WATERLOO - If course knowledge is truly a key asset for golfers, consider amateur Troy Hoffman the Donald Trump of this week's Waterloo Open tournament field.

The 19-year-old Northern Iowa sophomore-to-be has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Irv Warren Memorial Golf course. So much so, in fact, that the clubhouse employee notched a 28 on the back nine there late last month, ending his round within a stroke of the course record of 59.

This Sunday, Hoffman, a former Cedar Falls star, hopes to overwhelm Irv Warren again, during the final round of Iowa's largest golf event. Action gets under way for the tournament's amateur field at 7 a.m. Friday at both South Hills and Gates Park.

A host of amateurs have designs on taking home hardware, yet Hoffman might have the inside angle. He has honed his game all summer.

And, as a result, his short game appears especially precise.

"I feel like whenever I get inside 100 yards I give myself a good chance of making birdie," said Hoffman, who registered a stroke average of 76 last fall for UNI. "I've been putting pretty well, and my wedge game has been really good lately.

"I just need to not let a couple bad swings hurt me too much. Because I know if I get it going, I can make a bunch of birdies."

Given the talent that permeates this year's 276-player Open amateur field, Hoffman will need to be especially unflappable. This year, the Waterloo Open is back to being a points event for the Iowa Golf Association's Player of the Award, a fact that has attracted an overflow field from all corners of the state.

Recent Iowa Masters winner Dan Holterhaus, a University of Iowa senior from Cedar Rapids, is slated to play in Waterloo this week.

So is Nathan Leary, a recent Waterloo West state title-winner and future Iowa State Cyclone. Former Katoski Memorial winner Scott Morgensen also seems primed to make a run toward the top of the leaderboard.

And, though last year's amateur champ, Jamie Frazier, won't compete this week, past winners like Matt Lowe (2005) and K.C. Doland (2000) have their eyes on the prize.

It should be a fierce fight to the finish.

"The putts are key, (and) keeping it in the fairway," noted Doland, 34, who once went 34 holes without a bogey in the Open earlier this decade. "It takes a lot to win it in the end."

"It's all about attitude. You've just got to roll with the punches," said recent UNI grad and Waterloo native Derek Bohlen, who has finished third in the Waterloo Open twice, most recently in 2005.

The most intriguing fight-within-a-fight among the amateurs might be the battle for bragging rights between the entire team of UNI Panthers.

"It's really good," noted 13th-year UNI coach John Bermel, "because they're competing against each other. And we've got all these kids from Iowa, Iowa State and Drake in there, and that helps us see how we stack up.

"And it helps me with recruiting," the coach added, "because there's an awful lot of yellow (golf) bags out there - Northern Iowa bags."

"It puts a smile on your face," Bohlen laughed, "to know that there's a lot of Panthers out there growling to get the lead."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

FRIDAY AMATEUR TEE TIMES

At South Hills

(South Hills G.C. Friday, Gates Park G.C. Saturday)

7 a.m. - Brook Maher, Billy Kammeyer, Steve Kammeyer, Bill Merritt

7:10 a.m. - Paul Wurtz, Josh Schmidt, Jason Bienemann, Craig Swenson

7:20 a.m. - Mason Linn, Chris Wagner, James Miller, Matt Hill

7:30 a.m. - David Wield, Aaron Strike, Eric Trees, Chris James

7:40 a.m. - Elliot Rutt, Rob Rutt, Brandon Hartzell, A.J. Olson

7:50 a.m. - Nathan Steege, John Tyler, Matt Sargent, Adam Stout

8 a.m. - Nick McDermott, Jack Griffin, Jonathan Tink, Jacob O'Connor

8:10 a.m. - Brian Schall, John Danielson, Eric Anfinson, Jake Weeber

8:20 a.m. - Dan Swomley, Alex Hopson, Keith Jungen, Tim Kopriva

8:30 a.m. - Andy Hoffman, Troy Hoffman, Dan Hensing, Ryan Ratchford

8:40 a.m. - Mark Mershon, Scott Olson, Mike Davies, Chris Western

8:50 a.m. - Jeff Ott, Brian Ott, Ryan Ott, Derek Ott

9 a.m. - Cedric Bertin, Ben Powers, Jonathon Thompson, Greg Larson

9:10 a.m. - Peter Dugan, Paul Weber, Brian Harmon, Cory Haberstitch

9:20 a.m. - Jordan Molstead, Mike Molstead, Jim Scheppele, Josh Black

9:30 a.m. - Chris Leiser, Ben Hanson, Tim Fereday, Nick Heiar

9:40 a.m. - Terry Duffy, Frank Schmidt, Dexter Wilson, Chuck Symonds

9:50 a.m. - Mike Coughlin, Dennis Hunt, Brian Coughlin, Matt Arenholz

10 a.m. - Matt Dray, Nick Chardoulias, Robert Reitz, Dan Noughton

10:10 a.m. - Tim Ward, Jim Johnson, Ben Peterson, Dan Winters

10:20 a.m. - Ben Juffer, Owen Teeling, Brad Shatek, Craig Kobliska

10:30 a.m. - Joseph Leiser, Charlie Jenkins, Mike Weeber, Mike Peterson

10:40 a.m. - Tim O'Brien, Terry Turner, Jim Turner, Joe Priebe

10:50 a.m. - Tom Busch, Marty Chute, Chris Garrett, Randy Dray

11 a.m. - Tim Felland, Kevin Wilson, Cody Flatt, Andy Sirois

11:10 a.m. - Todd Mavis, Scott Metcalf, Chris Streff, Brent Quade

11:20 a.m. - Robert Miller, Brendon Kane, Alex Mutschler, Stuart Nelson

11:30 a.m. - Reid Turner, Justin Knock, Adam Fox, Dan Mulligan

11:40 a.m. - Jim Campbell, Mike Duea, Jim Wynn, Mike Lawrence

11:50 a.m. - J.R. Donlea, Jason Donlea, Ryan Ruffcorn, Tommy Miller

Noon - Derek Bohlen, Kyle Bermel, Tyler Johnson, Dustin Wells

12:10 p.m. - Evan Benson, Jon Gibbs, Jacob Bedard, Brent Messmore

12:20 p.m. - Drew Oetting, Jordan Conrad, Chris Reck, Tim Stebral

12:30 p.m. - Justin Schute, Jason Klein, Dennis Cordle, Robert Cordle

At Gates Park

7 a.m. - TBA

7:10 a.m. - Matt Fuelling, Matt Lowe, Derrick Henry, Jon Spooner

7:20 a.m. - Dan Holmes, Justin Weber, Jordan Weber, Jeff Pietan

7:30 a.m. - Mike Lamb, Dave Ramirez, K.C. Doland, Niel Doak

7:40 a.m. - Tim Van Wyngarden, Todd Van Wyngarden, Jeff Kiewiet, David Akers

7:50 a.m. - Eric Schaefer, John Schaefer, Jeff Fritz, Adam Schaefer

8 a.m. - David Benzon, Mike Kraft, Brad Squires, David Santman

8:10 a.m. - Duane Gritton, Jeremy James, Mike McKeon, Collin McKeon

8:20 a.m. - Dana Deines, Jesse Truax, Andy Wass, Eric Sipple

8:30 a.m. - Dale Halverson, Joe Engelkes, Bill Fratzke, John Boggan

8:40 a.m. - Derek Hileman, Ken Smith, Luke Carson, Jay Becker

8:50 a.m. - Craig Arthur, Matt Thomas, Jason Cashman, Tim Brenden

9 a.m. - Travis Kress, Andy Thomas, Braden Gaal, Jacob Thomas

9:10 a.m. - J.D. Schlotterback, George Gartelos, Nate Dunn, Sam Aossey

9:20 a.m. - Jeff Burkgren, Matt Willer, Jason Waters, Brant Fox

9:30 a.m. - Dave Athey, Mike Athey, Tom Staack, Stacey Rockwell

9:40 a.m. - Blake Hibben, Scott Morgensen, Scott Johnson, Joe Urbanek

9:50 a.m. - Eric Cannon, Larry Cannon, Tom Christensen, Mark Werstein

10 a.m. - Chuck Carda, Gay Strunk, Jim Plumb, Justin Northrop

10:10 a.m. - Brent Estlund, Bryant Estlund, Chris Freiberg, Joel Bruner

10:20 a.m. - Dan Bergeson, Troy Bergeson, Jess Pekerak, Ryan Rasmussen

10:30 a.m. - Jay Hickman, Ryan Winchester, Chris Bushbaum, Brett DeNeve

10:40 a.m. - Joe Paxson, Tom Przybylski, Chad Schuchmann, Kevin Hinz

10:50 a.m. - Donnie Eicher, Daniel Holterhaus, Todd Larson, Sam Christensen

11 a.m. - Tony Calahan, Marc Calahan, Stephen Lukas, Ben Jordan

11:10 a.m. - Cole Peevler, Nathan Summers, Michael McCunniff, Ryan Swenson

11:20 a.m. - Scott Sadler, Brock Worley, Jason Clark, Bryce Dengler

11:30 a.m. - Patrick Connell, Sam Voigt, Brad Loughren, John Locher

11:40 a.m. - Dan Kluck, Brad McCunniff, John Michel, Matt Taylor

11:50 a.m. - Erik Feldick, Steve Nelson, Brian Nelson, Chad Brandhorst

Noon - B.J. Meaney, Tony Meyer, Brian Beckman, Travis Fell

12:10 p.m. - Steve Ferguson, Tim Gillen, Chris Buhr, Jordan Woodbury

12:20 p.m. - Josh Worley, Nathan Leary, Andrew Young, Ross McLaughlin

12:30 p.m. - Chad Wauters, Jeff Gudenkauf, Chris Mudd, Cam Schultz

12:40 p.m. - Kurt Krull, Doug Olds, Kim Foss, Tim Hackenmiller