Owen Sawyer wins Waukon Golf & Country Club’s Men’s 2023 Invitational Tournament in historic fashion, tops his multi-year tournament-winning father, Mike, by five strokes
Family affair has championship heir ... The foursome pictured above represents three generations of the Wayne and Nona Sawyer family of Waukon that played in the 2023 Waukon Golf & Country Club Men’s Invitational July 29-30, in addition to the top two finishers at this year’s event. Pictured, left to right, are Mike Sawyer and his son, Owen Sawyer; their father and grandfather, Wayne Sawyer; and Wayne Sawyer’s oldest son, Scott Sawyer. In his first time playing in the tournament and the first time this family foursome has played together in the annual event, Owen Sawyer topped the entire tournament field with some record-setting rounds that ended up at 124 strokes, five strokes ahead of the runner-up finish of his father, Mike, who has been a multiple-year winner of the tournament. Submitted photo.
Those involved with the 2023 Waukon Men’s Invitational Golf Tournament held July 29-30 at the Waukon Golf & Country Club say this year’s tournament will be one of the most memorable for a number of reasons. Several feats of notoriety made this year’s tournament stand out, including some scoring records, a couple hole-in-one feats and a new generation being adding to the championship plaque.
Owen Sawyer, a graduate of Cedar Falls High School this past spring who was playing in the event for the first time, won the tournament by shooting a 65 in Round 1 and following that tally with what is believed to be a tournament record 59 in Round 2. His back 9 score of 28 is believed to have tied a course record as well.
Fresh off winning the amateur title at the Waterloo Open the weekend before, the young Sawyer’s 16-under-par total of 124 strokes put him five strokes ahead of this year’s runner-up finisher - his very proud father, Mike Sawyer. Mike Sawyer, himself, is a multi-year champion of the Waukon Men’s Invitational.
Playing in the same foursome as his grandson, Owen, and his two sons, Mike and Scott Sawyer, Wayne Sawyer of Waukon shot scores equal to or lower than his age for the fourth consecutive year of the tournament. He carded rounds of 86 and 84 strokes to finish fourth in Flight 3 of the tournament.
Two golfers achieved a feat that few golfers ever do. Jeremie Knutson scored a hole-in-one on hole number 9 and Mike Drew recorded a hole-in-one on hole number 2.
The final foursome of the tournament, made up of Greg, Ben, Bill and Nolan Waldron, played their last two holes of the tournament in the dark. They used glow balls with cart headlights showing the way.
For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition by clicking here.
