Interstate field strong as ever
Anderson seeks fourth straight title
By Barry Poe Journal sports writer | Posted: Saturday, June 07, 2008
The field for the 72nd Interstate Amateur Championship may not be as large as usual, but rest assured there will be plenty of talent on hand this weekend at Two Rivers Golf Club.
Three-time defending champion J.D. Anderson of West Des Moines headlines a field of 68 who will tee off at 8 o'clock sharp this morning. The entire field will play 18 holes both today and Sunday, with the top one-third making the cut for the final nine, which will ultimately determine the winner.
Anderson, a Pocahontas, Iowa, native and one of the top amateur players in the state, has had a stranglehold on the title in recent years and isn't ready to give up the throne.
"I always enjoy coming up here to play," said the former Wayne State College linkster who defeated Jeff Donaldson by three shots to win last year. "Length isn't really that much of a factor on this course. You just have to keep the ball in play and be patient, because the birdies will come out there.
"Me winning the last three is probably incentive for the rest of the guys. It's never easy to win this, but I think if I play well I'm hard to beat on this course."
Anderson is one of seven former champions in the field. In fact, the last person besides the talented West Des Moines player to win this tournament, Troy Arends of Orange City, has returned after missing last year's event.
"There may not be as many players, but the field is as strong as ever," said tournament director Rodd Slater, head PGA professional at Two Rivers. "I think the smaller field will be good because the guys like to play at a fast pace and when they make the turn, it will be open.
"We missed a lot of the heavy rain that Sioux City got this week, so there are only a couple of spots with standing water and the greens are rolling great. (Greenskeeper) Don (Fuxa) and his crew did a great job of getting what water there was pumped off the course."
Other former winners entered are three-time champion Dan Freed (1990, '93, '94) and two-time champs Todd Sapp (1989, '96) and Jim Anderson (2000, '03). Bob Brummel of Orange City, the 2001 champ, and 1999 titleist Ron Van Buskirk are also in the field.
Freed, the only person other than J.D. Anderson to win consecutive Interstate crowns, is one of three members of his family playing this weekend. Sons Adam and Nate, both recent Hinton High School graduates, are each competing.
Jim Anderson, a Sergeant Bluff resident, finished second in the Tri-State Masters last month. Ayron Corporon, who won his third straight Tri-State title, will not compete this weekend because of a prior commitment.
Donaldson has finished second to J.D. Anderson each of the last two years and is one of the leading contenders. University of Kansas golfer Nate Barbee, a former South Dakota state champion from Dakota Valley High School, is the reigning River-Cade champion.
Pat Schiltz (fourth), Adam Fields and Pat O'Brien (tie for fifth), Bill Mathers (seventh), Nick Dreckman (ninth) and Brian Schultz (10th) each finished in the top 10 in the Tri-State Masters. Schultz, a Le Mars, Iowa, resident, is a three-time River-Cade champion and lost to J.D. Anderson in the Sioux Valley Amateur Match Play final last summer.
The top third of the Interstate field automatically qualifies for the first Dakota Dunes Super Amateur Golf Championship Sept. 20-21 at Dakota Dunes Country Club.
Three-time defending champion J.D. Anderson of West Des Moines headlines a field of 68 who will tee off at 8 o'clock sharp this morning. The entire field will play 18 holes both today and Sunday, with the top one-third making the cut for the final nine, which will ultimately determine the winner.
Anderson, a Pocahontas, Iowa, native and one of the top amateur players in the state, has had a stranglehold on the title in recent years and isn't ready to give up the throne.
"I always enjoy coming up here to play," said the former Wayne State College linkster who defeated Jeff Donaldson by three shots to win last year. "Length isn't really that much of a factor on this course. You just have to keep the ball in play and be patient, because the birdies will come out there.
"Me winning the last three is probably incentive for the rest of the guys. It's never easy to win this, but I think if I play well I'm hard to beat on this course."
Anderson is one of seven former champions in the field. In fact, the last person besides the talented West Des Moines player to win this tournament, Troy Arends of Orange City, has returned after missing last year's event.
"There may not be as many players, but the field is as strong as ever," said tournament director Rodd Slater, head PGA professional at Two Rivers. "I think the smaller field will be good because the guys like to play at a fast pace and when they make the turn, it will be open.
"We missed a lot of the heavy rain that Sioux City got this week, so there are only a couple of spots with standing water and the greens are rolling great. (Greenskeeper) Don (Fuxa) and his crew did a great job of getting what water there was pumped off the course."
Other former winners entered are three-time champion Dan Freed (1990, '93, '94) and two-time champs Todd Sapp (1989, '96) and Jim Anderson (2000, '03). Bob Brummel of Orange City, the 2001 champ, and 1999 titleist Ron Van Buskirk are also in the field.
Freed, the only person other than J.D. Anderson to win consecutive Interstate crowns, is one of three members of his family playing this weekend. Sons Adam and Nate, both recent Hinton High School graduates, are each competing.
Jim Anderson, a Sergeant Bluff resident, finished second in the Tri-State Masters last month. Ayron Corporon, who won his third straight Tri-State title, will not compete this weekend because of a prior commitment.
Donaldson has finished second to J.D. Anderson each of the last two years and is one of the leading contenders. University of Kansas golfer Nate Barbee, a former South Dakota state champion from Dakota Valley High School, is the reigning River-Cade champion.
Pat Schiltz (fourth), Adam Fields and Pat O'Brien (tie for fifth), Bill Mathers (seventh), Nick Dreckman (ninth) and Brian Schultz (10th) each finished in the top 10 in the Tri-State Masters. Schultz, a Le Mars, Iowa, resident, is a three-time River-Cade champion and lost to J.D. Anderson in the Sioux Valley Amateur Match Play final last summer.
The top third of the Interstate field automatically qualifies for the first Dakota Dunes Super Amateur Golf Championship Sept. 20-21 at Dakota Dunes Country Club.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
