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All 50 States Join USNDP State Junior Team Program

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Expansion of state junior team program establishes player-development pathway nationwide for elite junior golfers

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Oct. 13, 2026) – The United States National Development Program (USNDP) today announced that all 50 states have joined the USNDP State Junior Team Program, establishing a nationwide player-development pathway for elite junior golfers well ahead of schedule.

The milestone comes three years after the State Junior Team Program launched with seven pilot states in 2024. Created to expand, strengthen and diversify the pipeline of junior golfers ages 13-18, the program provides athletes with development, competition and talent-identification opportunities within their home states.

In February, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Charities committed $1.5 million over three years to support the expansion of the State Junior Team component of the USNDP, helping accelerate the growth of the program.

“This is a significant moment for the U.S. National Development Program and for junior golf in this country,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, managing director, U.S. National Development Program. “When we launched the State Junior Team Program, the vision was to create meaningful development opportunities for young athletes across the country. Having all 50 states committed to the program brings that vision to life and gives us the foundation for a truly national pathway. Most importantly, it will allow more young golfers to access the resources, coaching and competitive opportunities that can help them reach their full potential.”

The State Junior Team Program began with California (Southern), Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio and Tennessee. The initial goal was establishing teams in all 50 states by 2033.

Nine states joined the program in 2025: Idaho, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin and California (Northern).

The program grew to 30 states following the announcement of 14 additional participating states in 2026. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, South Dakota, Texas and Washington and will name their inaugural teams by the end of this year.

With the remaining 20 states now committed to join in 2027 and identify teams by the end of next year, the program has reached nationwide participation five years ahead of the USGA’s original 2033 goal.

Kansas is launching a state junior team that will expand the pipeline for elite local golfers as part of the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP), an initiative launched in 2023 by the United States Golf Association (USGA) to create critical development, competitive and talent identification opportunities for golfers ages 13-18. Team Kansas USNDP Information

“The state of Kansas has produced some great juniors over the last several years. Having a Kansas team to foster even more competition and improvement will help to allow Kansas juniors to compete with the best players in the country. I’m excited to see what the development team can do for young men and women in our state” said Doug Habel, Executive Director of Central Links Golf.

“It has been incredibly gratifying to see the vision for the USNDP State Junior Team Program come to life, and having all 50 states on board is an amazing milestone,” said Scott Nye, director of golf at Merion Golf Club and captain for Team Pennsylvania. “In our first season with Team Pennsylvania, I saw firsthand the pride our players took in representing their state, supporting one another and building friendships that go well beyond the golf course. The support we received from clubs and so many people throughout the state made the experience even more special. Having worked in golf in Pennsylvania since 1990, seeing our team walk onto some great courses with Team Pennsylvania bags and uniforms filled me with tremendous pride and excitement for what the future of this program can become.”

State Junior Teams are established through collaboration among the USGA, Allied Golf Associations (AGAs), PGA of America Sections and relevant state junior golf programs. State committees oversee team selection criteria and program operations based on guidelines provided by the USGA.

“Our Allied Golf Associations and PGA of America Sections have been instrumental in bringing this program to life,” said Daly-Donofrio. “They understand their junior golf communities better than anyone, and their commitment has helped us create a pathway that can identify and support talented athletes across the entire country. Reaching all 50 states is an exciting milestone and opportunity to strengthen these programs and help more juniors pursue their goals in the game.”

To be state junior team eligible, a player must be a U.S. citizen, cannot be enrolled in college, must be 13 years old by Jan. 1 and not reach his/her 19th birthday by July 15 of the year in which they would compete on a State Junior Team.

“My experience with Team Southern California was incredibly valuable,” said Jaden Soong, former Team Southern California athlete now in his first year on the U.S. National Junior Team. “It’s an outstanding program. The resources and opportunities that we had really helped me improve my game on and off the course. Making the jump from the State Junior Team to the National Junior Team is something I worked hard toward. It’s great to see that the work you put in pays off, and it motivates me to keep improving and make the most of this opportunity.”

Announced in 2023, the USNDP is designed to ensure that American golf is the global leader in the game by focusing on six key pillars: talent identification, access to competition, national teams, athlete resources, player development and relations, and financial support.

The USNDP is supported by founding partners Ally Financial and Sentry Insurance as well as philanthropic giving to fulfil the USGA’s commitment to providing pathways to elite levels of the game, regardless of financial situations.

ABOUT USNDP

The mission of the U.S. National Development Program is to foster future generations of American golf talent. The USNDP, developed and managed by the USGA, provides a pathway to success in golf by delivering competitive opportunities, support and training that develops American golf talent and mitigates financial burdens. With our key strategic partners, host venues and champions, we provide education, experiences and mentorship that help athletes achieve success at each level. We are committed to fostering a positive and healthy pathway for American golfers to follow their dreams and reach the pinnacle of the sport.

Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame to Induct Four

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The votes are in and the electors have spoken. The Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame will induct four new members on October 27th.

This year’s honorees include two accomplished amateurs, one long-time golf professional and an innovator in club making.

Leading the Class of 2026 is Jeff Burey. After serving as head professional at the prestigious Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, Burey moved to Wolf Creek Golf Links as Head Professional and General Manager. He stayed there for more than 26 years before moving on to become General Manager at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS.

His involvement in junior golfer development includes establishment of the KAW Valley Junior Golf Foundation, The First Tee, SNAG (Starting New At Golf), Wee Links and he is Currently Director of Golf in Schools programs for the Midwest Section PGA.

Ron Brewer is an 18-time champion in state tournaments who also qualified for twelve USGA championships. At the 1997 US Senior Open he not only made the cut, he finished as the third-low amateur. He has played in four consecutive US Senior Amateurs, the British Seniors Open Amateur and represented Kansas at the USGA State Team Championship in 1997 and 1999. He was named Kansas Player of the Decade for the 1990’s.

Pioneer custom club maker Kenneth Smith revolutionized the club making business with his personalized fitting chart which streamlined the ordering process long before there was an internet. He held over 25 patents for such mainstays as the swing weight scale, and the perforated leather grip.

Smith’s legacy lives on through the Kenneth L. and Eva S. Smith Foundation which recognizes the top male and female high school golfers each year. The foundation also supports area causes like the First Tee and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

Completing this year’s class is WW II Veteran, Missouri Amateur Champion and two-time Heart of America Champion, Bob Willits. Even after suffering life threatening injuries in an auto accident in 1951, Willits won numerous championships including the Kansas City Senior, the Broadmoor (CO) World Seniors, the Missouri Senior and runner-up in the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am with his godson, Tom Watson.

Willits served on numerous Boards, was President of the KCGA, the MGA, the Trans-Miss and the World Seniors Golf Association and served as Treasurer of the USGA in 1989.

Induction ceremonies will be held on October 27, 2026, at Blue Hills Country Club. Festivities are scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM.

The public is invited to attend. Reservations can be made by contacting Doug Habel at Central Links Golf 913-649-5242 or email at doug@clgolf.org.

2027 Prairie Invitational to be held at The Club at Porto Cima

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Central Links Golf, in partnership with the Missouri Golf Association, is excited to announce that the 2027 Prairie Invitational will be held at The Club at Porto Cima in Sunrise Beach, Missouri, July 19-21.

Set against the scenic backdrop of the Lake of the Ozarks, Porto Cima will provide a premier championship setting for one of the region’s top female amateur golf events. The 2027 Prairie Invitational will continue to bring together talented players from across the region for three days of competitive golf and an unforgettable experience.

More details, including registration information and additional event announcements, will be released in the coming months.

The Topeka Country Club – History in the Capital City

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The Topeka Country Club, located in Topeka, KS, hosts a vast amount of history since opening in 1905. Most recently hosting the 2026 Kansas Senior Amateur, 2024 Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship, and 2022 Kansas Women’s Amateur, TCC has hosted countless other state Am’s, exhibitions, and city championships.

Home to Washburn University golf, and a young Topekan and major champion, Gary Woodland, TCC history runs deep with high level amateur & professional golf.

On May 1, 1967, Jack Nicklaus made an appearance in the capital city, and hosted an exhibition in front of about 2,500 spectators with a young up & comer from Kansas City, Tom Watson. Along with Watson and Nicklaus, Topeka native and 1964 US Pub Links champion, Bill McDonald, and 1965 US Women’s Amateur champion, Jean Ashley, rounded out the foursome in entertaining fashion.

When asked about the experience more than 50 years later, Watson would go on to say “playing that exhibition with Jack was one of the beginnings of my dream of becoming a professional golfer, right here at Topeka Country Club.”

For over a century, TCC has provided the state of Kansas with a significant amount of golf history. Let’s hope the next 100 years will be just as abundant!

Click HERE to view the full post 

History Made at the Kansas Women’s and Men’s Amateur Championships

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Meg Tilma added another chapter to one of Kansas golf’s most accomplished family stories this week, claiming the 2026 Kansas Women’s Amateur Championship at Wichita Country Club. The victory not only marked a milestone in Tilma’s career, but also cemented the Tilma family’s place in Kansas golf history.

For the Tilma family, however, the triumph represents far more than another trophy. Meg follows in the footsteps of her mother, Cathy (Stevens) Tilma, four-time champion of the Kansas Women’s Amateur, and older sister, Kate Tilma, who captured the Kansas Women’s Amateur title in 2020 while simultaneously winning the Kansas Junior Amateur that same summer. Kate’s victory established the family among Kansas golf’s elite, and Meg’s championship now strengthens that legacy for another generation.

Additionally, Cathy’s brother, Charlie Stevens, won the Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship in 2010. Cathy and Charlie’s father, Johnny Stevens, won the Amateur in 1960 and 1961. Johnny’s brother, Jack Stevens, won the Amateur in 1974. And to cap it off, Charlie’s son, Sam Stevens, won the Amateur in 2015.

In summary, the Stevens/Tilma golf history runs deep. Will we ever see another dynasty like this one?

At just 15 years old, Kaden Leivian has etched his name into Kansas golf history. The Wichita native captured the 2026 Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship at Mission Hills Country Club, becoming the youngest champion ever to win one of the state’s most prestigious titles. Leivian’s remarkable run through the bracket capped off a week that showcased both his immense talent and composure beyond his years.

Leivian’s triumph is a testament to the bright future of golf in Kansas. Competing against the state’s top amateur players, the Bishop Carroll standout displayed the confidence, patience, and shot-making ability of a seasoned veteran while still only entering his sophomore year of high school.

As the newest name engraved on the Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship trophy, Kaden Leivian has already secured his place in state golf history. At just 15 years old, however, his record-setting victory at Mission Hills may only be the beginning of what appears to be an extraordinary career.

The Passing of a Legend

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Kansas golf lost a legend this week with the passing of Natasha Matson Fife.

Five-time winner of the Kansas Women’s Amateur, seven-time winner of the Wichita city championship and three-time Broadmoor (Colorado) Invitational champion, Fife took a self-imposed ten-year hiatus to raise her daughters, then returned to competitive golf and captured seven Kansas Women’s Senior Championships.

The daughter of four-time Kansas Amateur champion George Matson (1932, ’33, ’36 and ’37), Natasha was recognized as an “up and comer” by the USGA and, as a fourteen-year-old, was offered a special invitation (along with fellow Kansas legend Judy Bell) into the 1950 US Women’s Open at Rolling Hills.

It was during that tournament that thirteen women, including Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson and Marilyn Smith came together to form the LPGA. And young Natasha was there to witness it.

She also played in five USGA Women’s Amateurs, making the quarter finals in 1960 (Tulsa). That year the USGA had her ranked among the Top- 10 amateurs in the country in both the Women’s and Senior Women’s categories.

Fife began teaching Physical Education at Wichita State in 1959 and, a decade later, was instrumental in creating a separate women’s athletic program, ushering in the “varsity era” of women’s sports at WSU. In 1974 she was named the school’s first Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics. After Title IX was established and the Men’s and Women’s programs were merged, she served as Associate Athletic Director until 1984. She retired from WSU with “Emeritus” status in 1998.

Fife was inducted into three Halls of Fame: the Kansas Golf Foundation Hall of Fame (1993), The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (2006) and the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame (2018). In 2023 she became the first woman to be included in the Hall of Legends in conjunction with the Legends of Kansas Championship.

Central Links Golf extends our condolences to Natasha’s family and legions of her friends throughout the state of Kansas. She made a difference.

Feature Course – Sand Creek Station

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Sand Creek Station, host of the 2014 USGA Public Links Championship, and the 3rd U.S. Adaptive Open, is no stranger to hosting high level championships. Located about 30 minutes North of Wichita on I-135, this south central plains gem is accessible from all parts of the state of Kansas.

2026 celebrates Sand Creek Station’s 20th anniversary. Course architect, Jeff Brauer, added several classic hole templates into this track.

The long Par-5 fourth hole incorporates a classic Biarritz style green complex early in the round. Typically running the length of the green (and usually on a par 3, though not always), this unique green complex instead incorporates a Biarritz in the width of the green on a par 5.

Hole 10 is a beast, measuring 640 yards from the back tee pad, and typically plays into a prevailing south wind with penalty areas on the left and right side of the hole. It’s rumored that if you make birdie, you walk away with a tee shirt.

The 13th hole features another classic template – Redan. Redan’s traditionally range 180-230 yards that typically incorporate a 45-degree right to left oriented green, with a bunker down the left. The original Redan is featured on the 15th hole at North Berwick in Scotland.

Spectacle Glasses feature two bunkers in the middle of the fairway that resemble a pair of eye glasses, as seen on the Par-4 15th.

Maybe the most famous Road Hole in golf comes at the 17th hole at St. Andrews. The 16th hole at Sand Creek Station is just that. This hole features a pot bunker short, a shallow, but wide green, and Out-of-Bounds directly behind the green. Great scores can be made on the Par-5 16th, but so can big numbers.

Sand Creek Station is a fun course, and hosts The Railer – Kansas Stroke Play Championship annually. If you’re in the Wichita/Newton area, make a stop. This is a course you need to play.

Click HERE to view additional photos of Sand Creek Station. 

Wheeler and Koontz Capture Kansas Junior Amateur Titles at Smoky Hill Country Club

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The future of Kansas golf was on full display at Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays as Ben Wheeler and Naomi Koontz claimed the 2026 Kansas Junior Amateur Championships.

Wheeler battled challenging conditions throughout the 54-hole championship and emerged victorious in the boys division with rounds of 76-66-70 to finish at 1-under par, securing the Kansas Junior Amateur title and earning a coveted spot in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, PA, July 20-25.

In the girls division, Koontz showcased remarkable consistency and resilience, posting rounds of 76-68-76 for a three-round total of 220 (+4). Her victory earned her the Kansas Girls Junior Amateur title and a berth in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship, taking place at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, NC, July 13-18.

The championship brought together many of the state’s top junior golfers, and both champions demonstrated the talent, determination, and sportsmanship that define the next generation of Kansas golf. Congratulations to Ben Wheeler and Naomi Koontz on their outstanding performances and well-deserved victories at Smoky Hill Country Club.

Introducing – Feature Course #1

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We’re really fortunate here in the Midwest. Some of the most aesthetically beautiful golf courses are right in our backyard — and even better, many of them are accessible to the public.

This May, Central Links Golf is starting a new segment. Each month, we’ll feature a course in our region that we think our members would enjoy. But it’s not just our opinion — we want to hear YOUR thoughts on where we should go next.

Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas, is accessible from all parts of the state and open to the public. Located approximately 20 miles north of Topeka on Highway 75, this Potawatomi Prairie Band course can play as long as 7,500 yards from the championship tees or as short as 4,500 yards from the forward tees. The natural bentgrass, scenic fairways, and greens framed by fescue rough will test the ability of any golfer.

Which golf course should we feature next?

The Final Edition: 2027 Watson Challenge

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After two decades of unforgettable moments and a lasting impact on junior golf in Kansas City, the Watson Challenge will come to a close in 2027.

Since its inception in 2007, the Watson Challenge has raised more than $600,000 in support of the First Tee of Greater Kansas City, leaving a lasting impact on junior golf in our community. In 2027, this cherished championship will celebrate the 20th and final playing as players and fans gather one last time at Milburn Country Club, June 22–24, 2027.

“The Watson Challenge has had a great run over the last 20 years as the premier event in Kansas City for Professionals and Amateurs. Unfortunately, it’s time for that run to come to a close. I’m looking forward to a great event at Shoal Creek this year, and what should be a special finale at Milburn in 2027.” – Doug Habel, Executive Director of Central Links Golf.

Join us for the final chapter of this incredible event as we honor its legacy, celebrate its champions, and continue supporting the next generation through the game of golf.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the 2026 or 2027 Watson Challenge, please reach out to Rob Hughey – rob@clgolf.org