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Marion, IL - The Final Round of the 100th SIGA Championship took place at Kokopelli Golf Club, beginning at 7:30am. There are five divisions in this year’s championship, which is marking an incredible milestone in history. The divisions are Men (Championship), Women, Junior, Senior, and Super Senior. The women are playing for the Women’s SIGA Trophy, the juniors are playing for the B.W. Bruce Trophy, the seniors are playing for the William A. Mertz Trophy, and the men are playing for the Pursie E. Pipes Trophy. Weather for the Final Round began with overcast skies and warm temperatures. Coming into the Final Round, Michael Brees led the junior division, Greg Stewart led the super senior division, Isa Flores led the women’s division, Mike O’Neill led the senior division, and Ryan Williams and Hunter Ficken were tied at the top of the men’s division. 
 

The junior division took off first again in Round 2. Starting the day at three-over (+3) par, Michael Brees of the SIGA eClub had a four shot lead over his competitors. Brees knew he would need another good round to stay on top. It was a battle all the way around and Brees’ lead began to dwindle. Landon Travelstead of the SIGA eClub pushed to close in on the gap and managed to do so. Travelstead found himself on top at one point in the day. Brees and Travelstead found themselves in a tie at the top coming into the final hole of the day at thirteen-over par. With a par on the eighteenth for both, Brees and Travelstead were headed into a playoff. Going back to the tee on Hole 18, the playoff began with the pair staying neck-and-neck all the way to the green. Both looking at a putt for par again, Brees successfully sank his putt. Travelstead’s putt lipped out, leaving him as the runner-up. Michael Brees is the 2024 SIGA Championship Junior Champion at thirteen-over (+13) par plus a playoff hole. Ryder Eigenrauch of the Gateway PGA Junior Golf Club would place third and Carver Hall of the SIGA eClub would place fourth. 

 

The super senior division was the next to compete. Greg Stewart of Carmi Country Club had a one shot lead coming into the day and worked hard to keep it. Trying to minimize the mistakes, Stewart carded a nine-over (+9) par, 80, for the day. This was enough to hold off his competitors. Greg Stewart is the Super Senior SIGA Champion at twenty-one-over (+21) par. James Dagley of the SIGA eClub fought hard but would end the championship at twenty-three-over (+23) par and as the runner-up.

 

The women’s division was the third to finish their competition. Isa Flores of Old Hickory Golf Club had a seven-stroke lead coming into the Final Round. Flores maintained her lead throughout the day, returning a second round seven-over (+7) par. This brought her to thirteen-over (+13) par and makes Isa Flores the Women’s SIGA Champion. Zoey Danner of the SIGA eClub shot twenty-four-over (+24) par to be the runner-up. Frankie Nicholes of the USGA/MetAmateur GC came in third and Giorgia Thoms of the SIGA eClub came in fourth. 

 

The senior division finished their rounds just before 2:00pm. Mike O’Neill of the Metropolitan eClub started the day with a one-stroke lead. Tom Portner of Green Hills Golf Club was right behind and ready to put the pressure on O’Neill. Portner found a lead over O’Neill during the round, but coming into the final hole, the two were tied. Both players made par to finish thirty-six holes at five-over (+5) par. Portner and O’Neill went on to a play-off on Hole 1. A missed par putt for O’Neill and a made par putt for Portner saw Portner win the hole. O’Neill would be the runner-up and Portner became the Senior SIGA Champion at five-over (+5) par and one play-off hole. 

 

The men were the final division to go off. As players made the turn and made their way around the back nine, we saw players move around the leaderboard. At the start of the round, Ryan Williams of the SIGA eClub and Hunter Ficken of Far Oaks Golf Club were tied at the top at one-under (-1) par. Ficken and Williams were unable to keep their lead as others made runs for the top. Luke Lasley of Union County Country Club came in with the low round of the day. Lasley shot a bogey-free 64, seven-under (-7) par. Combined with his first round, Lasley moved into the lead and would stay there to be the 100th SIGA Champion at three-under (-3) par. Carsen Silliman of Dalhousie Golf Club made a run for it today as well, carding a four-under par to get to even (E) par and be the runner-up. Williams fell to one-over (+1) par today and would finish in third. River Stilley shot under par today to finish in solo fourth at three-over (+3) par. Ficken also fell today to finish in a tie for fifth at four-over (+4) par with Aaron Jones of the SIGA eClub.

 

After 100 years of competition in Southern Illinois, we have crowned Luke Lasley as the 100th SIGA Champion. Michael Brees is the junior champion, Isa Flores is the women’s champion, Tom Portner is the senior champion, and Greg Stewart is the super senior champion.

Final Results
100 Years of Champions