IDA GROVE, IA — Approximately 300 guests from the United States and Canada were welcomed into the city of Ida Grove last week for the GOMACO Invitational #38. There were 228 participants in the two-person Putting Tournament and 280 in the four-person Scramble Tournament. The two-day GOMACO Invitational is the company’s annual golf event and was held at the Ida Grove Golf and Country Club and three surrounding courses, including Holstein, Mapleton and Odebolt.

The first day of the GOMACO Invitational was held at the Ida Grove Country Club, starting with the Putting Tournament. Teams of two putters were computer generated to participate on four different greens on the course, with the top team from each green advancing to the Putting Championship. This year’s championship team was David Barthel of Faris Machinery in Commerce City, Colorado, and Derek Dilger of Smith Paving & Excavating, Inc., in Norwalk, Ohio.

The Contractors’ Shoot-Out followed the Putting Tournament. The Shoot-Out featured six teams of GOMACO contractors competing in a five-hole competition, with the highest scoring team eliminated on each hole. This year’s Contractors’ Shoot-Out Champions were: Blake Driskell of Gerdan Slipforming, Inc., in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Tim Potts of Graham Construction, Inc., in Omaha, Nebraska, and Kris Sundell of Nevada Concrete Services in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

The second day included the Invitational Scramble best-ball tournament on the four area golf courses. Teams of four golfers played 18 holes with each course crowning a champion. The champion teams then played a three-hole scramble tournament at the Ida Grove Golf course to earn the title of GOMACO Invitational #38 “Grand” Champion. The highest scoring team was eliminated on each hole until only one remained. The “Grand” Champion team was from the Holstein golf course and included Brittany Diederich of Industrial Builders in Fargo, North Dakota, Chris Wilsey of TAB Construction Company in Omaha, Nebraska, Clayton Shively of Berry Tractor and Equipment Co., in Wichita, Kansas, and Dave Clark of Wicks Construction in Decorah, Iowa. They won the Holstein tournament with a score of 62, which was eight under par.

The Ida Grove tournament champion team members included Chris Geis of Ramco Innovations in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dane Peters of TOPCON in Livermore, California, David Barthel of Faris Machinery in Commerce City, Colorado, and Jason Gross of Deco Tool Supply in Des Moines, Iowa. They finished the Ida Grove tournament with a score of 60, which was 10 under par.

Winning the Mapleton tournament were Doug DeJong of M.I.C.I. in Shakopee, Minnesota, Larry Goodroad of Sunsource in Holt, Missouri, Mike Portzen Jr. of Portzen Construction Inc., in Dubuque, Iowa, and Tim Malloy of Northstar Power LLC in Ankeny, Iowa. They finished the Mapleton tournament with a score of 59, which was 11 under par.

The champion team from Odebolt included Blake Driskell of Gerdan Slipforming, Inc., in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Chris Kipp of Turck Inc., in Edwardsville, Kansas, Dale Knuth of Concept Sales, Inc., in Hartford, South Dakota, and Tim Potts of Graham Construction, Inc., in Omaha, Nebraska. They finished the Odebolt tournament with a score of 61, which was nine under par.

GOMACO Corporation is a concrete construction equipment manufacturer with headquarters in Ida Grove, Iowa. GOMACO equipment will slipform concrete streets and highways, airport runways, curb and gutter, sidewalks and recreational trails, safety barrier, bridge parapet and irrigation canals. Support equipment includes grade trimmers, concrete placers, concrete placer/spreaders and texturing and curing machines. The company also offers equipment to finish flat slabs, bridges and slopes. GOMACO will consult on unique concrete paving applications and equipment needs. Products are offered through a worldwide distributor network for local sales, parts and service expertise.