IAPGA Executive Director Message from Greg Mason, PGA

A Message From Greg Mason

Iowa PGA Executive Director Iowa PGA Golf Magazine – Winter Review of 2020

What a year 2020 was. We got behind a little with our Digital-Magazine in 2020. We are just producing our first one since last February when we did a review of the 2019 season. We will endeavor to get back to the Quarterly format we were used to in the past.

Many of you probably played more golf in 2020 than you had in previous years. I know that our PGA Member facilities were very grateful to see an uptick in golf rounds. They did a nice job of managing the new rules/ guidelines that were in place. But then golfers are used to rules. We thank each of you for helping those facilities follow those rules/ guidelines. We are trying to not forget all the great play we had in 2019 as well. Chad Proehl, Urbandale, played in the 2019 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and Jeff Schmid, Iowa City played in that Championship as well as the week before at the 2019 PGA Championship.

In 2021 Gibb, Proehl and Schmid will play in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Southern Hills CC in Tulsa, OK. In spite of the different year we had in 2020, many of our IowaPGA Members continue to compete at the highest levels of the game. We congratulate them for this great play over the past eighteen months.

As you read this magazine, enjoy the celebration of our 2020 IowaPGA Award Winners highlighted by our PGA Professional of the Year Joe Butler. Butler’s career covers a couple of decades of great golf and outstanding service to his membership at the Burlington Golf Club. We are very proud of “Joe Pro” and all that he has accomplished. For those interested in marketing with us, we will have spots available for you to place an ad. Just look for our special marketing page within the pages of our magazine. This digital magazine goes to over 15,000 people on our email list along with being sent over our social media channels. If you wish to be a part of something new in the Iowa Golf scene, please feel free to email me at gmason@pgahq.com. You can always call the office at 319648-0026 as well.

Have fun, Play Well “Mase”

At the IowaPGA we love our Junior Tour/ Pee Wee Tour as were thankful to be able to administer so many events starting in June of 2020. The Junior golfers continue to be an inspiration to each other and for sure our staff and interns. Remember some of the names listed in this magazine as you may see them on TV in the not too distant future.

This magazine will cover an interview we did with Sean and Mundi McCarty on their experiences at the 2019, yes 2019, PGA Cup. Sean was the first IowaPGA Professional to compete in those matches. He was part of a historic comeback by the US Team over Great Britain and Ireland. Though this was in 2019, we wanted to cover the story anyway from last Spring.

Judd Gibb, from Ft. Dodge, participated in the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park. Quite the experience with no spectators at the Championship. Former Cedar Rapids Gazette Sports Columnist and PGA Historian Emeritus Bob Denney wrote a nice article on Judd that we wanted to share with each of you. Enjoy Bob’s unique writing and to Judd’s comments. We did lose a few IowaPGA Members in the past year. Past IowaPGA Presidents Jerry “Big Sky” Johnson (Elmwood CC), Ed “Shoe” Schumann (Sunnyside CC) and Gary “Red Dog” Lockie (Taylor Made) left their mark on golf in the IowaPGA and to scores of PGA Professionals. We will miss their laughter and smiles at our many Section events.

Finally, I would like to thank our talented IowaPGA Staff for all of the hard work, perseverance and dedication. You can’t find a more cohesive group in 2020. With the support of our Section Officers and Board, our staff continues to a deliver high-level events to our Section Professionals and to the Junior Golfers throughout our Section.

Vol. 1 | Issue 3 | Fall/Winter Issue 02 IAPGA Executive Director Message from Greg Mason, PGA 04 Board of Directors/Staff/PGA Of America Table of Contents 06 2020 Professional of the Year Joe Butler, PGA 07 2020 Iowa PGA Awards New Membership 09 2020 Iowa PGA Scholarships Charlie Burkart Recipients 11 Iowa Golf Association A Message from the IGA 13 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Assistant Professional of the Year

14 Iowa Turfgrass Institute A Message from the Iowa Turfgrass Institute 15 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Professional Players of the Year 17 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Junior Tour Players of the Year 19 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Merchandisers of the Year 20 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Growth of the Game Awards 21 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Sales Representative of the Year/ Teacher of the Year 22 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Patriot Award 23 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Bill Strausbaugh Award 24 2020 Iowa PGA Awards Professional Development Award 26 2020 A Long and Winding Road Judd Gibb’s First Major 28 Cover Story McCarty’s Experience at the PGA Cup 34 2020 Iowa PGA Results Book 90 High School State Golf Results 92 PGA Members & Associates by Facility

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