DES MOINES — Golfers from around the world competed in the first round of the Principal Charity Classic on Friday in Des Moines, but for one competitor in the field, this tournament was close to home.
Judd Gibb — a Fort Dodge native and member of the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame — is representing Iowa at the Wakonda Club this weekend, and it took a solid performance on a familiar course for Gibb to make the cut.
He finished 6 under in the Tuesday qualifier at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames to earn a spot in the PGA Tour Champions event this weekend. Gibb knew his qualifying course well since that’s where the four-year letter-winner at Iowa State played college golf.
“It felt wonderful,” Gibb said after completing the first round. “And then to do it at Veenker, where I played college golf at, I love that golf course. Hasn’t always loved me, but on Tuesday, I did play well. So, it was certainly a great start to the week.”
This year’s event marks the first PGA Tour Champions event ever for Gibb, who shot 3-under on the back nine and finished 2 under on the first day of the Principal Charity Classic. The 54-year-old professional said that he has tried to qualify for events before, but this was the first he was able to make.
“Feels wonderful because I’ve played Wakonda many times and this course has beat me most times I’ve played,” Gibb said. “I got off to a rocky start, but I made some really solid putts, kind of hung in there.”
Regardless of how the next two days unfold on the course, Gibb knows that he’ll enjoy his time in the tournament. He and his family lived in West Des Moines for over a decade, so he has friends and family out in support.
And he’s not alone on the course. Gibb’s son, Andrew — who plays men’s basketball at Simpson College — is serving as his caddy for the three-day tournament.
“I don’t get to spend a ton of time with him, so any time is great and certainly on the golf course like this is special,” Gibb said.
A look at the top finishers after Day 1 of the Principal Charity Classic
Steve Stricker leads the pack at the end of the first day. He shot -under for a score of 64 in round one. Defending champion Jerry Kelly, Rod Pampling and Stephen Ames are all tied for second after 66s. A five-way tie between Tim Herron, Mark Hensby, Vijay Singh, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jiménez after 65s rounds out the top 10.
“After last week, I went home for a couple days, didn’t touch a…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…