Iowa 4A golf championships set tee off at Briarwood

The state's top high school golfers will compete for gold in 36-hole event

Briarwood Golf Club will be the site of the 2024 IHSAA 4A state golf championships, Oct. 14-15. / IHSAA

Briarwood Golf Club in Ankeny, Iowa will be the site of the Class 4A boys state golf championships, as the best of the best battle it out over two days and 36 holes.

While it has been nearly a perfect fall in terms of weather, the conditions for Monday and Tuesday are expected good - albeit a little bit chilly. Sunny skies are predicted both days with highs in the low 60s and upper 50s.

Twelve teams qualified along with eight other individuals. Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial, Cedar Falls, West Des Moines Dowling, Indianola, Johnston, North Scott, Pleasant Valley, Cedar Rapids Prairie, West Des Moines Valley, Dubuque Wahlert and Waukee will battle it out for team gold after placing in the Top-3 at districts.

The eight individual qualifiers - Jack White from Sioux City Heelan, Emery Crawford of Iowa City West, Christian Cloyd from Linn-Mar, Ty Faltys of Marshalltown, Grady Sigrist of Norwalk, Blake Harsma of Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Ty Potter from Southeast Polk and Brock Wilson of Western Dubuque - all placed in the Top-2 at districts.

Cedar Rapids Prairie sophomore Henry Sobaski has the low 18-hole round of the year, shooting a 59. He has an average of 74. Both Braeden Nelson of Valley and Andrew Johannsen of Johnston have 18-hole averages under 70, with both checking in at 69.

Some others who have fired low 18-hole rounds this year include Potter, Cade Sunde of Valley, Jonathan Ward from Waukee, Carter Ginger of Sioux City East, Kolby Stanton of Johnston and Henry Thier of Dubuque Wahlert.

Nelson finished second last year at state by a single shot, as Johnston’s Owen Howe took home top honors. Howe, along with four others from the Top-8 have graduated. His teammates, Sunde and Aidan McGreen, tied for ninth as Valley took home top honors over Johnston, Southeast Polk and Dubuque Wahlert.

The rest of the state golf championships will take place in the spring. This marks the final year for the split season for boys, as beginning in 2025, all four classifications will golf in the fall. Girls golf will remain in the spring moving forward.