Mid Iowa chips their way to a Supper League Championship.......Mertz wins 3rd Bill Franey Open......Happy Birthday Troy and Hans and It's time for Hawkeye football!

The final night of Men's Supper league included the championship match between Mid Iowa against Stiff Sticks along with the annual steak night.

2014 Carroll Country Club Supper League Champions

 Mid Iowa wins the 2014 Carroll County Club Supper League in a chip off!

Bud one Jim Auen was taking on Paul Tigges. This match came down to the final hole and ended all square. A hot putter kept Tigges in the lead in the match although a missed Tigges putt for bogey on #7 let Auen tie the match up.  Their match ended up tied. Produce Tom Duff was too much for Doc Sporrer. Duff's one under 36 would prove to be crucial to the low net team.

 Frank Comito had complete control over his match with Ed "Catfish" Tomka. Mike Nelson drained a putt from off the green on #8 to stay one up on Papa Joe Pick. Nelson went on to make a tough down hill par putt on #9 to seal the victory.

 In the end the match ended in a tie. Head Golf professional Nick Schon selected a spot just over the bunker on the east side of the green for the chip off. Mid Iowa selected Tom Duff and Paul Tigges to represent the team. Stiff Sticks selected Fairway Frank Comito and Bud one Jim Auen. Paul Tigges chipped the closest which  awarded the Mid Iowa Team the Championship

Stiff Sticks finish second for the second straight year. The player contracts were signed and notarized before the team finished with the steak night meal and the same team will return next year.

A championship celebration is being planned for a later date at the Carroll Country Club.

Defending Champions Volquartsen Custom beat Carroll Cycle Center for third place. Graddy's Salsa beat Budweiser for the Runner up flight championship and Byronz Boyz won the consolation flight.

Mid Iowa also won the ladies league at the Carroll Municipal Golf Course.

A big thank you to Nick Schon, Daniel Fitzpatrick and Brian Billmeier from the golf shop and Jeremy Rierson and his staff for all of the great work this year!

The ninth annual Bill Franey Open was contested Sunday on the toasty fairways and greens of the Jefferson Golf Course. A solid field of 78 players started the day with dreams of being crowned the champion of the event named in honor of Bill Franey of Jefferson. In the end long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz found his name at the top of the leader for the third time in the nine years of the tournament. Mertz won the inaugural Bill Franey Open in 2006 and in 2009.  

Champion Craig Mertz, Mike Franey and Shirley Franey

Mertz trailed Jay Urdahl of Mason City by two at the start of the final nine. Standing on the 5th tee was the first time that Mertz thought he may have a chance to win the championship and that is all it took as the competitive juices started to flow for the former champion. As the sun set on a wonder day of golf Mertz putted out on nine with a two shot victory over Scott Quandt. Quandt is no stranger to the runner up position as he has finished second six times before breaking through and winning the event in 2011.

The Championship Flight

John Dukes, Zach Riddle and Chad Kanne

Eric Buttenbach, Nick Schon and Mike Mumma

Fellow Jefferson graduate Dean Dozier, Bill Douglass, Mike Eckerman and Tom Duff

Champion Craig Mertz, Corey Bluml, Scott Quandt and Jay Urdahl

The tournament named after Bill Franey, father of Mike Franey of Carroll who passed away in May of 2006 attracted 75 players. 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.

A big thank you goes out to all of the golfers who participated on a hot August day. Thank you to Joe and Craig Cuddy along with Susan Timmerman for all of their hard work in the club house and on the beer cart. I certainly hope that Susan was tipped well enough to get her Coach purse. A huge thank you to all of the ladies who brought the delicious salads that is such a key part of the tourney's success. Thank you Bret Madson for all of your hard work on the golf course. I have known Bret all of my life and his passion and attention to detail on this golf course is a truly amazing commitment.

Thank you to Auen Distributing, Eckerman Jewelry, Mid Iowa Insurance and Real Estate, Northwest Community College and Market on 30.  

A good picture that I had on file! 

Happy Birthday to Troy and Hans Auen! Happy anniversary to Dave and Gina Nelson. 

It is time for your Iowa Hawkeyes to take the field on Saturday against a very tough UNI team. Go Hawks! 

Thoughts and prayers go out to Phil "PAPA" Dukes on his recent foot surgery that stems from a fall in Mexico back in June at the 40th birthday celebration for his son John Dukes. 

Wellll! That is a wrap for this week around the area. Fall league starts next Tuesday and my league partner Kyle Atikinson will be in vegas checking out the odds of us winning the championship so Nick Schon will fill in for him in week one. 

Have a great week! Fairways and greens to all!

As always "This Bud's for you" and ON IOWA! 

Championship owner

Mike Franey