Indiana Golf Association, Indianapolis, IN (August 15) —
The IGA Senior and Super Senior Amateur Championship brought two scorching days of competition to Old Oakland Golf Club in Indianapolis on August 14–15, as Indiana’s best senior and super senior golfers battled the heat and each other for the title.
Senior Amateur Championship
After the opening round, Michael Williams sat atop the leaderboard, setting himself up to tee off in the final pairing with Dave Turpin, Matt Schmidt, and Sterling Thompson. But Friday’s second round didn’t start the way Williams had hoped. He opened with three bogeys and a double bogey across his first five holes, quickly giving ground to the chasing field.
“A lot of nerves at play,” Williams said. “Did not sleep real well last night. I woke up about three o’clock and just laid there. Golf is very, very hard those first six or seven holes, and I threw away a lot of shots. But thankfully, something clicked on that seventh hole. I made a putt and kind of got out of the woods into the more open area where I feel a little bit more comfortable.”
Williams turned the momentum around with a birdie on 7, followed by a clutch eagle on the par-5 ninth, then three more birdies on the back nine to reclaim control and eventually secure a three-shot victory at Old Oakland.
“I hit a great shot on number nine to make eagle, and then just kind of got my wits about me,” he said. “Took it one shot at a time and made some putts.”
Despite the rocky start, Williams kept his composure—mentally resetting mid-round and staying focused as competitors like Chuck Starcevich began to close in.
“There was a time on the sixth tee box where I was about to say, ‘Screw it,’ pull out the driver and try to make something happen,” he said. “But I stopped myself, hit my 4-iron, just played the hole, and everything started to go from there.”
Williams admitted he usually avoids checking the leaderboard, but curiosity got the best of him after the early stumbles.
“I saw I was only one or two shots back, so I told myself, ‘Just calm down.’”
Starcevich, who started the day several shots back after an opening-round 74, rallied to finish runner-up. Bob Jacobs placed third at +1, while Dave Turpin and Jack Tancel also stayed in the mix throughout the championship.
For Williams, this was a meaningful victory—his first IGA stroke play title.
“I’ve won the Match Play a couple of times, which is a great honor,” he said. “But to win a state event that says ‘Amateur’ on it—it feels really good.”
Super Senior Amateur Championship
In the Super Senior Division, the championship turned into a tight battle between Steve Sterrett and Terry Warner. Sterrett entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, but the front nine quickly became a turning point.
The two traded shots early, staying close until the par-5 sixth hole, where Starrett carded a costly double bogey seven. Despite fighting to recover, he couldn’t quite regain momentum.
Warner, meanwhile, stuck to his game plan.
“I just did what I was doing. I played well yesterday. I didn’t make many putts either day, but I hit it really good, and I never got in trouble,” Warner said.
After opening with a bogey on the first hole, Warner bounced back with a birdie and played consistent golf the rest of the day.
“Today I really hit the ball well. I think I hit every fairway and most of the greens,” he added. “I just kept going, kept trudging along, and saw what would happen.”
While Warner said he didn’t know where he stood throughout the round — and preferred it that way — he was aware Starrett had been playing well.
“You gotta hit the shots in front of you and see what happens. Somebody behind you could be playing good, and what are you gonna do? Just play what’s in front of you.”
In the end, Warner’s steady play secured the win at 2-under-par for the tournament, claiming the Super Senior Amateur title by two strokes.
“It means the world,” Warner said of the victory. “Any Indiana Golf event means the world. I love Indiana. I love the way they run the tournaments. It’s just a great event with great people. I can’t say anything bad about it. It’s always an honor to win one of these.”