Nate Dunn wins third Iowa Amateur title
7/20/2016 | by Iowa Golf Association
see also: View results for Iowa Amateur, Beaver Hills Country Club
Nate Dunn holds on to win at Sunnyside Country Club over a talented field at the Iowa Amateur
WATERLOO, IA (July 20, 2016) -- Nate Dunn has reclaimed his title as Iowa Amateur Champion, his third overall. Dunn, a Cedar Rapids resident, fired rounds of four-under, 68 and even-par, 72 to hoist the Elliott Family Iowa Amateur Trophy at Sunnyside Country Club.
The 114th Iowa Amateur Championship was played under soggy conditions in Waterloo. After being hit with severe weather and heavy rain in Tuesday’s second round, the tournament was shortened to 36-holes. Dunn did not let the altered playing conditions affect his game.
“I was trying to get a feel for the golf course after the rain,” Dunn said. “I really tried to keep the ball in front of me.”
Dunn had plenty of company atop the leader board. Eight golfers finished within five-strokes of Dunn’s 140 winning tally. Cody Holck, who played alongside Dunn in the final group, never let Dunn get comfortable by continuing to stay aggressive off the tee.
“I didn’t hit a lot of drivers today, but playing with these young kids is fun,” Dunn said. “Cody hit driver all day long and it was fun to watch.”
Holck also carded a four-under, 68 in the first round of the tournament. Dunn had his game on cruise control, moving his number to eight-under with just seven holes to play in the final round. Holck would capitalize on a pair of Dunn mistakes, cutting his lead to just one stroke with a birdie on the 13th hole. Holck, of Ankeny, would go on to bogey two of the next three holes to fall back to three-strokes off the lead heading to the 18th-tee.
Dunn held a two-stroke lead over West Des Moines’ Broc Everett when he stepped up to hit his final tee shot, and a three-shot advantage on Holck. Everett had birdied that hole just 15-minutes prior, and held the clubhouse lead with a three-under, 141 (70-71.) However, Dunn was unaware of where he stood when he hit that shot.
“I had no idea where I was, I didn’t want to,” Dunn said. “I tried to stay aggressive when I could and make pars when I needed to… I didn’t look at the scoreboard until 18.”
With their second shots, Holck found the green but had a lengthy birdie attempt. Dunn came up well short of the putting surface, but only needed to put the ball on the green and two-putt to win the tournament.
Holck made things interesting when his birdie attempt found the bottom of the cup to tie Everett’s mark of 141 (68-73), but it had no effect on Dunn. After chipping the ball to 10-feet, Dunn calmly two-putted and walked off the green as the 2016 Iowa Amateur Champion.
Many household names had good showings at the State Amateur Championship. IGA Match Play Champion Dusty Drenth finished tied for fourth (69-73) with Northern Iowa’s Marshal Lamb (68-74) at two-under, 142. Mike McCoy, who was the defending Iowa Amateur Champion, finished tied for sixth (69-74) with All-Big 10 athlete Mathew Walker (74-69) with a one-under, 143.
About the Iowa Amateur
54 hole stroke play championship of Iowa. Three qualifying sites will determine the final field of 156. The field is cut to the low 60 and ties for the final round. Must be an active Iowa Golf Association (IGA) member.
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