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| 2012 champion Brett Abbotts, Shirley Franey & Mike Franey |
He found the memorial tournament listed on the Iowa Golf Association website so he decided to sign up and make the forty minute drive from Ames to Jefferson on Sunday. With drives in excess of 300 yards Abbotts carved his way around the fairways and greens of the Raccoon Valley Golf Course just south of Jefferson to win the 2012 Bill Franey Open. The twenty five year old 6th grade special education teacher at Southeast Polk took a five shot lead into the championship nine and never looked back. He finished with a seven under par 101 total for twenty seven holes which was good enough to beat two time champion Craig Mertz by four. His individual nine hole scores were 32 - 31- 38. The 101 total was the lowest winning score since the tournament's name was changed seven years ago.
Golf is in the family for Abbotts as his dad is in the Ontario Golf Association Hall of Fame. He played his college golf for Dakota Wesleyan in White Lakes, South Dakota where he received a four year golf scholarship. When he is not in the classroom he works at Copper Creek Golf Course in Pleasant Hill. Just a week before coming to Jefferson he finished a strong fourth in the Ames City Tournament. He labeled himself a "recreational golfer." With his long drives, soft touch around the greens and solid putting stroke he is now labeled a Bill Franey Open Champion. "These greens are so smooth and putt great" Abbotts said. Two time champion Craig Mertz finished four shots back at 105 and one shot ahead of Todd Madson of Jefferson. DMACC freshman and Carroll High School graduate Tanner Ludwig finished fourth at 106. Former Jefferson resident Jeff Muench was fifth at 107, former Carroll Country Golf Professional Joe Ward was sixth at 108 followed by other championship flight qualifiers Kyler Ludwig 109 who is a member of the Grand View golf team. Eric Butenbach 110, Nico Costa 110, brothers Brad Christensen 111 and Kyle Christensen 114 and Carroll Country Golf Professional Paul Tigges with 118.
Other Carroll golfers in the tournament were first flight winner Corey Bluml who was looking to complete a grand slam on Sunday but instead missed the cut by one. Other first flight scores were Lonny Lehrkamp 74, Justin Yetmar 75, DMACC in Boone freshman Matt Gute 75. Troy Auen who was celebrating his birthday Sunday 75, Brad Hempstead 76, Collin Hackett 76, Carroll High School senior Sam Wilkie 77, former Carroll resident Nate Ward 77, Chad Kanne 77, Mike Franey 77, Steve Sinnard 77 and Pete Collison 77.
Second flight scores were Tim Gute 78, Terry "Wong" Olson 79, Steve "Cuda" Quandt 79, Tom Burns 79, Tom Duff 79, Andy Bernholtz 80, Benet Snyder 80, Matt Lujano 80, Dave Blum 80, Mark Tigges 82 and Wyatt Haukap 82.
Third flight scores were Kevin Forke 83, Carroll city councilman Tom Tait 83, Steve Auen who also was celebrating his birthday 83, John Dukes 83, Johnny Beiter 84, Kevin Milligan 84, Dave Nelson 84, Pat Macke 86, Mike McDermott 87, Brad Stork 87.
Mike Schulz won first in the fourth flight with a 87. Other fourth flight scores were Sean O'Leary 89, Frank Comito 92, Scott Tjaden 97, and Nick Bowdish 110. Defending champion Scott Quandt was not in this year’s field.
The tournament named after Bill Franey, father of Mike Franey of Carroll who passed away in May of 2006 attracted 39 of the 72 players in the field. The tournament was formerly known as the Al Hoy Memorial, where Franey served as the tournament director for 25 years. In 2006 the board of directors of the golf course renamed the tournament the Bill Franey Open.
Proceeds from the tournament support a scholarship given annually to a student training to be an electric lineman at Northwest Community College in Sheldon. Franey was a lineman for the Midland Power Coop in Jefferson for 31 years and served as line superintendent for another 10 years.
All golfers played 18 holes with the low 12 players qualifying for a final championship nine holes. Eighty golfers were in this year’s field which produced the lowest eighteen hole qualifying score in recent memory. To qualify into the championship nine players had to shoot two over par 73 or lower. Tanner Ludwig won medalist honors in the final round with a four under par 34.
Tournament organizers would like to thank all of the golfers who participated, Todd and Bret Madson for their great work on the course and in the clubhouse, tournament scorer Jan Whitver, Deanna McPherson, Marcia Ostlund, Vicki Copeland, Kris Carrick, Nancy Scheffers, Connie Semke, Sheryl Peterson, Connie Hamilton, Annie Johnston, Betty Kious and all of the women who provided the salads for making the tournament a success.
