. “I made some really sloppy swings on 10 and 11. And I’ve been struggling this year, so it was basically just trust in yourself to hit the shot and have some guts about it. And I did — that was cool.”  

Spensky battling from the hay.

Firing just left of the flag, Spensky put the ball right back in Hibler’s court, forcing him to putt first. But once again, a good roll from Hibler limped right as the ball’s shadow cast over the hole and died on the right edge. Spensky settled over his putt and knocked it in the middle.  

The deficit was back to one with five holes to play — none of which Spensky had bogeyed all week long.  

Each finding the fairway on the par-5 14th, Spensky leaned on his patented draw and threw one high-up over the water some 30 feet behind the hole. Hibler, with a shorter approach, knocked one aboard 35 feet left of the hole. Two-putt birdies sent them onto the drivable 15th where green-side drives and chips left them each inside 10 feet for birdie — and the putting dynamic continued. Short right for Hibler; the bottom of the cup for Spensky.  

Tie ball game.  

Both players then found trouble at the 16th. The hole cut behind the deep, front-right bunker 234 yards from the tee, Spensky went hunting, pitch a five-iron on the front edge of the green that trundled off the back and into a catch basin.  

“It hit right where I wanted,” Spensky said. “I didn’t realize it was shaved back there, it rolled all the way down and then I had the downslope going straight up the bank.”  

Then Hibler, once again looking for some magic, found the front right bunker. But he found the magic with his second, knocking his bunker shot inside two feet. Spensky, opting for the low route, skipped his ball up the slope some 12 feet by the hole. With Hibler securing three, Spensky poured in the par save to keep the championship tied with two holes to play.  

“That was big because [Hibler] had just hit an amazing bunker shot from where he was.” Spensky said. “So that kept the momentum going. That was a big, big hole.”    

Routine pars at 17 and 18 left the 2024 Mid-Amateur Championship (and the Master-40 title race) with a tie at the top through 54 holes of regulation. Returning to the 17th tee for the first playoff hole, both players played safe, blowing their tee shots well right of the water, trading fairway lines for an ideal angle into undulating green with a back-left hole location. Hibler’s approach found the middle of the green, leaving a putt up and over a ridge. Spensky, from a patch of fescue, got his approach onto the back shelf some 25 feet from the hole. 

Both lagging their birdie putts withing three feet of the hole, Spensky tapped in leaving Hibler a short, slippery putt to force a second playoff hole — but it slipped by the right edge.    

Spensky hoisting the Hiskey Family Cup.

“I feel great — oh, man, I feel great,” Spensky said. “I had a heartbreaker last year to Jesse Hibler... we battled for the last two days, went to a playoff — it was tough. He’s such a great competitor, such a good golfer, so steady. I made a little run on the back nine, birdied three in a row — got me back in it. We both made great pars on 16, good pars on 17, good pars on 18. Then I got a little lucky, he three-putted to another nasty pin... 

“But it feels great to get a victory.”  

Despite being among the IGA’s most pedigreed players with five USGA Championship appearances and consistently competitive showings across the state, this is Spensky’s first major individual IGA title. He also earned the Master-40 title with the win.   

A Burley Test: 2024 Match Play Championship Recap

Written by Shane René, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

BURLEY — Defending champions lurked in four of six divisions last Thursday as wind whipped across Burley and players set out on River’s Edge Golf Course for a seeding round in the 2024 Match Play Championships.  

River’s Edge may be best known to Idaho’s golfers as the one they glance at travelling east and west across southern Idaho, but a classic set of pristine, small and demanding greens proved to be a worthy test for players from across the Gem State.

With wind a feature early, ball strikers bubbled to the top; and as gusts laid down for match play, the gutsy found glory. 

Ava Schroeder

WOMEN’S DIVISION 

Ava Schroeder’s round of even-par 75 ran away with the No. 1 seed Thursday, followed by fellow Twin Fall’s junior Tanli Lemoyne who created some separation of her own. 

Defending champion Caroline Caven struggled in qualifying, drawing the No. 6 seed.  

With players seeded directly into the quarterfinals, Schroeder continued her dominant showing with an 8&7 victory to punch her ticket into the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Lemoyne won 3&2 to draw a semifinal match with Caven, who returned to form with a 4&3 upset of No. 3 seed Ellyce Simmons.  

Caven and Lemoyne found themselves in a tight match Friday afternoon, trading blows until the defending champ fell on the seventeenth hole 2&1. Schroeder, who was forced to scramble back to the golf course for her tee time, also found herself in a back-n-forth match with Halle Western until she won the sixteenth hole to advance 4&2.  

“It’s fun,” Schroeder said. “My match with Halle was very back and forth. Super competitive.”

While Lemoyne never held a lead in the final match, that fact is no reflection of the fight she showed. Down early, she continued to hold the match at or near square, winning two consecutive holes through the turn. But then Schroeder turned on the gas, winning three consecutive holes before throwing a dagger into the sixteenth green and tapped in for the win, 4&2.  

Sheryl Scott

“My driver was pretty good this week,” Schroeder said. “I’ve been hitting it pretty far lately — because I do yoga.”  

SENIOR WOMEN’S DIVISION 

Stacey Camara and Sheryl Scott put the field on notice early with two-over rounds of 77 to run away with the top-two seeds. Both women would run through their respective sides of the bracket to square off in the championship match.  

Scott’s birdie on the first was her first and final lead of the day. But after Scott got to 3 up through five holes, Camara struck back with a birdie on the sixth to chip away at her deficit and was only 1 down after a birdie on the tenth. Evidently bothered by Camara mounting her comeback, Scott birdied the next two holes and won a third consecutive hole with par at the thirteenth.  

Standing over a four-footer for the win on the fifteenth hole, Scott conquered her putting demons of the last year and poured it in.       

“[I was thinking] I hope I make this because I don’t want to play any more holes because she was tough.” Scott said. “It was really a fun match.”  

This is Scott’s third IGA Match Play title.          

MEN’S DIVISION 

Lekkerkerk using the tenth green as a dart board in his championship match Saturday.

Boise State’s Seth Jones and Nampa’s newly-reinstated amateur Keynan Fanslow found themselves two shots clear of the men’s field with scores of 70 (-2) in Thursday’s seeding round. Burley’s own Brock Whitaker locked up a top-three seed with an even par 72, matched by Weiser’s Carter Williams to round out the top four. A low-handicap tie breaker handed Fanslow the No. 1 seed. 

Defending Men’s Amateur Champion Trevor Garus — who finished runner-up in the 2023 Match Play — stumbled out of the blocks with a double bogey on the benign par-5 first and continued to scrape his ball around before playing his final five holes in two-under par to lock up the No. 5 seed. Defending Champion Derek Lekkerkerk provided some fireworks in his seeding round with an ace on the par-3 seventh, helping him lock up the No. 9 seed in an otherwise messy round.  

The round of 16 was highlighted by key upsets. Buhl’s Braden Anderson downed No.2 seed Jones 3&2 and Blackfoot native Skyler Jensen cruised by Fanslow 6&5. Fifteen-year-old No. 10 seed Trey Lambert, who made the trip south from Coeur D Alane, captured a decisive 4&2 win over Caldwell’s Connor Johnstone (No. 7 seed).  

Garus made light work of his opening match, winning 5&3 to advance into a heavyweight battle with Utah Tech’s Carter Williams. With a 3&2 victory there, Garus found the rematch he was looking for from last year's championship match. With a habit of digging holes and crawling out of them, Lekkerkerk squeezed by Ryan Shepard 1-up and used a hot start to his back nine to win his quarterfinal match 4&3. 

On the ninth hole of their semi-final match, Garus’s tidy lag-putt for eagle was knocked away by Lekkerkerk who then smoked his birdie effort past the hole, making the turn down in his match once again. But Lekkerkerk’s birdie on the scenic tenth squared the match, and the two continued to trade pars down the back nine until Lekkerkerk broke the tension with a birdie on 15. With his back against the wall, Garus took aim at a hole location pasted up against the left edge of the 17th green and watched his ball spin out of sight and off the green. Knocking his chip long of the hole, he buried a 12-footer to extend the match to 18 holes, but tree trouble on the par-5 closer all but dashed his hopes of a comeback, as Lekkerkerk sent a long iron to 25 feet for an eagle putt he never had to hit.  

On the other side of the bracket, Lambert — fresh off a 20-hole victory the day before — continued to impress early in his semifinal match, charging out to a 4-up lead through 6 holes over Wacey Williams. Williams battled back through the turn as Lambert played holes 7-9 in three-over par, but the emerging Northern Idaho junior stand out shut the door on the back nine without losing another hole, closing his match 4&3. 

Lambert kept the momentum going into the afternoon’s championship match, using birdies on the first and third to take an early 2-up lead. Gifted a bogey from Lambert on the fourth, Lekkerkerk returned the favor with a bogey on six and found himself destined to enter the back nine down in a match once again.  

Derek Lekkerkerk

“I just think I’m wired different than the next guy,” Lekkerkerk said. “Whether that’s real or not, I don’t know, but it seems to work. One thing I tell myself when another player is putting to beat or tie me — I tell myself ‘I want you to make it because I want to keep going. Let’s keep battling.’ I just think the love of that keeps me going.” 

In that spirit, Lekkerkerk turned with his jet thrusters on high, making back-to-back birdies to take his first lead of the match and moved 2-up with another birdie at the par-5 fourteenth. Lambert, struggling with the driver most of the afternoon, caught a break on sixteen when his tee shot rattled around in the left trees and kicked back in bounds. With Lekkerkerk in for birdie, Lambert canned a slippery 12-footer to halve the hole and keep the match going, but a concession after a tidy birdie lag handed Lekkerkerk his second consecutive victory at the IGA Match Play Championship.  

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s nice. I went through a lot of adversity in this last year — first year in college and some challenges there, but that prepared me a lot for all of these matches. I think I was down in every match, except one, maybe. It was close every single time.”   

The win is his first amateur victory since announcing that he is transferring from Colorado State to California Baptist University this fall. 

“God puts us through things to grow us and allows us to fall to some pretty low places for us to have him pick us up again. It’s hard to put into words how much I’ve grown. That maturity and understanding has helped a lot on the course, specifically when things feel like they are going bad in a round — it’s like take a deep breath and be like, man, I’m loved by so many people, and I’m loved by the Lord, so this is pretty good.”  

Robb Price

MEN’S MASTER-40 DIVISION 

2022 Men’s Master-40 Match Play champion Gilbert Livas took hold of the No. 1 seed on Thursday with a round of one-over 73, followed by Robb Price and Dustin Ianson with 75. Kenny Walker earned the No. 4 seed.  

With a first-round bye, Livas found himself scheduled for a dance with defending champion Jason Clifford — which did not go his way, losing in 19 holes. Kenny Walker met a similar fate when he faced Clifford in the semifinals, falling 3&2.  

In the other half of the bracket, Robb Price found himself in a friendly match with 2023 runner-up Brien Riff, ultimately besting his practice round partner 2&1. In the semifinal, Price dug a hole for himself early on, down 2 through 4 holes and would make the turn with the same deficit to make up. Playing with a par-birdie-birdie start to the back nine, Price finally found himself briefly on top of the match. Trading blows down the stretch, Price used a par on the eighteenth hole to win the match 1 up and advance to the final.  

In the championship match, the defending champion took the first hole with a birdie, but a birdie at the third for Price squared the match and Clifford was unable to retake the lead for the rest of the day. Birdie at the eleventh, a classy up-and-down at the thirteenth and birdie at the fifteenth put Price in cruise control and a par at the sixteenth closed the deal.  

“I was able to stay out of trouble for the most part,” Price said. “I was hitting a lot of fairways with the driver and keeping it around the green — I wasn’t short siding myself and able to get it up and down when I needed to. I didn’t make a lot of birdies, but a lot of pars.” 

SENIOR MEN’S DIVISION 

Brad Bartram’s cool two-under round of 70 earned a bye in the round of 16, but a field of seasoned competitors stood in his way. Among them, Jay Sutton — the defending champion — turned in a round of 71 to lock up the No. 2 seed, followed by Scott Vermeer, Darren Kuhn, Randall Cross, Stephen Hartnett, Bret Rupert, and Steve White to round out the top half of the bracket.  

Stephen Hartnett

Sutton had his back against the wall early in the round of 16, requiring extra holes to escape the clutches of No. 15 seed Calvin Fillmore, but made quick work of his quarterfinal match, 5&4, to cruise into the semifinals.  

Hartnett joined Sutton in that semifinal match, surviving what he described as a “heavyweight” battle with Scott Vermeer — trading birdies and eagles for much of the round before escaping 3&1. That blow-for-blow theme continued in the semifinal but back-to-back birdies on the difficult par-3 seventeenth and par-5 eighteenth earned Hartnett a 1up victory and a trip to the championship match.    

On the other side of the bracket, Bartram squeezed by Mark Spalding before running into a competitive match with 2023 runner-up Darren Kuhn. Early on the back nine, Kuhn took advantage of Bartram’s stumbles, going par-birdie-par to move three up before a par at the sixteenth sent Kuhn back to the championship match for a second consecutive year.  

Hartnett and Kuhn danced along a knife’s edge for the better part of 18 holes with Kuhn applying the pressure early, moving 2 up through four. Hartnett’s birdie on the sixth and par on the eighth squared the match, and he took his first lead of the match on the tenth after Kuhn’s long deliberation in the penalty area left of the green resulted in a drop, chip and a two putt.  

“I was just trying to stay in the moment,” Hartnett said. “You’ve heard it said: shot by shot, just trying to focus on myself... just tear off that NASCAR windshield and let that one go.” 

Kuhn re-squared the match with a birdie on the fourteenth hole and seemed to be summoning some fire with a hearty fist pump after saving par from the trees on the sixteenth. As the match moved to eighteen all square, Kuhn found trouble in the right trees, as Hartnett freely plotted his way toward the green, coasting in for par and the victory. 

Peter Sacks

“[My mental game] served me really well this week,” Hartnett said. “That and the fact that I really, really enjoy the Burley course. It was a good combination.”    

SUPER SENIOR MEN’S DIVISION 

Peter Sacks cruised through the Super-Senior division last weekend. He and Bruce Dunham were the only two players to break 80 in Thursday’s seeding round, and each made quick work of their semifinal matches, winning 4&3 and 5&4 respectively.  

Sacks got on the move early in the championship match, winning three of the first six holes. And while Dunham found his moments to chip away at Sacks’ lead, Sacks took the momentum back with a chip-in birdie at the treacherous par-3 twelfth and ran away with the title.  

“My irons were really sharp yesterday,” Sacks said. “Today I was just a little off, but I managed to get a 4 up lead and hang on to win it at the end. The putting — I got up and down a few times, and I chipped in for two on a par three which was huge.”  

*Side note: Sacks is an author who lives in Hagerman, Idaho. His new book, Liberty Land, is available on Amazon (but check your local bookstore first!).  

Experience and consistency bring victory to winners

Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho— “Too hard, I’m sorry!” yelled a competitor off in the distance as a putt when whizzing by the hole.

This and many other comments must have become commonplace during the 2024 Mixed Couples Chapman—the first event on the tournament schedule for the Idaho Golf Association. For a sport that is typically a one-man/woman show, players from opposite genders joined together and entered a realm unfamiliar for many in the golf space. Needless to say, some handled this partnership better than others over the two days in one of Idaho’s windiest cities.

For those unfamiliar with this two-person format, here is how it works:

1. Both golfers tee off
2. Each plays their teammates’s drive for their second shot
3. The team then decides which of the second shots was better and then plays alternate shot with that ball until it is holed out

Simple enough?

Well, two different teams managed to work their way through the ever-changing competition and the difficult layout of Desert Canyon Golf Course. In the Desert Flight, it was Kris Fenwick and Burke Spensky who went 68-68=136 (-6) for a three-shot victory. And in the Canyon Flight, it was the husband and wife duo of Shawna & Bob Ianson who ran away with the title and bragging rights by posting 74-74=148 (+6).

DESERT FLIGHT

Having finished the first round with a two-shot lead over eventual runners-up Luke Birkinbine and Lauren Parish, the team of Fenwick and Spensky listened and smiled as Birkinbine mentioned how excited he was for the chance to chase down the leading pair in the final round of the event. Knowing they didn’t quite have the trophy in their grasp and using that comment as fuel, Fenwick and Spensky prepared themselves for one more round on a course that seemed to have a 24-hour blowdryer in the faces of any soul who stepped foot on the property.

Kris Fenwick (left) & Burke Spensky (right)

The first five holes of round two opened the doors for some potential excitement that wasn’t fully expected. Team Birkinbine-Parish rolled in three birdies during that stretch and found themselves with a one-shot lead for the ensuing two holes.

With the next closest team(s) to the lead at one-under par, the event changed for good on No. 8, the slightly uphill par-4. Fenwick and Spensky walked away with their second eagle of the event—the only team to have one or more eagles in the Mixed Couples Chapman—and a one-shot lead, which they didn’t relinquish for the rest of the tournament. With three more birdies and a lone bogey on No. 16, the first-time teammates claimed victory by three shots.

Upon the completion of the final round, Fenwick was heard saying, “We stuck it to those kids” with that ever infectious laugh!

It is safe to say they accepted that challenge and ended up victorious. It was the seasoned veterans who stood strong in a field that consisted of upcoming stars and still prevalent faces in IGA events.

Top 5
1. Kris Fenwick & Burke Spensky (-6)
2. Luke Birkinbine & Lauren Parish (-3)
T3. Sheryl Scott & Brian Scott (-2)
T3. Madison Gridley & Grayson Giboney (-2)
T5. Abby Black & Kevin Brocke (+5)
T5. Heather Donner & Lucio Morales (+5)

CANYON FLIGHT

For any of you who have played golf with Shawna & Bob Ianson, you know they just don’t miss. It is fairway after fairway, and green and after green. It is a style of play that many of us wish to master and just fall short of. The two of them played this way from start to finish to claim their victory at the Mixed Couples Chapman.

Though every hole of this 36-hole event could be used to demonstrate this point, here are two that show just how good they really are: Bob had laced a drive right down the middle of the fairway during the final round on the canyon-lined par-4 16th. With the breeze picking up and thoughts to not go left on any shot leading up to the green, Shawna pulled out her trusty hybrid or fairway metal and hit her white sphere no more than 10-15 feet off the ground. That ball, flying as straight as an arrow, rolled within a club length or two of the hole from about 150 yards out.

It was the very same thing on the next hole, except roles were reversed. Shawna had put her drive right in the middle of the fairway; Bob had hit a flighted wedge to about 10 feet from the hole; Shawna’s birdie putt rattled the pin as it dropped in the cup. (If you were nearby, you even heard her say “Bam!” as she made it.) The dynamic duo just couldn’t miss, and their games showed why their margin of victory was what it was.

Trying to keep it as close as they could, with valiant efforts might I add, Jen & Larry Warden, and Amalia & Norman Negrette finished as runners-up to the Iansons by eight shots at plus-14.

Shawna Ianson (left) & Bob Ianson (right)

The Ianson's showed nothing but consistency over the two days of play, even down to the scoring—shooting 37 for every nine holes of play.

Feeling elated from their victory, Bob Ianson said, “This is like days of old.”

Top 5
1. Shawna & Bob Ianson (+6)
T2. Jen & Larry Warden (+14)
T2. Amalia & Norman Negrette (+14)
T4. Julie Klefforth & Tyler Gomez (+19)
T4. Joanna & Robert Nealer (+19)



TOURNAMENT WRAP-UP

The IGA’s next event is the Idaho Match Play Championship at River’s Edge Golf Club at Burley in two weeks (May 30-June 1).

CLICK HERE FOR FINAL RESULTS

Pathways from Idaho to the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship

Over the next few months, thousands of hopeful amateurs from across the world will begin their quest to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship — one of the world’s premier amateur events. In 2024, a new route to the U.S. Amateur has emerged exclusively for golfers in the Gem State.

The winner of this year’s Men’s Amateur Championship, along with the Scott Masingill Cup, will earn an automatic exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship field at Hazeltine National GC Aug. 12-18. Runners-up in the 2024 Men’s Amateur (all those finishing second or tied for second) will receive an exemption into Final Qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship. No alternate spots will be rewarded for 2024 or 2025.

The 2024 Men’s Amateur Championship will be held July 18-20 at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, ID.

The IGA will also host 18 holes of Local Qualifying on June 4 at Ridgecrest GC in Nampa, ID, for birth into final stage of qualifying. The USGA has modified its qualifying structure in 2024 by reducing local qualifying from 36 to 18 holes and adding a final qualifying stage for those advancing through a local qualifier.

The number of qualifiers and alternates will be determined by the final field size. Applications for local qualifiers close May 29.

In the Weeks to come: the IGA's new Manager of Rules and Competitions

Boise, Idaho — The Idaho Golf Association has a new chief in its championship department, welcoming PGA member Kyle Weeks aboard as Manager of Rules and Competitions.  

After a career largely focused on innovating how the game is taught — most recently as Director of Golf at Eagle Hills Golf Course — Weeks says he’s eager to return his attention to the competitive game.

“I’m very excited to join the team at the IGA,” Weeks said. “I think competition is the most exciting part of the game and I am really looking forward to bringing my experience as a player and PGA Professional to help grow competitive golf in Idaho.” 

While Week’s resumé is headlined by his credentials as a teacher, his work shows exemplary leadership and a routine commitment to growth by advocating for ways to make the game more approachable for players of all ability levels. He’s armed with a keen sense for evolving with the game.  

“Kyle’s experience speaks for itself,” IGA Executive Director Caleb Cox said. “With more than a decade of leadership not just in golf but golf in Idaho, Kyle is an ideal candidate to serve our membership. His perspective on education and commitment to fostering community around the game aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are confident that his credentials as a golf professional will elevate the championship experience for players of all kinds.”  

Before earning PGA membership in 2012, the New Plymouth High School grad played golf at Treasure Valley Community College before transferring to the Professional Golf Management (PGM) program at the University of Idaho, then to Boise State. He would go on to complete the PGM program outside of a university setting, but make no mistake: Weeks bleeds blue and orange.  

Weeks began working in the golf industry in 2006 under Dave Bartels at Terrace Lakes Golf Course in Garden Valley, eventually earning the title of Assistant Pro in 2009. When Eagle Hills Golf Course came calling in 2012, Weeks landed his first gig as Head Professional.  

In 2016, Weeks hopped over state lines to work at Bend Golf Club in Oregon and a short stint teaching full time at Lost Track Golf Club. Eventually, the Treasure Valley called him home, landing him back at Eagle Hills as Director of Golf in 2019. 

Weeks lives in the Eagle foothills with his wife, Lindsey, and two daughters, Palmer (two) and Kollins (8 months). When he’s not working or on the golf course, he enjoys spending time outside with a slate of hobbies familiar to Idahoans such as hiking, hunting, and fishing.    

Weeks is set to take the reins March 18.   

Growing the game by expanding opportunities for women golfers



Written by: Caleb Cox, IGA Executive Director

NOTE: This article was originally published in the PNGA’s Golfer Magazine

Each Spring, I can’t help but feel a renewed excitement as the golf season approaches. The energy that comes from seeing the grass begin to green up, the flowers to bloom, and the sun to shine really fills me with anticipation for the season. Spring brings a fresh set of opportunities to finally get that elusive hole in one, shoot that career low round, or even play that golf course that I’ve only dreamed of playing.

We have many reasons to be excited about the opportunities that our Idaho Golf Association staff has worked tirelessly to prepare for the months ahead. The IGA has recently completed our comprehensive Strategic Plan for the next 5 years, and we look forward to implementing many new ideas and plans that are packed with new initiatives for you, the member. There is one in particular that I’m excited to share with you.

While we at the IGA has been known for many years as an organization that hosts championships for high level players, the last few years have encouraged us to become a more all-encompassing association by offering specific events for members of all ability levels. More recently, we’ve seen immense growth in women’s membership events through initiatives like our Ladies’ Play Days. On the docket for 2024, our Ladies’ Play Days are expanding, and every IGA district will be hosting one of the fun and exciting events. Look for updates on dates and locations in the Treasure Valley, as well as Idaho Falls and Twin Falls.

Secondly, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting our very first Women’s Getaway. Nationally, women’s golf trips have begun to soar in popularity in the last few years. The IGA Getaways have become a popular item on our schedule over the last several years, and our female players have been a big part of that. In 2024, our staff will be hosting the first Idaho Women’s Golf Getaway to Walla Walla, Washington, where the trip will pair exciting golf course play with local wine tastings. Event details will be made available soon on the IGA website.

After returning from the IGA Women’s Golf Getaway, you will need a place to post your pictures and reconnect with Women from the trip. That’s why our Manager of Member Services, Lexie VanAntwerp, has endeavored to create the first ever Idaho Women’s Golf Facebook Community! The goal of this community is to connect women across the Gem State who have a love for the game. We hope this new community helps to connect and inspire women to take the next step in their golf journey while enjoying the company and camaraderie of fellow Idahoans who enjoy the competition and beauty of our local courses.

Finally, Women’s golf in the Idaho has had a rich tradition of great events over the years and the Idaho Women’s Amateur has been part of that staple part of the tradition. We are looking to add to that rich tradition by enhancing the event into a time to celebrate the ladies in this sport. Beginning in 2024, we are combining the Idaho Women’s Amateur and the Idaho Women’s Mid-Amateur into one great event with two fields of players and paired with an evening social celebration for all in attendance. We are confident it will be an event to remember!

Cheers to the IGA staff and the amazing players in our women’s fields across the state! We hope this next year provides opportunities for you to invite others to these exciting new events, allows for growth in your personal abilities and bring more of our community together for the love of the game!

Not a Boys' Club: three keys for women's participation in golf

By: Nicole Rutledge, Manager of Course Rating and Finance 

I’ve been a part of the Idaho golf community since I could hardly hold a club. My father would bring me along to play nine-holes with him at Jerome Country Club when I was just two years old, and I graduated to playing Idaho Junior Tour golf against other girls my age by the time I was nine. Over the years, golf has continued to find its way into my personal and social life, and today I work for the Idaho Golf Association where I manage course ratings and finance. I can’t imagine my life without this game.            

The truth is, not all little girls have a father anxiously waiting to put a club in their hands like me. Many women aren’t presented with the opportunity or resources to play until later in life when the boys-club golf culture can feel intimidating. My childhood on the golf course with my father and brother helped make me comfortable in male spaces, but my life in golf has given me so many of my most cherished relationships with other women who play and love the game. Golf isn’t the boys’ club we imagine it to be. 

This past fall, the IGA set a new strategic plan in motion, driven by our mission to enhance, engage and grow the Idaho golf community. One of our priorities in that mission is women’s participation. For women who want to join this family of golfers, and for golfers looking to bring more women into the family, here are my three keys to encouraging women’s participation in golf.  

Ask and invite questions 

One of the main differences I see with how men and women come into the game is that men are ready to roll with what they think they know; women tend to be much more worried about what they might not know. If you’re new to golf, it can feel like golfers are speaking a different language, and that’s sort of true. We don’t have prices; we have “greens fees.” We don’t have reservations; we have “tee times.” Then there is the pin, the cup, the hole, and the flag — four different words that may or may not mean the same thing.   

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the weird and complicated things about golf, but I know very few lifelong golfers who have mastered them all. Just last year on a course rating trip I was quickly corrected by one of those few when I referred to a bunker as a “sand trap.” It doesn’t matter how much you already know; everyone is still learning this game. This is why it’s so important to ask questions, and for golfers and industry professionals to be ready and willing to answer them.  

Find and build women’s golf communities 

The idea that the golf community has more barriers for women than it does for men is too often overstated. There are millions of women golfers all over the world, which means there are plenty of opportunities for women to find community with other women in the game. My advice for women looking to get involved is to go find them. My advice for golf clubs is to broadcast them.  

One of the best ways to make asking questions more comfortable for women trying to pick up the game is for clubs and associations to create spaces exclusively for women. The time between golf shot, and the time before and after rounds, are sacred moments to many golfers (I even make sure to leave time for these moments with my course rating crew). These are the moments where golfers trade laughs and stories, share memories and pitchers of beer. When women see women in golf engaging in those moments together, the world of golf seems all the more welcoming.  

Don’t be afraid of competition  

For women who do find their way into the golf community, too many seem to think that tournament golf is not for them. This could not be further from the truth. I’ve been playing tournament golf since I was nine, and I’ve found that many of those tournament rounds feel a lot more like social rounds than you might think. Golf tournaments, especially at the club level, are all about community — golfers play them to support the institutions that make the game possible, share a day with other people who love the game, and hand out pro shop credit to those who play well. As long as you have a functional understanding of the rules and can get around the course in a timely manner, golf tournaments are for anyone who calls themselves a golfer. Some of my best memories every year come from community golf tournaments; it’s never because of how well I played. 

I spend many of my working hours surrounded mostly by men on course rating trips. All of them are committed to making sure that ratings for women are given the same attention to detail as the ratings for men because they understand golf is a game for everyone. But this game isn’t for everyone if the people inside the game don’t reach out to those on the outside. I’m proud to be part of an organization that’s reaching out.

A brief note regarding your membership

The IGA will be implementing two changes to how your membership works in the new year that we hope will make it more valuable.

First, we will be improving our membership model. Classically, our membership timeline has been centered around a calendar year where members could get started with their membership and Handicap any time after January 1, and it would expire at the end of the calendar year regardless of when you signed up.

We are excited to announce that starting today, January 1, all memberships will now follow a 365-day cycle, enhancing your membership by providing a full year's worth of membership from the date of purchase. We couldn't be more excited about this change.

For us to make the 365-day membership model happen, we will also need to implement a second change for all public handicap registrations. In 2024, all publicly purchased IGA memberships will have to be purchased directly through the IGA via our online registration system located on our website, over the phone, or by visiting the IGA office.

These changes will enable us to have features like auto-renew and reminder emails that help us enhance your overall membership experience.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year in 2024!

-Caleb Cox, IGA Executive Director

IGA Championships Volunteer: Rick Krajnik

1 – Where are you originally from? If not from Idaho, what brought you here?
Originally from Bayonne, New Jersey, I moved to California with my family. In 2014, we moved to Boise after accepting a position with the State.  We love it here in Boise—from the people to the politics to the geography!

2 – What is/was your career occupation?
I spent 35 years in the software industry from building a small consultancy focused on security-based software development to working with most of the major consulting companies (such as Microsoft, Accenture and Deloitte) in a director-level role in selling, shaping, and delivering software solutions.

3 – What is it about the game of golf that you love so much?
I started playing when I was about 8 years old with my Dad.  I’ve had a lifelong love affair with the game and during the mid-80s, I was playing tournament-quality rounds.  In addition to falling short at eight different U.S. Open Qualifiers, I was the club champion at Mountain Meadows in LaVerne, California, never to repeat that again.

A late 30’s back injury also forced me to step away for a short 20 years. I have, over the past five years, tried to get my game back, no pun intended.

Rick Krajnik spending quality time with his granddaughter, Sophie.

4 – What made you want to volunteer for the IGA? When did you start?
As I mentioned, I’ve had a lifelong love for golf and came across the IGA as I was looking to try to get back into playing more regularly.  I thought that by being around the game again I’d get myself ready to play again.  

I started with the IGA roughly 6 years ago and have enjoyed the roles that I’ve helped with. I’m always looking to take on more responsibility, I look forward to continuing my work with the IGA.

5 – What do you hope to get out of volunteering for the IGA? What motivates you to keep coming back?
I enjoy watching good quality golf and the IGA tournament delivers that.  I get a feeling of community and contribution when I participate in the IGA events, just as I do when I’m volunteering for the local food banks.  So, both of these have been what I’m looking for and what keeps me coming back!

6 – What has been your favorite memory from volunteering for the IGA?
While working as a spotter, I had a ball whiz by my ear, and because I immediately dove to the ground (why?), I lost track of the ball, and we had to assume it went OB as it was nowhere to be found.  It was quite embarrassing.  

Another favorite memory has been each time I’ve watched the awards presentation for an event and seen the look of pride and relief from the winners - that’s a special moment.

7 – What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering?
Jump in!  The IGA team (Nicole, Anne, etc.) makes the process easy and is always ready to answer any questions you might have.  There are a number of roles, so you’ll very likely find your sweet spot within the team.

8 – What is your fondest memory on the golf course?
Two things jumped out for me… my first eagle (I was 12 years old, hit a three wood to about 4 ft and made the putt… My Dad made me buy beers for him and his friends we were playing with, and of course, they knew the people that worked there).  

Secondly was probably the first time I beat my Dad and his buddies— legit, I was probably 13 or 14.  

9 – When were you introduced to the sport? By who?
At the age of 8.  My Dad would always be going out to the range at the Arcadia Par-3 Course. One day, he asked me to go with him and he’d show me the basics.  It’s been a family activity ever since.

10 – What is your home club? How often do you play?
I am registered at Quail Hollow here in Boise, but unfortunately, I’m still having back problems that keep me from getting out too often. This past year I played three or four rounds, hoping to step it up this coming spring.

11 – What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I play lead guitar in a worship band!

12 – Who would be a part of your dream foursome to play a round of golf with?
My Dad, my brother and Frank Sinatra.

13 - What has been your favorite golf course that you have played?
Here in Boise - I like BanBury GC and Quail Hollow GC (Jug Mountain Ranch, further north).  Everywhere else, I like Pebble Beach Golf Links and/or Torrey Pines GC.

14 – Describe your golf game in six words
Painful to play, painful to watch

15 – What's one item that you can’t live without?
My Bible

2023 Volunteer of the Year

BOISE, Idaho —The Idaho Golf Association is excited to announce the recipient of the 2023 Volunteer of the Year Award: Karen Edwards. The VOY Award is given to individuals who go above and beyond in helping the IGA and those who participate in its services. The IGA’s volunteers are asked to do a plethora of tasks: live scoring, coordinate events, Course Rating, and more.

Edwards was a stalwart all year as she volunteered for nine of the 14 qualifiers and championships the IGA hosted this past season.  If the event was in or near the Treasure Valley, she was there—that’s even including the U.S. Four-Ball Qualifier at Desert Canyon GC in Mountain Home! Edwards often worked multiple days and double shifts for many of these events. As a championship volunteer, she served as a shuttle driver and as a live scorer. Edwards gave off her time and talents in whatever capacity she served in. She also fit right in with the IGA Staff and its other volunteers.

Edwards volunteered at the following events:

-U.S. Open Local Qualifier (shuttle driver)
-U.S. Junior Qualifier (shuttle driver)
-U.S. Amateur Qualifier (live scorer)
-U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier (shuttle driver)
-U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifier (live scorer)
-U.S. Four-Ball Qualifier (live scorer)
-IGA Senior Amateur Championship (live scorer)
-IGA Senior Tournament of Champions (live scorer)
-IGA Tournament of Champions (live scorer)

The IGA’s Manager of Rules & Competitions, Nicole Bird, said: “[Karen Edwards] was very deserving of the Volunteer of the Year Award for 2023. She attended most of our championships and qualifiers this year to help with live scoring, shuttle driving, and anything else we needed.”

"She's very dependable and loves chatting with all of the players to learn where they're from and how they are playing,” Bird further stated. “The players enjoy interacting with [Karen] because she's always so cheerful and helpful out on the course. We love having [her] volunteer at our events!”

Her service will continue to be of great value to the IGA for many more years to come.

The IGA would like to congratulate Edwards again on a job well done this year and express its gratitude toward her and all the other volunteers who sacrifice time away from other meaningful things in their lives to give back to the game they each love.

For those interested in volunteering next season, please send an email to Nicole Bird at nicole@idahoga.org for championships, Nicole Rutledge at nicole.r@idahoga.org for Course Rating, and Cecilia Baney at cecilia@idahoga.org for the Idaho Junior Tour.

IGA Course Rating Volunteers: Tim and Julie Finup

 1 – Where are you originally from? If not from Idaho, what brought you here?
Tim is from Michigan originally and came to Idaho for work. Julie was born and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

2 – What is/was your career occupation?
Tim was an operations engineer and manager at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).  Julie was a supervisor for the Department of Energy overseeing operations of the contractors at the INL.

3 – What is it about the game of golf that you love so much?
Julie loves the friendly competition and friendships she has made through leagues and tournaments. Tim loves challenging himself on every shot. Every shot is different depending on the courses being played.

Julie and Tim Finup enjoy the chance to be spectators at the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links in South Carolina.

4 – What made you want to volunteer for the IGA? 
The head pro at Pinecrest GC recommended it to us as a good retirement activity that would allow us to see all the courses around Idaho. Also, a friend at our country club does Course Rating and said it was really good in helping one understand the game better. When did you start?  We started  doing course ratings and helping with scoring at tournaments in 2022.

5 – What do you hope to get out of volunteering for the IGA? What motivates you to keep coming back?
A better understanding of how golf course conditions play into the handicapping system and playability of the course. It’s fun to work with the other volunteers and play new courses that we haven’t played before.

6 – What has been your favorite memory from volunteering for the IGA?
There are too many to pick just one. It has been interesting to hear all the different perspectives on how a hole should be rated. Playing golf and validating our assumptions has been an eye-opener.

7 – What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering? 
DO IT, volunteering is very rewarding, and being able to learn and do something you love together is a plus.

8 – What is your fondest memory on the golf course?
For Julie, it was the hole-in-one she made at Sage Lakes GC in Idaho Falls. For Tim, it’s the feel of a really good golf shot.

9 – When were you introduced to the sport? By who?
For Julie, she was introduced by Tim after they got married in 1992. Tim was introduced to the sport in his freshman year (1980) of college by a friend.

10 – What is your home club? How often do you play?
Our home club is the Idaho Falls CC. Julie plays four to five times a week in different leagues in Idaho. Tim plays two to three times a week during the summer months in Idaho, and we take several golf trips during the fall and winter months.

11 – What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?  
Neither one of us likes to be around big groups of people, but golf is the exception.

12 – Who would be a part of your dream foursome to play a round of golf with?
For Julie, it would be Annika Sörenstam, Julie Inkster, Lexi Thompson and herself.  For Tim, it would be Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Bryson Dechambeau and himself.

13 - What has been your favorite golf course that you have played?
We both really enjoyed playing Glen Eagles in Scotland, with Kingsbarns GC being a close second. In the States, we would have to say Firestone CC.

14 – Describe your golf game in six words.
Tim: simplicity, accuracy, and consistency
Julie: A work in progress.

15 – What's one item that you can’t live without?
For Tim, it’s a really lofted wedge. For Julie, it’s her driver.

Distance, solid putting, good teamwork make winning formula

Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications

The majority of the sporting world, including those of us who have invested our time and money in golf, find that most of these recreational hobbies were designed to play with a team. Basketball has five players on the floor with the remaining teammates on the bench. Football and soccer have 11. And you get the picture.

Each team is led by a head coach or manager who schemes and plots the path to victory for those he or she leads. Cultures are established. Team banners are hung from the rafters, while parades glide through cities with celebrations adorning the air.

Yet golf, like tennis, is played as an individual. Each choice, swing, putt, etc. comes down to the operator of the golf club. There is no one to blame but oneself for an errant tee shot or a missed birdie putt from close range. Golf intensifies areas like self-accountability and integrity. But, at the end of the day, aren’t these some of the many reasons why we all love the game of golf?

However, all that individuality gets thrown out the window when it comes to team events like the Ryder or Solheim Cup! (I don’t know about you, but the week of the Ryder Cup is one of my favorite times to watch golf along with the majors.) Wouldn’t you agree?

It isn’t often that golfers get the opportunity to play team golf. You have the exceptions like those who play for their respected school teams, but beyond that, for the however many other 90-something percenters that don’t play in those settings, it can be fun and unknown.

On the local level, the Idaho Golf Association has the occasional team event that gives golfers the opportunity to drop their solo acts and go duet-style in various tournaments: the PNGA Lamey Cup, Hogan Cup, Carter Cup, Girls Junior Americas Cup, etc. These team events for both our adult and junior participants give some of our top players opportunities to play in local or regional events that feel like miniature Ryder Cups.

However, there is an event, the IGA Four-Ball Championship, that gives every IGA member an opportunity to play competitively with a partner against the likes of some of the best amateur golfers around the state. It is a two-day event, and this year it was held at RedHawk Golf Course in Nampa – one of the top public courses around.

The field consisted of 45 teams: 25 men, 11 senior men and nine women pairings. Playing a total of 36 holes, each team set off to compete in what is called a four-ball format. For those of you who don’t know what this specific format is, the USGA defines it as “a form of play (in either match play or stroke play) involving partners where two partners compete together as a side, with each player playing their own ball, and a side’s score for a hole is the lower score of the two partners on that hole.”

Simple enough?

What makes this format very intriguing is the balancing act teams have to have as they make their way through each round. The hope for each team is to have the ability to “ham and egg” it on every hole if necessary — always ensuring that at least one partner is playing well on any given hole.

"One of us hitting a birdie [made] the other one [think] ‘alright, I got this’ [and feel motivated to play better and help the team out],” Katie Dearing said when referring to the effects team play can have.

The teams that faired the most in this challenging but doable style of play were Burke Spensky & Justin Merz (men’s winners), Stephen Hartnett & Louis Burke (senior men’s winners), and Dearing & Denise Smith (women’s winners).

These three pairings tackled the daunting task that RedHawk GC presented to each and every golfer who stepped onto its lakeside grounds. From undulating fairways to hard, fast greens, each of these winners managed to rely on their individual strengths to help carry their teams through to the finish line.

For the three winning teams, it was their ability to be long and straight off the tee on a course that pushed north of 6,700 yards (from the back tees). Though the fairways were generous with their widths, if players got outside those boundaries, the long rough and fescue seemed to strangle all hope for the very next shot — a scenario the winners seemed to manage quite well.

"Distance travels everywhere,” Spensky stated. “You can hit all the greens you want, but if you are 30 feet away, you can three-putt these greens.”

"I think for us, keeping two balls in play was huge,” Dearing added. “So, it took the pressure off of one as long [was in the fairway] or at least in play…”

Though driving the ball far and keeping it straight was helpful, having short games that stood up and did not falter under pressure was even more crucial for these three duos. The team of Hartnett and Burke managed to hold off back-to-back defending champions Jay Sutton and Dan Pickens with a key birdie putt on their final hole of the tournament. Spensky’s 30-foot redemption putt on the second playoff hole to win proved to be a key ingredient down the stretch. Team Dearing-Smith rolled in two birdies in their last three holes to give them a two-shot victory.

Though each team’s philosophy and chemistry were different, each managed to take advantage of their length and accuracy off the tee and their ability to make putts when it mattered — proving team golf to be an exciting challenge unlike any other in this sport.

FINAL RESULTS

-Men’s Four-Ball: Burke Spensky & Justin Merz 65-68 = 133 (-7)
-Men’s Senior Four-Ball: Stephen Hartnett & Louis Burke 70-65 = 135 (-7)
-Women’s Four-Ball: Katie Dearing & Denise Smith 74-69 = 143 (+1)

For a complete look at the 2023 IGA Four-Ball Championships leaderboards, CLICK HERE.