Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Semifinalist Jay Slings of Ankeny reacts to a putt at the Fort Dodge Country Club during the IGA Senior Match Play championships. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Gene Elliott of West Des Moines successfully defended his Iowa Golf Association Senior Match Play title on Saturday at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

The 55-year-old Elliott defeated Fort Dodge’s Dave Sergeant and Tom Norton of Muscatine to repeat as champion. He birdied six of the last eight holes in the finals to oust Norton.

Elliott topped Sergeant, 6 and 5, for his fourth consecutive win in the event before the 15th hole at the FDCC. He trailed Norton after four holes, 2 down, before a birdie binge of four in a row started at the par-5 7th.

Elliott had earned the No. 2 overall seed with a 68 in the stroke play qualifying round on Thursday. Sergeant was seeded third after a two-under 69 on Thursday.

Elliott has already had a productive spring. He teamed with Mike McCoy to take the Iowa Four-Ball last weekend, and also won the Trans-Mississippi Senior Amateur tournament in Indian Wells, Calif. on May 25.

Last year, Elliott topped Rob Christensen at the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City for the IGA Senior Match Play crown. He is also the two-time defending Iowa Senior Amateur champ, and in 2015, he was named the IGA’s senior player of the year.

Edwin Evans of Ankeny earned the presidents bracket with a victory over Davenport’s John Brooke.