—Messenger photo by Eric Pratt Joe Urbanek of Tripoli watches his putt on the 18th hole at the Fort Dodge Country Club on Sunday during the final round of the Fort Dodge Amateur.

Joe Urbanek hasn’t been on the course for competitive purposes much this season, but that isn’t stopping him from making some serious waves on the Iowa amateur golf scene.

Urbanek made it 2-for-2 in 2017 events with a resounding seven-stroke victory at the 69th annual Fort Dodge Amateur on Sunday. The Hudson native and Tripoli High School coach matched the title he earned last month at the Leonard Katoski Memorial in Waterloo — the only other tournament he’s entered to date this year.

”I’m thankful my wife let me come over here and play,” smiled Urbanek, a 1998 Hudson High School graduate. ”Just getting a chance and finding the time to be (in a tourney) at my age is a bonus.”

Urbanek was joined in the winner’s circle by Joe Palmer — no stranger to the taste of FD Am success. Palmer captured his third senior crown in four years with an impressive closing 68 on Sunday at the Fort Dodge Country Club, catching and passing second-round leader Bret Taylor of Booneville by a single shot.

”I had a really solid round,” said Palmer, a 54-year-old West Des Moines resident who owns a chain of deli stores in Des Moines. ”Given the wind and the difficulty of the golf course this week, I feel very fortunate. I knew it would take something under par to catch Bret, who played really well.

”There’s something about this course that fits my eye. I’ve always enjoyed it and had some success here (Palmer has also won a state senior match play championship at the FDCC).”

Urbanek’s lead was never seriously threatened on another day that featured unseasonably-low temperatures, very little humidity and gusty northwest winds. He carded a two-over par 73, which actually wound up being the best score of the final round in the open division.

Urbanek’s five-over par 218 total was the highest for an FD Am winner since Tom Chapman Jr.’s 216 in 1974. Still, he had only three bogeys on Sunday — at 3, 12 and 16 — while registering birdies at 5 and 9.

Urbanek, who has been with the Tripoli School District for 11 years, had just one three-putt in 54 holes of action.

”(The short-game success) obviously makes a big difference,” said Urbanek, the head girls golf and boys basketball coach at Tripoli who is also a football assistant. ”This is the fourth time I’ve been over here (for the FD Am) — I’ve always had a lot of fun and the course is great. The wind made things difficult for all of us.”

James Calkins, a former Fonda resident who now teaches and coaches at North Fayette Valley, placed second at 225 after his third consecutive 75. Matthew Junge of Cedar Rapids was third (226), and Iowa Central team member Wes Buntenbach ended up fourth (227).

Palmer birdied 1, 2, 4 and 9 on his way to a front-side 32 that put the pressure on Taylor. He then registered nine consecutive pars on the back, while bogeys at 11 and 16 wound up costing Taylor in the end — even after a birdie at 18.

Palmer’s 68 on Sunday was just the third score under par in the entire three-day tournament, which spanned nearly 100 golfers and nearly 250 rounds. Palmer’s winning total also marked the first time in FD Am history that a senior entrant posted the best overall number here in a full 54-hole competition.

After Palmer’s 215 and Taylor’s 216, Gowrie’s Tom Schill and Rob Dickerman of Marion finished a distant third on the senior side at 227.

FINAL SCOREBOARD

Open Division

(Par 71-71-71–213)

1. Joe Urbanek, Tripoli, 74-71-73–218; 2. James Calkins, West Union, 75-75-75–225; 3. Matthew Junge, Cedar Rapids, 73-76-77–226; 4. Wesley Buntenbach, Klemme, 72-80-75–227; 5. Cody Holck, Ankeny, 76-78-75–229; 6. Court Bates, Ankeny, 78-78-74–230; (tie) Ethan Mechling, Des Moines, 76-76-78–230; (tie) Alex Shattuck, Sioux Falls, 74-74-82–230; 9. John Siela, Waterloo, 75-77-79–231; (tie) Kirk Macumber, Winterset, 73-77-81–231; (tie) Ryan Banwart, Ankeny, 78-70-83–231; 12. Dylan Hanson, Maple Grove, Minn., 72-76-84–232; 13. Avery Fuhs, Webster City, 73-83-77–233; 14. Robert Flattery, Fort Dodge, 79-79-76–234; 15. Trenton Sann, Clarion, 78-78-79–235; 16. Austin Morrow, Fort Dodge, 79-73-84–236.

Senior Division

(Par 71-71-71–213)

1. Joe Palmer, West Des Moines, 74-73-68–215; 2. Bret Taylor, Booneville, 72-71-73–216; 3. Rob Dickerman, Marion, 78-74-75–227; (tie) Tom Schill, Gowrie, 72-75-80–227; 5. Terry Cook, West Des Moines, 71-79-78–228; (tie) Steve Smith, Johnston, 75-71-82–228; 7. Bill Manske, Algona, 69-81-80–230; 8. Ron Peterson, Urbandale, 78-76-77–231; 9. Dave Sergeant, Fort Dodge, 75-78-79–232; (tie) Tony Malizia, Palm City, Fla., 75-78-79–232; 11. Joel Yunek, Mason City, 76-74-83–233; 12. Jim Nelson, Waterloo, 77-76-81–234.