Matt Levins, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa –
Jon Olson had everything in his arsenal working to perfection in Sunday’s final round of the 110th Iowa Amateur Championship at Spirit Hollow Golf Course.
About the only thing that was missing for the 32-year-old from Ankeny was the patented red shirt and black pants reminiscent of Tiger Woods in his glory days, when he would make his famous charge on Sunday afternoon to win.
Olson put a charge on leader Josh Black that would have made Woods proud.
Trailing Black by one shot heading into Sunday’s final 18 holes, Olson turned what was supposed to be a shootout into a runaway. Olson birdied the eighth hole to take the lead for good, then holed out from 87 yards away on nine for an eagle on his way to a competitive course record-tying 8-under-par 64 to beat Black by a whopping eight shots.
Olson’s 64 tied the Spirit Hollow record set in 2010 by Iowa’s Chris Brandt during the Golfweek Conference Challenge.
Olson finished the three-day tournament with a 12-under-par 204 total, erasing a one-shot deficit and wiping away memories of last year’s playoff loss to Gene Elliott.
Olson, who won the Iowa Golf Association Match Play Championship last year at Spirit Hollow, made his first Iowa Amateur Championship victory one for the ages.
“It’s very satisfying. It’s been on my radar most of the year, since I found out it was here last year. It’s my home away from home here. Last year I was pretty successful here and this year, too. Today everything was going,” Olson said. “There’s always a low number out there. It’s just a matter of if you makes the putts and get the breaks. Today I did both. I wasn’t think (64). I was hoping for a round of 1- or 2-under, to be honest. I got to that point on four and wanted to keep it going and I was able to do that.”
Black, who carded a 1-over-par 73 on Sunday and finished with a 212 total for second place, could only shake his head in amazement at the bewildering shots Olson was throwing at him all afternoon.
“I didn’t play my best, but he was a freight train. He played great,” Black said.
Defending champion Elliott, a two-time Iowa Amateur champion, finished third with a 213. He eagled the final hole for a 69.
Five-time Iowa Amateur champion and 10-time IGA Player of the Year Mike McCoy also eagled the final hole for a 68 and finished fourth with a 214 total.
Scott Briggs of Burlington was the top area finisher, tying for 33rd with a 228. Dan Kies of Burlington and Jim Butler of Fort Madison both tied for 39th at 231. Chad Hatch of Burlington was 64th with a 244.
Olson and Black, playing in the final pairing of the day, both birdied the second hole and Black maintained his one-shot lead heading into four. Olson carded his second birdie of the day, while Black had a par as Olson pulled even.
Olson would break the tie with a finishing flourish on the front side. He stuck a pitching wedge from 127 yards out to within two feet on eight and tapped in for birdie to take the lead.
Then on nine, Olson struck a crushing blow. After hitting a tee shot off line, he stuck a sand wedge three feet behind the pin and spun it back for an eagle 2.
Suddenly, Olson had a three-shot lead after a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine.
“I guess I got a couple good yardages there. I got lucky on nine. I hit a drive – a 3-wood- that cut up into the wind and I wasn’t going there. I was going more where Josh was going. I got a fortunate bounce. I got a good yardage on the second shot. It was 85 yards into the wind. I hit a down sand wedge and it hit right by the hole and spun on in there. I wasn’t expecting that, obviously. I was hoping to make birdie there and finish strong on the front and I did,” Olson said. “When those kind of things happen, when you shoot these numbers, something like that, you either make a bomb or chip in once or twice. From that perspective you know it’s your day.”
“He hit a great shot on eight to about two feet. Then he came back from not hitting a very good tee shot on nine and he holed it out,” Black said. “But I never think I’m out of it.”
Olson was just getting started. He opened the back nine with a birdie on 10 to keep his momentum going and stretch his fast-growing lead to four shots.
“Just to get off to a good start on the back was very important. I just wanted to hit the fairway,” Olson said. “I hit it in the hazard in the first round, left. Then I was pretty close to it (Saturday). I was thinking 3-iron or 3-wood, then I just said the hell with it, just hit driver and see what happens. I hit it good. I kind of got behind a tree so I couldn’t go at it, but that’s fine. I hit a good wedge shot up there to about six feet.”
From there, the rout was on. Olson’s lead increased to five shots on 12 when Black missed the green right, pitched past the hole and two-putted for bogey.
If Olson didn’t already know it was his day, he knew for sure after 13. Olson’s tee shot drifted right and narrowly missed splashing into a pond. Black, meanwhile, stuck his second shot in the center of the green and appeared set to make up some ground.
But Olson punched out to the fairway, stuck his approach shot 10 feet right of the cup and rammed in the putt to salvage par.
Black missed his 30-foot downhill putt, then watched his par putt lip out. Instead of gaining a stroke on Olson, Black actually lost another and was down six with five holes to play.
“I hit driver and I just hit it up in the air a little too much. I didn’t hit it poorly. It just got up in the air and the wind got it and took it right,” Olson said. “I was fortunate not to have that go in the water. But that’s what happens when you do these kind of things. You get bounces. When you get bounces you have to keep the momentum and I was able to do that. In Match Play here last year, on 14 I hit it up way left with Ben Peters. He lost his ball and I found mine and I ended up winning that match. Those kind of things happen when you win,” Olson said.
“I had to putt it through a pretty rough spot in the green and it started hopping around on me and dies four feet short of the hole. Then it broke out of the hole. I just made a mistake. He had a good recovery shot and then a great shot in and a great putt. I made my own mess,” Black said. “When you’re fighting to come back, it’s tough to make a dumb mistake like that. But it happens.”
Black made up a shot on 14, rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt, then nearly got a hole-in-one on 15.
But it was too little, too late.
The only remaining drama was whether Olson could fire a 63 and break the competitive course record. But his 20-foot putt for eagle on 18 missed by two inches, leaving him a tap-in to tie the record and etch his name on the trophy as the 110th Iowa Amateur champion.
Once again, Spirit Hollow proved to be Olson’s home away from home.
“I’ll jump for joy anytime anything is here. It’s my home away from home. This course just gives you everything, from short par fours to long par fours. Short par fives and long par fives. Nice par threes. Open holes. Tight holes. Hills. There’s not a lot of courses around here like that. You either get a lot of hills and a lot of trees or pretty open, flat. (Course designer Rick) Jacobson did a hell of a job with the land you’ve got here. It’s awesome. It’s my favorite layout in the state,” Olson said. “I want to thank Spirit Hollow and the good Lord for this one. And I want to thank my wife for putting up with me.”
Iowa Amateur Championship
Sunday
At Spirit Hollow Golf Course
Yardage: 7,175; Par: 72
Final round
1. Jon Olson, Ankeny 72-68-64-204
2. Josh Black, Oelwein 69-70-73-212
3. Gene Elliott, W.Des Moines 73-71-69-213
4. Michael McCoy, WDM 73-73-68-214
5. Matt Jennings, Prairie City 72-71-74-217
5. Steven Ihm, Peosta 73-72-72-217
7. Ian Vandersee, WDM 73-72-73-218
7. Jonathan Tink, Waterloo 76-73-69-218
7. Mike Slavin, Johnston 72-73-73-218
10. Jeff Panek, Urbandale 73-74-72-219
11. Ben Peters, Bettendorf 74-73-73-220
11. Patrick Datz, Ames 73-73-74-220
13. Colin Pearson, Fort Dodge 76-72-74-222
13. Dane Worley, Cedar Rapids 76-72-74-222
13. J.D. Anderson, WDM 73-75-74-222
13. Josh Manske, Algona 72-75-75-222
17. Blake Waller, W.Des Moines 74-72-77-223
17. Braden Gaal, Cedar Falls 76-75-72-223
17. Devin Leland, Huxley 74-70-79-223
17. Matthew Walker, Ottumwa 75-71-77-223
17. Terry Cook, Johnston 76-74-73-223
22. Connor Peck, Ankeny 78-68-78-224
23. Brian Verduyn, Clive 78-76-71-225
24. Conner Steele, Ced.Rapids 78-69-79-226
24. Jon Brown, Urbandale 73-76-77-226
24. Michael Wetrich, Ottumwa 75-74-77-226
27. Dennis Bull, W.Des Moines 82-69-76-227
27. Dustin Atkinson, Ames 74-75-78-227
27. Jake Pearson, WDM 76-73-78-227
27. Todd Hingtgen, Marion 75-76-76-227
27. Tom Schill, Gowrie 71-75-81-227
27. Ty Stewart, Ames 80-71-76-227
33. Alex Thode, Washington 77-75-76-228
33. Mike Patzia, Pella 75-73-80-228
33. Scott Briggs, Burlington 71-80-77-228
36. Matt Solis, Bettendorf 76-75-78-229
36. Ryan Horner, Waukee 77-79-73-229
38. Matt Steddom, Mrshlltwn 77-77-76-230
39. Carson Whittngtn, Creston 75-74-82-231
39. Collin Foster, Clive 74-82-75-231
39. Dan Kies, Burlington 75-76-80-231
39. Greg Rios, Davenport 75-78-78-231
39. Harrison Moore, CdrRapds 77-74-80-231
39. Jim Butler, Fort Madison 81-74-76-231
39. Luke Staudt, Marble Rock 77-78-76-231
46. Chris Lovell, Clear Lake 77-77-78-232
46. Eric Sikkema, Clinton 75-81-76-232
46. Scot Cook, Clive 75-75-82-232
49. Andrew Peter, Decorah 74-77-82-233
49. Bret Taylor, Council Bluffs 80-75-78-233
49. Chance Maiers, Dyersville 84-70-79-233
49. Dustin Drenth, Davenport 79-77-77-233
49. John Bral, Storm Lake 77-73-83-233
54. Curtis Holck, Ankeny 75-76-83-234
54. Luke Monson, Clear Lake 76-77-81-234
54. Matt Jones, Indianola 78-76-80-234
54. Michael Wuertz, Davnport 79-75-80-234
58. Sam Aossey, Cedar Rapids 80-75-80-235
59. Dalton Olson, Mason City 77-76-83-236
59. Dave Schurke, Buffalo 79-75-82-236
61. Alex Jarnagin, Ames 76-80-83-239
62. Isaac Brown, Cedar Rapids 77-76-88-241
62. Stephen Larson, Johnston 81-75-85-241
64. Chad Hatch, Burlington 80-76-88-244
