Coloradan Steve Ivan, fellow CGA champion John Hornbeck see their runs end in round of 32 at U.S. Senior Amateur
By Gary Baines – 8/29/2023
Steve Ivan of Colorado Springs and John Hornbeck, a Wyoming State Golf Association Hall of Famer who regularly competes in CGA senior championships, faced each other in the finals of the 2018 CGA Senior Match Play and have each won one title in that event.
So they’re no strangers to success in the match-play format. And on Tuesday, perhaps appropriately, their strong runs at the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur ended within hours of one another at Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif.
Ivan, a two-time CGA Senior Player of the Year, bowed out in the round of 32, 5 and 3, to 19th-seeded Jody Fanagan of Ireland. Shortly before, Hornbeck exited in the 20th hole of his round-of-32 matchup with fifth-seeded Roger Newsom of Virginia Beach, Va.
Fanagan won thee of the first four holes against Ivan — two with birdies — but on Monday Ivan had shown resiliency when he came from 2 down with two holes left to prevail in 19 holes in his round-of-64 match. This time, however, while Ivan cliimbed back to 1 down by making birdies on 5 and 6, there was no victory at the end of the day. Fanagan won 7 with a birdie and 9 with a par and Ivan couldn’t rally again.
The former University of Colorado golfer finished 3 over par for 15 holes.
Hornbeck, a one-time quarterfinalist in the U.S. Senior Am, led for much of the back nine against Newsom, but only by a 1-up margin. In fact, he was 1 up through 17 holes. But Newsom won 18 with a birdie to force extra holes, and after both players bogeyed the 19th, Newsom carded another birdie on the 20th, this time for the victory.
Hornbeck ended up 1 over par for 20 holes.
How the players with strong Colorado ties fared at the U.S. Senior Amateur in Truckee, Calif.:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32 TUESDAY
Jody Fanagan, Ireland, def. Steve Ivan, Colorado Springs, 5 and 3
Roger Newsom, Virginia Beach, Va., def. CGA champion John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo., 20 holes
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 MONDAY
Steve Ivan, Colorado Springs, def. Brad Wayment, Mesa, Ariz., 19 holes
Greg Sanders, Anchorage, Alaska, def. Jon Lindstrom, Denver, 3 and 2
CGA champion John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo., def. Michael Zoerhoff, Caledonia, Mich., 6 and 5
STROKE PLAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Advance to Match Play
22. Jon Lindstrom, Denver 76-74–150
33. CGA champion John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo., 73-78–151
46. Steve Ivan, CO Springs 75-78–153
Failed to Make Match Play
David Nelson, Littleton 75-82–157
Victor Minovich, Thornton 75-83–158
For all the results of the U.S. Senior Amateur, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com