The Iowa Masters is one of Iowa’s most coveted amateur golfing tournaments. The competition has been a force in the state since its inception in 1938, with past winners including former Iowa State golfers. That list of ISU champions grew larger Sunday as Matt Gatchel won the 63rd edition of this championship.

Gatchel, a junior from Huxley, used two consecutive rounds of 64 (8-under par) to lap the field at the Ames course. His final score of 198 (18-under par) was a three-day record for the course.

Tess Balsley, Veenker’s clubhouse manager, said Gatchel’s feat is one that is fairly rare.

“It speaks more to his talent,” she said. “Anyone can have a good day, but he had two great days back-to-back. You don’t see that too often.”

John Nervig, one of the tournament’s current co-chairman, was also impressed by how well the current ISU golfer handled the course and the competition.

“To beat some of the finest players in the state by 13 shots is quite a feat,” he said.

The cardinal and gold athlete joins a list of golfers who won the event while still eligible to compete as a Cyclone. Jason Knutzon and Don Teeter were two of the most recent champions who won as Iowa State students.

“I think it means more to the university family to have one of your own win this tournament,” said Balsley.

Nervig, a former Iowa State graduate, noted the importance of having a Masters champion come from neighboring Huxley.

“It just makes it a little more special,” he said. “To have (a winner) coming from this close makes it feel special.”

Gatchel also set a record for margin of victory, winning by 13 shots over Drake golfer Derek Butts.

Both records replaced ones set by Dana Kain, whose 203 score gave him a 12-stroke victory in 1987.

The Iowa Masters is one of several events on the amateur tour circuit that annually roam the state.

The tour sets up events based on a points system, with points being awarded to the top players for each competition. At the end of the season, the point totals from each event are compiled to determine the best amateur golfer in the state.

The amount of points available to the winning golfers varies per event.

Balsley said the Iowa Masters is one that participants see as a major event toward winning the Iowa Amateur of the Year award.

Harry Burrell, a former sports information director for Iowa State, said this event and course were established under former ISU athletic director George Veenker.

“He wanted this as a course that was a test for the best golfers in the state,” Burrell said. “You had to be [a] winner at one of the other tournament in the state to qualify for the tournament.”

Burrell ran the tournament for more than forty years and said an ISU student had very little chance to win this event in its infant years due to the difficulty of the course.

For the past 13 years, Nervig and George Turner have continued carrying the tradition of the tournament.

Along with his win last weekend, Gatchel has tied for 12th at Fort Dodge and shared sixth place in Ottumwa this year.

Through six events this season, Gatchel sits in third place with 580 points.

He will have a chance to improve on those standings as the circuit moves to Waterloo for the Iowa Open beginning Friday.