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Iowa takes its men's amateur state championship to Council Bluffs for the first time.
Bent Tree, in the Loess Hills east of the city, hosts the 108th Iowa Amateur, a 54-hole event that begins Friday and ends Sunday on the 6,900-yard course designed by Jeff Brauer.
While 2009 champion Ben Herrera is now a professional, there are five past champions in the field: Mike Oimoen from Clear Lake (2008), Jared Walahoski (2007) and Jon Brown (2006), both of Urbandale, Brian Verduyn of Clive (2005), and four-time champion Mike McCoy from West Des Moines.
McCoy is the top finisher from 2009, though his second-place total was 10 strokes worse than Herrera's record-setting 14 under at Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo.
Brown this year won his seventh Des Moines City Championship and his fourth Iowa Masters title. In addition, Brown paired with Ty Stewart to win the 2008 Iowa Golf Association Four-Ball Championship, which was the last IGA championship contested at Bent Tree. That's the same Ty Stewart who was an all-state place-kicker at Omaha Westside and went on to Iowa State and made four field goals in the Cyclones' 1992 upset of Nebraska.
Other familiar names include former Lincolnite Todd Sapp, now living in Sioux City, and former professional Bret Taylor, one of several entrants from the Bluffs.
Women's Trans at CC of Lincoln
One of the top women's amateur events returns to Nebraska next week for the first time since 2002.
The Women's Trans-National takes over the Country Club of Lincoln course for a six-day run. A 36-hole qualifier next Monday and Tuesday determines the 64 golfers for match play, with the final set for July 31. Spectators are welcome.
Defending champion Julia Boland, from Sydney, Australia, heads the field of 114. The 2009 Australian national champion won her 2009 Trans title at Louden, Tenn.
Other contenders include 2009 USGA Girls Amateur champion Amy Anderson of Oxbow, N.D., who was medalist at this year's Women's Western and made it to the quarterfinals there; Women's Western runner-up Dottie Ardina of Lipa City, Philippines; and two past U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur winners, Megan Stasi and Kerry Postillion. Stasi was a member of the 2008 U.S. Curtis Cup team.
There are 14 entries from Nebraska, including three-time state champions Stephanie Kolbas and Heidi Stark of Lincoln and four-time state seniors champion Jane Pohlman of Omaha. There are four from the Husker golf team: Mary Kate Bird, Kayla Knopik, Carolyn Schorgl and Katelyn Wright.
Morrison heads Amateur qualifiers
BEATRICE, Neb. — Trent Morrison of Omaha was the only golfer to break par 72 at Beatrice Country Club in Monday's qualifier for next week's Nebraska Amateur.
Morrison's 4-under-par 68 led a group of 36 golfers who advanced to the championship that starts next Monday at Omaha's Happy Hollow Club. The final 36 qualifiers for the 144-man championship will come from Tuesday's qualifier at Miracle Hill in Omaha.
Qualifiers: Trent Morrison, Omaha, 68; Calvin Freeman, Table Rock, 72; Patrick Hanzel, Lincoln, 73; Kevin Gillick, Lincoln, 73; Dan Huston, Lincoln, 73; John Erickson, Omaha, 73; Timothy Jensen, Syracuse, 75; EJ Hamilton, Omaha, 75; Andy Wilson, Omaha, 75; Caleb Harms, Beatrice, 75; Joe Skoff, Bellevue, 76; Larry Sock, Lincoln, 77; Jacob Godwin, Valley, 77; Sam Sullivan, Omaha, 77; Tyler Lane, Omaha, 77; Britt Fordham, Lincoln, 79; Jimmy Zuegner, Omaha, 79; Titus Tvrdy, Seward, 79; James Lockhart, Lincoln, 79; Ethan Walz, Lincoln, 80; Mark Dynek, Omaha, 80; Jay Moore, Lincoln, 80; Myron Parsley, Lincoln, 81; Patrick Lusk, Omaha, 81; Cameron Bargell, North Platte, 81; Corey Labenz, Lincoln, 82; Dylan Lester, Lincoln, 82; Mike Shukis, Papillion, 82; Trey Pittenger, Lincoln, 82; Philip Maiyo, Lincoln, 82; Sam Gemar, Lincoln, 82; Michael Vaida Jr., Ralston, 82; Shea Austin, Fairbury, 83; Ronald Jensen, Syracuse, 83; Matt Sernett, Lincoln, 83; Tim Song, Omaha, 84.
Schnell receives Cox exemption
Millard West graduate Brady Schnell has received the final of four sponsor's exemptions allotted to the Cox Classic. Two of the four must be given to Nationwide Tour members not otherwise eligible for the event.
Schnell, who played at Nebraska, has made one cut in his first eight tournaments. He is playing this week in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio.
The other sponsor's exemptions went to Jason Schultz from the tour, Manuel Villegas and McCook's Brandon Crick, who is turning pro prior to next week.
The tournament also announced that retiring Creighton University President John Schlegel is its honorary chairman.
Fundraiser in Lincoln for Gehrig's disease
On Aug. 8 at Lincoln's Highlands and Pioneers courses, the Tee Off Against Lou Gehrig's Disease tournament will benefit the William G. Lauer Foundation for ALS and Charities. Lauer, a Lincoln newspaper photographer, has ALS. Entry fee is $100. The tournament website is www.lauerfoundation.org.
• The Golf Course Builders Association of America Foundation will host a scramble for past participants (no entry fee) of the foundation's Sticks for Kids program at 9 a.m. July 31 at Jim Ager Memorial Golf Course, 3761 Normal Blvd. in Lincoln. The tournament will include snacks, lunch and awards. Call the golf course at 402-441-8963 to sign up.
• Returning Class A state high school girls champion Jacqueline O'Doherty of Lincoln carded her first career hole in one during the first round of last week's Nebraska Girls Amateur. She aced Wayne Country Club's 165-yard eighth hole with a 6-iron.
• Omaha native and nationally known golf historian Gary Wiren returned to his boyhood course Sunday to play Spring Lake Park twice, once with modern clubs and the second time with vintage equipment and garb as part of a hickory-golf outing. Wiren and golf architect Tom Doak are scheduled to attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Sunset Valley Country Club, 9300 Arbor St., to discuss the possibility of relocating Wiren's golf memorabilia collection to Omaha.
Countdown to Cox Classic
The 15th annual Cox Classic is July 29 to Aug. 1 at Champions Run in Omaha. A look at recent developments on the Nationwide Tour:
• This week: $800,000 Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, OSU Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio. 2009 winner: Derek Lamely (on PGA Tour in 2010). TV: Golf Channel.
• Last week: Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey won for the second time in his past four starts, shooting 27 under to win the new Chiquita Classic in Cincinnati by three strokes. The recipient of a 2007 Cox Classic sponsor's exemption, Gainey is the first two-time winner in 2010. Not since 1996 has the tour reached Omaha without a double winner.
• Next week: Cox Classic. No TV.
• Gooch watch: Former Omahan Scott Gutschewski stayed barely inside the Top 25, the cutoff for promotion at year's end to the 2011 PGA Tour, after missing the cut for the second straight week in Cincy. The ex-Husker is 24th with $96,250 in 13 events.
— Stu Pospisil
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