GOMACO welcomed over 300 contractors, distributors, suppliers, and construction publication media personnel from across the United States and Canada to Ida Grove last week during the 26th GOMACO Invitational. The tournament included a Putting Championship and Contractors' Shoot-Out on Tuesday, September 18, and an 18-hole, four-person Scramble Tournament on Wednesday, September 19. Some 256 putters took to the greens Tuesday afternoon for the title of putting champion.

The tournament was held on four different greens at the Ida Grove Golf and Country Club and the winners from each green advanced to the finals on the #9 green to putt for the championship. This year's champions were Atlee Preheim of Berry Tractor and Equipment Company in Wichita, Kansas; and Donn Diederich of Industrial Builders in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Contractors' Shoot-Out started immediately after the Putting Tournament. Eighteen GOMACO contractors were divided into six, three-person teams in a five-hole competition, with the highest scoring team eliminated on each hole. This year's championship team included: Dave Wilke of Wilke Contracting Corporation in Kearney, Nebraska; Joe Bennedetti of Weaver-Bailey Contracting in El Paso, Arkansas; and Gary Highley of Millstone-Bangert in Saint Charles, Missouri.

Invitational activities began early on Wednesday morning with 320 golfers heading out to the courses in Ida Grove, Holstein, Mapleton and Odebolt for the 18-hole Scramble Tournament. Champion teams were crowned from each course and they then had the honor of advancing to a three-hole Grand Champion Play-Off in Ida Grove

The 2007 "Grand" Champion team was from the Odebolt course and included Steve Miller of Sunrise Fiberglass Corporation in Wyoming, Minnesota; Tom Fulkerson of Sauer-Danfoss (retired) in Excelsior, Minnesota; Dan Kenyon of CSI/Ace Roto Mold Manufacturing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Eric Kaiser of Kaiser Concrete in Faribault, Minnesota.

Finishing first in the Ida Grove tournament was the foursome of Don Weaver of Weaver-Bailey Contracting in El Paso, Arkansas; Michael Porcaro of Better Roads magazine in Des Plaines, Illinois; Ron Michael Jr. of Turner-Michaels Construction Company in Overland Park, Kansas; and Dennis Garcia of WMC Contracting Company in Trenton, Tennessee.

The champion team from Holstein included Jay Baumann of Earle M. Jorgensen in Eldridge, Iowa; Charlie Weaver of Weaver-Bailey Contracting in El Paso, Arkansas; Jill Godbersen of GOMACO; and Bob Newman of Road Machinery and Supplies Company in Des Moines, Iowa.

Taking first place in the Mapleton tournament was the team of Gary Highley of Millstone-Bangert, Inc., in Saint Charles, Missouri; Dennis Kloke of Knife River Midwest, LLC, in Decorah, Iowa; Guy Barrett of GOMACO; and Matt Burk of International Construction magazine in Oak Park, Illinois.