But the composure and calm with which the first-round leader played all weekend long meant he was hardly troubled in his march to his first win at the event, beating out 2018 champion Cole Davis by six shots on a tricky day of golf at Elmwood Country Club.

Leading by four heading into Sunday’s action after a 5-under-par round of 65 at the American Legion Memorial Golf Course, Carlson’s round got off to an inauspicious start with a bogey. Combined with a Davis birdie, the lead went from four strokes to two in a matter of minutes. With four-time champion Sam Zoske in the final group as well and trying to win his fifth title before moving to Solon, the pressure could have easily gotten to Carlson.

But the next hole, he made a winding downhill birdie putt to get back to 5-under and push his lead back to three. He would not have a competitor get closer to him all day.

“It was hard, really hard,” Carlson said. “Firm greens, windy, it was tough, but I had a lot of fun.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Rob Christensen (senior division), Tate Carlson (open) and Pete Kelly (super senior) pose with their trophies following Sunday’s final round of the Times-Republican City Golf Championship at Elmwood Country Club. Women’s division champion Amber Henson, who claimed her third-straight title, left before the trophy presentation to play in the 2020 Iowa Junior Open at Blue Top Ridge in Riverside.

Consistent pars on holes three through seven kept his lead stable. On the eighth hole, Carlson made a birdie putt from the back fringe while Davis and Zoske made bogeys. Zoske said it could have been a turning point in the round — but instead, it was Carlson taking further control of the lead. A front nine 1-under 34 left him with a seven-stroke advantage and nine holes to play.

He held up on a difficult day of play at Elmwood, as winds and tough pin placements conspired with a broken irrigation system to create a fast, firm course that didn’t encourage low scores. Rob Christensen, a three-time champion of the open division and 2018 super senior division champion, said the firm fairways and greens meant going low was not really an option

Christensen tied Zoske for third place and took home the senior championship as a result. Having entered the open division wanting to prove himself against the younger players in the competition, he said getting a top-five finish was a big success for him.

“It’s a challenge, and that’s what I look for anymore is a challenge,” Christensen said of the competition from younger players. “I knew I wasn’t gonna catch Tate, but I wanted to get as close as I could to him, and I accomplished that. Course was really tough today.”

Christensen tied for the best round of the day with a second-straight 2-over 72.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Elmwood Club pro Jay Giannetto, left, and Mike Casey, center, presented Deb Johnson, widow of the late Jerry Johnson, and their daughters Kate Davis and Erin Johnson a pictured signed by each entrant of the 33rd annual Times-Republican City Golf Championship. Johnson, the former Elmwood Club pro who passed away July 17, helped the City tournament grow and evolve into its current 36-hole, two-day format that involves both Elmwood and the American Legion Memorial Golf Course.

In the open division, Carlson again started with a sputter on the back nine, bogeying 10 and 11. But still with a six-shot lead, he canned a downhill putt for birdie that could have gone off the green if it missed the hole. But, like many other putts for Carlson, it went in, and he restored a seven-shot advantage

A bogey on the par-five 13th hole, coupled with a Davis birdie and Zoske eagle, shrunk his lead down to four shots. On 14, Zoske and Carlson hit their approach shots into the water short of the green. From the drop zone, Carlson made a bogey five, matching Davis’ score on the hole and besting a triple-bogey seven from the four-time champ. Zoske followed up with a birdie on 15 and finished in the top-five for the 10th-straight year

Carlson continued to cruise with routine pars on 15, 16 and 17. He three-putted the 18th and final hole for a bogey, but it did no damage. Carlson was the champion, having tied the best round of the day with a 2-over 72 and managing the pressure in style.

“I thought it was just a lot of fun playing with those guys,” Carlson said.

OTHER DIVISIONS

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Amber Henson tries to coax her par putt into the cup on the 16th green during Sunday’s final round of the Times-Republican City Golf Championship. Henson won her third-straight title, matching Terri Craft for the most women’s division victories.

The super senior division went down to the wire, as a par on the final hole secured a victory for Pete Kelly with a score of 76-77–153. Kelly started the day four shots behind the leader Tom Fleming but fought his way back with an eagle on hole 13

“I played just terrible on the front,” Kelly said. “It was close down the stretch and the last hole I scrambled for par and [Fleming] made bogey.”

The women’s division was won handily by Marshalltown High School junior-to-be Amber Henson — her third-straight victory in the competition, tying Terri Craft (2001-03) for the most wins in the division

With scores of 80-82–162, Henson won by a comprehensive margin of 62 strokes. Henson was not able to have a spring golf season with the Bobcats due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has been competing in Iowa PGA Junior Tour events over the summer

Henson had to make a 3 p.m. tee time at Blue Top Ridge in Riverside later Sunday for the first round of the Iowa Junior Open, so she wasn’t around for the awards ceremony to collect her trophy.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

33rd annual Times-Republican City Golf Championship

Sunday

At Elmwood Country Club, par 70

Ladies Division

1. Amber Henson 80 82 162

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

2. Mackenzie Fahrni 101 123 224

3. Liz Stewart 119 132 251

WD. Jackie Zimmerman WD

Open Division

Championship Flight

1. Tate Carlson 65 72 137

2. Cole Davis 69 74 143

3. Rob Christensen 72 72 144

4. Sam Zoske 70 74 144

5. Chad Plaehn 70 80 150

6. Troy Underhill 77 79 156

7. Joe Schmit 76 83 159

8. Keygan Hansen 70 89 159

9. Dave Mattox 77 83 160

10. Pat Ryan 74 88 162

11. Mel Koch 77 87 164

12. Riley Wirth 77 87 164

13. Grant Greazel 77 87 164

14. Connor Beaty 74 92 166

15. Jeff Miller 74 95 169

16. Zach Underhill 76 96 172

17. Darin Shipley 77 95 172

DNF. Red Van Cleave 76-NS–DNF

First Flight

1. Sam Weatherman 82 82 164

2. Curt Hoff 78 87 165

3. Todd Bolar 81 84 165

4. Paul Collins 81 86 167

5. Then Baccam 78 89 167

6. Tyler Peschong 82 85 167

7. Mark Wolken 78 91 169

8. James Christensen 80 89 169

9. Mark Finch 82 88 170

10. Owen Chaloupek 81 90 171

11. Greg Van Cleave 79 92 171

12. Donny Weeks 78 96 174

13. John Haney 81 94 175

14. Aidda Phomvisay 81 97 178

15. Steve Knutson 82 97 179

16. Bryan Herschberger 82 97 179

17. Ron Davis 81 100 181

18. Henry Keen 82 100 182

19. Dao Sorlaesith 79 104 183

20. Grant Smith 82 102 184

21. Joel Chandler 78 111 189

Second Flight

1. Ron Mitchell 84 84 168

2. David Baccam 84 87 171

3. Brayden Fahrni 86 85 171

4. Aaron Fleming 87 85 172

5. Tim Bell 87 87 174

6. Darren Barre 87 88 175

7. David Eichhorn 83 92 175

8. Theron Schutte 86 94 180

9. Brian Kadner 84 97 181

10. Bernie Johnston 86 95 181

11. Matt Hannam 87 96 183

12. Bret Ferneau 84 101 185

13. Kenneth Logsdon 83 105 188

14. Kreighton Miller 87 102 189

15. Trent Potter 85 104 189

16. Ray Halverson 87 104 191

DNF. Jerry Summers 86-NS–DNF

Third Flight

1. Michael Peschong 88 83 171

2. Steve Ruddick 89 82 171

3. Don Rhodes 88 95 183

4. Kamrin Chizek 96 91 187

5. Tyler Stahlin 92 99 191

6. Chuck Misek 89 103 192

7. Brian Wilkie 99 94 193

8. Justin Sorenson 94 100 194

9. Steve Dunham 100 94 194

10. Rob Weatherly 91 104 195

11. John Peart 88 108 196

12. Kim Zesch 94 108 202

13. Joe Hannam 93 109 202

14. Christopher Paul 98 104 202

15. Dylan Frye 100 106 206

16. Kenny Weeks 104 109 213

17. John Casey 99 119 218

18. Jim Kelehan 106 118 224

DNF. Will Shipley 102-NS–DNF

Super Senior Division

1. Pete Kelly 76 77 153

2. Tom Fleming 72 82 154

3. Mike Anderson 82 81 163

4. Ken Severson 83 86 169

5. David Mitchell 77 94 171

6. Dennis Olson 80 92 172

7. Jim Carlson 81 91 172

8. Gerald Hamilton 85 94 179

9. Doug Weatherman 91 88 179

10. Dean Vaughn 89 93 182

11. Greg Holder 94 96 190

12. Bill Wilson 95 97 192

13. Wayne Becker 103 116 219

DNF. Mike Ward 81-NS–DNF

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