Jason Knutzon is chomping at the bit to begin his senior year of golf at Iowa State, and he is taking it out on the Iowa Amateur Tours. The senior has already claimed the Iowa Masters and Fort Dodge amateur championships.

“This is my last year as an amateur, so I couldn’t be happier with my performance so far this summer,” Knutzon said. “I’ve set up home base here in Ames which has helped me in reaching some of the goals I had this summer.”

The goals were to win two meets on this summer’s tour and to be named the Iowa Golf Association player of the year.

The two wins under his belt with the Northwest Amateur in Spencer coming up, which he won two years ago and finished runner-up last year, he has the inside track of doing so.

Knutzon redshirted last season after being named a first-team all-Big 12 selection during his junior campaign. He missed playing in the NCAA meet by just one stroke.

“I was disappointed with the way I was playing early because I wasn’t hitting the ball well,” Knutzon said. “Redshirting was tough after having such a good junior. I wanted to improve and get better, but I think I actually got worse.

“I missed the competition and I really felt rusty and it was hard to get back into playing shape.”

“It took me about three weeks to get things clicking. I improved a lot mentally. I started hitting and putting better, which obviously got me playing better,” the communication studies major added.

Knutzon came to ISU after graduating from Eagle Grove, where he had a 37.1 scoring average. He came to Iowa from Virginia to live with his grandmother when his father, who is in the Air Force, moved overseas. Knutzon placed third in the Virginia state meet as a junior.

Since becoming a Cyclone, Knutzon produced the single best season in school history. He led the team with a 72.6 stroke average, two shots ahead of the previous single season mark.

Knutzon had six top-five finishes, winning the Red Raider and Drake Invitational. His six-under-par 67 at Drake also tied a school record. He also had the lowest team stroke average as a sophomore and the second lowest as a freshman.

Knutzon’s immediate goal this summer is to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship in August.

He will be going up against approximately 30 competitors for just one spot at Wakonda Golf Course in Des Moines for the right to advance to the U.S. After he finishes his career at ISU, Knutzon plans on going professional.

“I need to get some sponsors and I’ll probably move down south and take a shot at qualifying school,” Knutzon said. “If that doesn’t work out, there are some smaller tours for me to play on while I keep building my game. I feel that I have to try. I’ve come too far in golf to just quit.”