Author: Taylor Albritton

Misemer Defends, | Cooper Wins First Title

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After two exciting days of golf at Swope Memorial Golf Course, The Kansas City Junior Championship ended with impressive scores from our juniors. In the Boys Division, Davis Cooper held the overnight lead and did not look back, firing a final round 70 en route to finishing 8-under for 36 holes and winning the Boys Division by 5 shots. When asked about his performance, Davis discussed his hot start in the first round and his solid play across the entire Championship: “I played well in basically every part of the game this week. Yesterday, I started hot and made some putts and carried that over into today where I was making more mid-range putts… it made it feel pretty easy for the most part.”

In a tie for second place in the Boys Division, Chance Rinkol and Ryan Lee had a solid two-day total of 3-under par. Chance fired a final round 70 and Ryan shot a final round 71.

In the Girls Division, Julia Misemer put on quite the show and successfully defended her title, as she won this event in 2019 and is now a back-to-back champion with winning the 2020 Championship. She also held an overnight lead and increased it as the day went on. Julia shot a final round 69, which put her at 5-under par for the Championship, a whole 13 shots ahead of second place. When highlighting key points in her tournament, she went back to her mindset as the first round began: “I three-putted the first two holes in the first round, so I was kind of down but then thought ‘let’s just come back and have a good round’ and then I ended up coming back… my putting kind of saved me in the end.”

In a tie for second place, Faith Hedges and Audrey Rischer had a two-day total of 8-over par, where they both improved on their first-round scores, shooting 74 and 75 in the final round, respectively.

To view final results from the 2020 Kansas City Junior Championship, click here: https://centrallinksgolf.org/competitions/2020-junior-golf-schedule/kc-junior-championship/

Day One Recap

On a warm summer day at Swope Memorial Golf Course, day 1 of the Kansas City Junior Championship provided some great scores from the boys and girls competing. The highlights from round one in the Boys division include a 6-under round of 66 fired by Davis Cooper that began with 4 birdies on his first 4 holes. Davis leads by 3 shots heading into round 2 over Ian McCrary, who fired a 3-under par round of 69 that started strong with a front-nine score of 32. In third, just behind Ian McCrary is Ryan Lee, who also had a fast start to his round after firing a front-nine score of 31 en route to a 2-under par round of 70.

In the Girls division, the round of the day went to Julia Misemer, who carded a 2-under round of 70 that included 6 birdies. Julia leads by 6 shots heading into round 2 over Maggie King, who shot a 4-over round of 76 that included 3 birdies. In third, just behind Maggie King is Audrey Rischer, who shot a 5-over round of 77.

Tomorrow is the final round of the Kansas City Junior Championship at Swope Memorial Golf Course, where we expect more great golf to come.

You can find pairings and results for the Kansas City Junior Championship here: https://centrallinksgolf.org/competitions/2020-junior-golf-schedule/kc-junior-championship/

Pictures from KC Junior Championship: https://kansasgolf.zenfolio.com/p643024375

Meet the Interns

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Nelson Searcy

Nelson is one of two long-term interns for Central Links. Originally from Lee’s Summit, MO, Nelson graduated from Rockhurst University this spring.

Nelson was a member of the Rockhurst men’s golf team and is very active in the golf community. According to Nelson, his favorite golf course is Pebble Beach.

His dream job is becoming an Executive Director or President of a state golf association or working for the USGA. Golf has impacted him by providing him many life lessons and opportunities that have helped him become a better person in every way. He credits the First Tee program and playing with his grandfather for his interest in the game at an early age.

Ryan Matzke

Ryan is our second long-term intern for 2020. Originally from Silver Lake, KS, Ryan graduated from the University of Kansas.

Ryan is currently in the National Guard and his dream job is a commercial airline pilot.

He found his love for golf while playing high school golf. Ever since then, he has used golf as his favorite hobby. This intern opportunity allows him to dive deeper into golf administration. His favorite golf course is Spring Creek in Seneca, KS.

Dorothy Keenan

Dorothy is a summer intern and recently graduated from Rockhurst University this spring. Originally from Larned, KS, Dorothy will actually head to Texas A&M in the fall for a Masters in Sport Management.

Dorothy was a part of the Rockhurst women’s golf team and didn’t realize how important golf was to her until she couldn’t play anymore this spring with her team. She has made so many connections through the game and is so thankful for all the places golf has taken her.

Her favorite golf course is St. Andrew’s and her dream job is a marketing and community relations coordinator.

Max Roberts

Max is a summer intern that is currently attending the University of Kansas. Originally from Overland Park, KS, Max is scheduled to graduate in 2021.

Golf has impacted him by teaching life lessons than any other sport. It has taught him that patience and practice are essential to achieving a goal. It has also connected him to many people and started friendships.

Max’s favorite golf course is Brookridge Golf & Fitness and his dream job is to be the General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Lauren Sieh

Lauren is another summer intern and is currently attending Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. She is a member of the women’s golf team.

Originally from Coweta, Oklahoma, Lauren found herself in Kansas for college. Her favorite golf course is Battle Creek GC in Broken Arrow, OK. Her dream job is to be a travel journalist.

Golf has opened up a lot of opportunities for Lauren and has given her life-long friends. It has also taught her that you can succeed with a little hard work.

Braydun Unruh

Braydun is our fourth summer intern and has a lot of family ties to our junior program in Kansas City. His two younger brothers, Keenan and Colby, have been long-time members of the KC Junior Tour.

Braydun is currently attending Calvary University and grew up in Overland Park, KS. His favorite golf course is Shadow Glen Golf Club.

Golf has been a great way to spend time with the people he loves, including his brothers and Grandfather. It has also taught him patience and perserverance. Braydon’s dream job is to be an equipment manager for the Kansas City Chiefs.

COVID-19 Update 05.07

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Update on Suspension of Competitions – May 7th, 2020

At this time, the leadership of Central Links Golf has decided to extend the suspension of events through May 31st.

The following events are affected by the change:

  • Senior Series at Sand Creek Station – May 20
  • Senior Series at Salina Country Club – May 21
  • Stateline Tour at Lionsgate – May 26

While the state of Kansas has begun the process of reopening and golf courses have continued to operate, we did not feel that it was appropriate to host these events in May. The health of our players, volunteers, staff, host facility staffs and host communities is our top priority.

We fully intend to resume competition on June 1st and will take all necessary precautions to ensure safety.

We will release another update by Friday, May 22nd.

In the meantime, we encourage you to get out and enjoy the game safely. Your local golf course and golf shops need your support through this time.

Thank you,

Doug Habel
Executive Director
Central Links Golf

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To see our previous statement, click here.

To view PDF version of this release, click here.

Support Youth on Course on #GivingTuesday

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#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of generosity and unity, a day to come together and give back in response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19, no matter who or where we are.

GivingTuesday will start on Tuesday, May 5th to bring together the community and inspire millions of people worldwide to volunteer, perform acts of kindness, and donate their voices, time, money and goods. On the last GivingTuesday, December 3, 2019, the global giving day generated $2 billion on giving, just in the United States.

This campaign is taking place from its regular scheduled annual event on December 3rd as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

Central Links Golf urges golf lovers and supporters to take this opportunity to give to our local golf programs such as Youth on Course – a great junior golf program designed to allow kids to play at participating golf courses for $5.

You can support Youth on Course in Kansas City by donating to the Golf Foundation of KC here. You can also donate via check.

During a time where everyone is affected and experiencing effects from this global pandemic, we can use this opportunity to remain connected through generosity.

For more information on the #GivingTuesday campaign, please see here.

New Watson Challenge Dates Announced

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2020 Watson Challenge Rescheduled Amid Coronavirus Concerns

LENEXA, Kansas, April 3, 2020 – The 2020 Watson Challenge, originally scheduled to be played at The National Golf Club of Kansas City on May 29-31, has been rescheduled following its postponement last week due to coronavirus concerns. The 2020 Watson Challenge will now be played at The National on August 4-6.

Last week’s postponement marked the first time since the tournaments’s inception in 2007 the event has had to be postponed. The only other interruptions of the tournament occurred when two final rounds were canceled due to weather, including last year’s tournament at Nicklaus Club at Lionsgate.

“This was a very difficult decision, but we felt with the current, ongoing health crisis, it was not in the best interest of the players, club, staff and volunteers to continue with the event in May,” said Tournament Director Doug Habel in regards to the difficult decision to postpone.

The date change may not be the extent of changes for the event this year. Amid the ever-changing times we now face, other alterations might be made to the event which will be announced at a later date.

“The Watson Challenge is one of the premier golf events in the Kansas City area, and it’s our intention to explore all possible options to still play the event this year in a safe way for all involved,” Doug Habel informed.

The public will be informed as more details and information become available in the coming weeks. We understand the rescheduling could cause conflicts for players, and we hope everyone can understand the predicament we are facing. Monitoring of the health crisis will continue on in to the future.

Click here to view the 2020 Watson Points List.

For any questions regarding the Watson Challenge, please reach out to Doug Habel at doug@clgolf.org. We appreciate your patience and support during this time.

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Coronavirus Press Release

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March 20, 2020 

Central Links Golf Community –  

At this time, the Board of Directors and staff for Central Links Golf have decided to suspend competitive golf activity though May 17th. 

This includes the following events: 

  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Crestview (North) – April 13 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Crestview (South) – April 14 
  • Stateline Amateur Tour at Milburn – April 20 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Ironhorse – April 29 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Mission Hills – April 30 
  • Kansas Women’s Spring Triple Threat at Rolling Hills – May 4
  • Kansas Mid-Am Team & Senior Team Championships at Falcon Lakes – May 4-5 
  • Watson Challenge Qualifying at Stone Canyon – May 5 
  • Kanza Players Cup at Flint Hills National – May 11-13 
  • The Kansas Cup 
  • The Kansas City Cup 

The Kansas City Match Play Championship has been rescheduled for September 25-27 at Swope Memorial. We will make every effort to reschedule the remainder of the affected events. 

If you are currently registered for any of these events, please do not log in and withdraw. We will reach out with options to transfer your entry to another event or get a refund. 

It is with the health and safety of our players, volunteers and staff that we reluctantly make this decision. We will reevaluate in late-April to determine whether additional suspensions are necessary. 

In the meantime, we hope that you are getting out and supporting your golf facilities during these tough times. Here are some ways to keep yourself safe, while still enjoying the game: 

  • Stay at least 6-feet away from your playing partners
  • Walk and carry your own clubs, rather than ride 
  • If you must ride, sanitize the cart often 
  • Avoid touching the flagstick, bunker rakes, etc… 
  • Eliminate handshakes, high-fives and hugs 

Central Links Golf staff is still working (mostly from home), so please let us know if you have any questions or if we could help. 

Thank you for your support and patience, 

Doug Habel 

Executive Director 

Central Links Golf