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Kansas Defeats Nebraska 10.5 to 5.5 in KS-NE Junior Cup

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The 2020 KS-NE Junior Cup took place at the one and only Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas and it was one for the books. After losing in 2018 and tying in 2019, Team Kansas was victorious and able to bring the trophy back home.

The Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup Matches pit the top eight male juniors from Kansas against the same from Nebraska in Ryder Cup-style matches, with history dating back to 1986. The competition begins with Foursomes and Four-Ball matches and concludes with eight Singles matches. Each match is worth one point. The 2020 team consists of Lucas Scheufler, Blake Saffell, Cooper Schultz, Davis Cooper, Will Harding, Calvin Dillon, Ian McCrary, and Caleb Kimmel.

Team Kansas got off to a great start in the morning foursome matches on Wednesday. Lucas Scheufler and Blake Saffell took the first foursomes match 3 & 2 and Ian McCrary and Caleb Kimmel took the second match 4 & 2. Will Harding and Calvin Dillon were close behind with their own victory of 2 & 1. The final foursomes match went to 18 and after a bogey by Team Kansas, the match was tied and each team received a half a point. Kansas was leading 3.5 to .5 after the morning session.

In the afternoon four-ball matches, Kansas and Nebraska split 2 and 2. Scheufler/Saffell continued their momentum with another 3 and 2 win. McCrary/Kimmel also claimed another point for Kansas with a 2 and 1 victory. Schultz/Cooper fell in a close match 2 & 1 and Harding/Dillon fought through a toss 3 & 2 loss. Those two points were big in carrying team momentum and adding to the team total heading in to singles Thursday morning. Kansas led 5.5 to 2.5.

In morning singles, Kansas needed only 3 points to clinch the Cup. Schuefler got Kansas off to a quick start with a 6 & 5 victory in the first match of the day. Cooper Schultz added another point to Team Kansas with his 3 & 2 win. Sitting at 7.5 points, Kansas just needed one more match to clinch.

Nebraska tallied a point after Saffell lost a hard fought match 2 & 1. Davis Cooper ended his match on 15 green, not only winning his match 4 & 3 but clinching the victory for Team Kansas. The remaining singles matches continued on, and Kansas ultimately won two more matches from Kimmel and Harding, ending with a total of 10.5 points.

It was a great two days at Prairie Dunes Country Club and it was a great display of golf by our eight players. They played like a team and it was fun to watch. Congratulations to our five seniors on the team and good luck to them as they move on to college in a couple weeks.

We look forward to heading out to Nebraska in 2021 to defend!

Results >>

Photo Album >>

Horseman Eagles 2nd Playoff Hole to Win KC Amateur

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It took extra holes, but Lucas Horseman, Missouri Western State golfer, captured his first KC Amateur victory with an eagle on #18. After 36 holes, Horseman was tied with Ross Steelman, University of Missouri redshirt-sophomore, at a two-day total of 137 (-7). Both players birdied the first playoff hole and re-teed on #18. Horseman made a ten footer for Eagle and it was up to Steelman to make his putt to extend. Steelman fought hard and barely missed his eagle putt to keep the playoff going.

Both players shot 67-70 for their 137 total. Horseman had 14 birdies over his two rounds and despite a few hiccups, seemed calm and collected while on the golf course. Steelman had 9 birdies and one eagle during competition and showed some grit under pressure during the playoff.

The 2020 Kansas City Amateur Championship had to be shortened to 36 holes after Friday’s round was cancelled due to rain and course conditions. Despite the shortened event, the KC Amateur featured some great golf and familiar names.

Kit Grove finished solo third at 141 (-3) and Kansas Amateur Champion Park Ulrich finished in fourth place at 142 (-2).

In our Players division, another playoff occurred to determine our champion. Matt Foster and Nathan Deadmond both finished at 155 (+11) and headed out to #1 tee to begin their playoff. With a birdie on the first, Deadmond claimed his first Player’s title. Gary Gatten and Brian Moeller finished tied for Players Net Champion at 146 (+2).

Our Senior Champion is no stranger to the winner’s circle for Central Links Golf events. Steve Groom shot one-under, 71, for his second round to come from behind and take the title, finishing at 147 (+3). Groom had five birdies over his two rounds of competition, four of them coming on Sunday to help him take the victory. Dave Cunningham and Kevin Rome tied for second at 148 (+4).

Our Legends Champion is none other than Don Kuehn. Kuehn bested the field by two strokes, finishing at 149 (+5). His competition rounds were highlight by six total birdies. Bob Bezek finished in second place with a 151. Jim Moore captured the Legends Net Champion title after his 74-72 rounds to total 146.

Congratulations to all of our winners this weekend and thank you to Creekmoor for continuing to host this event for us. We will see everyone next year at Shoal Creek Golf Course.

Full Results Here >>

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Day One Recap

Missouri Western State golfer Lucas Horseman and University of Missouri redshirt-sophomore Ross Steelman are tied for the lead after the first round of the Kansas City Amateur after carding five-under, 67. Horseman had eight birdies on the day, four on each nine. Steelman carded six birdies on his round and a single bogey. Four of the size birdies came on the back nine, including one on the Par-5th, 18th hole.

Kansas Amateur Champion, Park Ulrich, sits in solo third after carding a four-under round of 68. Ulrich’s round was highlighted by a double eagle on the Par-5, 9th hole and an eagle on Hole 16. Ulrich also carded a birdie on the Par-4, 2nd hole.  

Alex Downing sits in solo fourth heading in to the final round of competition. Downing finished his round at three-under, 69, with six birdies on the day.

In the Senior division, Dave Cunningham leads the competition after an even-par round of 72 with three birdies. Kevin Rome and Brett Allen sit at solo second and third place. Rome shot a one-over, 73, and Allen followed closely behind with a 74.

Don Kuehn leads the Legends division with a two-over round of 74. Bryan Meyer and Nathan Deadmond are tied for the lead in the Players division after rounds of 77.

The Kansas City Amateur Championship continues tomorrow morning with the final round of competition. The event has been shortened to 36 holes after a rain-out on Friday occurred. Final results will be concluded based on total scores after tomorrow’s round. No cut has been made for this year’s competition.

See full results and pairings >>

Stous Wins Prairie Invitational

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The weather couldn’t stop Rachel Stous from winning The Prairie Invitational on Wednesday.

Rachel Stous, Topeka, was crowned as the 2020 Prairie Invitational Champion. She found herself coming from behind going into today’s round after an uncharacteristic 77 during round one.

The 2019 Player of the Year, opened her round with back-to-back birdies on holes one and two followed by two more birdies on the front nine. As she made the turn, Stous bogeyed hole 11 and followed up with birdies on 13 and 15. On the 17th hole, play was suspended due to weather; the rain delay did not slow her down. Once she was back on the course, Stous held a three-shot lead going into her last hole. Despite a bogey on the 18th hole, she finished her round three-under-par and won by two shots over Audrey Judd.

Judd had three consistent rounds shooting 75-75-73. As a member at Shadow Glen Golf Club, she certainly knew how to play the course. She made an impressive birdie on hole 18 today to finish in second place.

Megan Lucas also made a run for the title during her round. Lucas, a member of the Wichita State Women’s Golf Team, shot even-par today. Lucas shared third place with Katy Winters. Winters, a former golfer at The University of Kansas, also shot even par today. On her back nine, she made three birdies in a row on holes 15, 16, and 17.

Round two leader, Madison Slayton, finished tied for fifth with Gianna Augustine.

Results >>
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Grant Wins Player’s Division

Round 2

The Player’s Division

Today marked the final round of the Player’s Division. After a great first round, Beth Grant found herself in the lead heading into round two.

“I was thinking that I needed to play an under control and consistent round today. My lead felt great at the time, but I had to remind myself that the tournament was far from over,” Grant said.

Grant and Sheri Rehmer tied after 36 holes with two-day-totals of 164. Grant made a long putt on the 18th hole to send her into a playoff with Rehmer.

“[Making that putt felt] exhilarating, I never felt anything like it before,” said Grant.

They headed back to the 18th tee to begin their playoff. Both hit the green on their third shots. Rehmer had a long putt that she left short and Grant nearly made her 15-foot putt. Rehmer missed her short put coming back, giving Grant the Player’s Title. Grant also won the KC Junior Match Play earlier in July, making this her second Central Links Golf Championship Title of the summer. This marked the first playoff in Player’s Division history.

Although Rehmer did not win the Gross Title, she did take the crown in the Net Division. “Today I just wanted to strike the ball well. Playing against myself. My drives put me into a position to attack most holes,” Rehmer said.

The Open Division

Madison Slayton shot 68 yesterday giving her the lead going into round two. This morning she had a few bogies but made up for them on her back nine, shooting 78. She is tied for the lead with Rosie Klausner. Consistency has been key for Klausner as she shot two rounds of 73.

Stacy Dennis fired a 71 (-1) during today’s round. Dennis, the Executive Director at the Texas Golf Association, had the only round under par carded for the day.

Home course favorite, Audrey Judd, also posted two solid rounds of 75, putting her in solo fourth place.

With a crowd tied for fifth, it’s really anyone’s chance for the title going into the final round tomorrow.

Note: there was a cut for the Open Division after Round 2 that included the low 18 players & ties.

Pictures >>
Results>>

Slayton Fires 68 in Round One at The Prairie Invitational

The Open Division

OLATHE, KS – Madison Slayton, Wichita, leads The Prairie Invitational after Round One of three. Slayton opened her round with a birdie and never slowed down. She birdied holes 10, 13, and 14 on the back nine. She made an uncharacteristic bogey on 15 and followed it up with another birdie on the 16th hole.

“A lot of my birdies came from making some good putts, but I think my birdie on 13 stood out the most. Going into the round, I knew par was going to be a good score on that hole, so to birdie it was a plus,” Slayton said. She totaled six birdies on her day, shooting 68 (-4).

Four golfers are tied for second place with rounds of 73 (+1). Bri Bolden, Mokena, IL, had a consistent birdie to bogey ratio throughout her round. Rosie Klausner, Olathe, had a steady round making two birdies on her day. Anna Jensen’s, Dubuque, IA, round was highlighted by six birdies. Olivia Sobaski, Sedalia, MO, shot one-under on the front nine and held strong on the back despite two bogeys.

2019 Kansas Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion, Katy Winters, holds solo-sixth after shooting a round of 74 (+2). Winters, a resident of Andover, made four birdies on her day. Most notably, back-to-back birdies on holes 7 and 8.

The Player’s Division

The Kansas City Girl’s Match Play Champion, Beth Grant, finds herself in the lead after shooting 78. Grant had three birdies on her round.

Barbara Cusick, Prairie Invitational Committee Member, is tied for second place with Sheri Rehmer, shooting 83.

Sarah Brookfield, Prairie Invitational Committee Member, made a Hole-In-One on the 8th hole. Brookfield is in 17th place.

Play will begin at 7:30 AM on Tuesday.

View Full Results >>

Park Ulrich Wins 110th Kansas Amateur

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Overland Park’s Park Ulrich with the Kansas Amateur trophy

Full Results >>
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Final Match Update – July 26

30-year old Park Ulrich of Overland Park claimed the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship on Sunday at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. Ulrich bested 21-year Wichita native and Auburn Tiger golfer Wells Padgett in the 36-hole final match that needed three extra holes to determine a champion.

The 36-hole match was back and forth during the opening 18 holes with Padgett taking a 1-up lead at the intermission. Padgett continued his solid place during the afternoon session and saw his lead increase to 3-up with six holes to go.

Ulrich chipped away at the lead late with birdies on #13 and #15 to get the match tied with three holes to play. Padgett regained the lead on #16 with a birdie. Ulrich then responded with a near hole in one on the par 3 17th hole to tie the match with one hole to play. On #18, the 36th hole of the match, both players got up and down for par to send the match to sudden death extra holes.

Both players returned to #18 tee for the first sudden-death hole. Ulrich and Padgett both just missed on birdie attempts to further extend the match.

On the second sudden-death hole, the par 5 1st hole at Colbert Hills, again both players just missed on lengthy birdie tries.

Ulrich and Padgett moved to the par 4 2nd hole at Colbert Hills for the third sudden-death playoff hole. Both players found the fairway with their tee shots, but both missed the green just right with the hole location tucked on the far right side. Ulrich was away and chipped in for a birdie. Needing to chip in for birdie to extend the match, Padgett’s birdie attempt came up just short of the cup to give Ulrich the championship title.

Thank you to the staff and members of Colbert Hills for hosting the Kansas Amateur! A big thank you to the Rules Committee members that volunteered their time this week to make for a very successful championship.

The 111th Kansas Amateur will be held at Crestview (North) Country Club in Wichita on July 19-25, 2021.


Quarterfinals & Semifinals Update – July 25

21-year old Wells Padgett of Wichita will face 30-year old Park Ulrich of Overland Park in the 36-hole final match at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship on Sunday at Colbert Hills in Manhattan.

Padgett, a junior on the Auburn University golf team, advanced to the finals following a 4&3 victory over Overland Park junior golf standout Michael Winslow in Saturday morning’s Quarterfinal match and then defeating Kansas State University Assistant Women’s Golf Coach Jared Helin by a 5&4 margin the afternoon Semifinal.

Ulrich, a financial advisor and former collegiate golfer at UMKC, advanced to the finals with a Quarterfinal 2-up victory over Washburn golfer Andrew Beckler. In the afternoon Semifinal match, Ulrich bested future University of Nebraska golfer Will Harding 4&2.

The 36-hole final match will get underway at 7:30 am on Sunday at Colbert Hills.


Round of 32 & 16 Update – July 24

A busy day on the course at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship at Colbert Hills on Friday has trimmed the remaining field to eight players following today’s Round of 32 matches this morning and Round of 16 matches this afternoon.

Quarterfinal matches will get underway at 7:30 am on Saturday at Colbert Hills. The Semifinals will follow in the afternoon. Meet the Quarterfinalists:

Lucas Scheufler, 17, Wellington
– 2020 Kansas Junior Tour champion
– 2020 Kansas Junior Match Play champion

Jared Helin, 34, Manhattan
– 2017 Konza Prairie Amateur champion
– Assistant Women’s Golf Coach, Kansas State University

Wells Padgett, 21, Wichita
– 2020 Kansas Four-Ball champion
– 3-time USGA Junior Amateur participant
– Auburn University golf team member

Michael Winslow, 17, Overland Park
– 2018 Kansas Junior Amateur champion
– 2018 USGA Junior Amateur participant

Park Ulrich, 30, Overland Park
– 2017 & 2019 Kansas Mid-Amateur champion
– Former UMKC golf team member

Andrew Beckler, 23, Topeka
– 2019 & 2020 Railer champion
– 2019 Kansas Men’s Player of the Year
– Washburn University golf team member

Will Harding, 19, Prairie Village
– Signed with University of Nebraska golf team
– 2018 Western Junior Amateur participant

Davis Cooper, 19, Overland Park
– Signed with University of Kansas golf team
– 2020 Kansas City Junior Amateur champion


Round of 64 Match Play Update – July 23

32 players remain in the hunt for the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship following a wild first day of match play that saw five top 20 seeds fall in the opening round.

64-seed Lucas Scheufler of Wellington, the last player into the match play field, took down top seed Matt Percy in a match that went 19 holes.

Wichita junior golfer and 62-seed Asher Whitaker bested 3-seed Kameron Shaw, 56-seed Bradley Lane of Lawrence topped 9-seed Jack Courington and Washburn golfer Ian Trebilock advanced after defeating 13-seed Sean Thayer.

Former Washburn golfer Garret Allen, the 49-seed, highlighted his match win over Pete Krsnich with a hole in one on #8 at Colbert Hills. Allen used an 8-iron from 185 yards for the ace.

The longest match of the day went 22 holes with 19-seed Will Harding advancing over 46-seed Nick Kagy.

Round of 32 matches will get underway at 7:30 am on Friday at Colbert Hills. The Round of 16 matches will follow in the afternoon.


Day Two Update – July 22

Ottawa’s Matt Percy took medalist honors during the stroke play qualifying portion of the 110th Kansas Amateur on Wednesday at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. Percy finished at 5-under par 139 total after rounds of 70-69 to take the top seed heading to match play on Thursday.

Wellington junior golfer Blake Saffell will be the #2 seed for match play. Saffell posted back to back rounds of 2-under par 70. Round one co-leader Kameron Shaw is the three seed after finishing at 69-72–141.

A five hole sudden death playoff was needed to determine the final seven players to advance to the 64-player single elimination match play bracket. 10 players that were at a 36-hole score of 9-over par 153 were in the playoff for the remaining spots.

Round of 64 match play will begin at 7:30 am on Thursday at Colbert Hills.


Day One Update – July 21

2018 Kansas Amateur champion Sion Audrain and Salina junior golfer Kameron Shaw are tied at the top following round one of stroke play qualifying at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. 

Audrain, a Garden City native and University of Kansas golfer, posted a 3-under par 69 to take the overnight lead along with Shaw. 

Five players sit one shot back after first round 2-under par 70’s on a day that saw a total of 2.5 hours of rain and weather delays. 

Stroke play qualifying will continue on Wednesday with the second round. 

Following the completion of the stroke play, the top 64 players will advance to a single elimination match play bracket. If necessary, a sudden death playoff will occur to determine the final players to advance to match play.



Shadow Glen Will Challenge 2020 Prairie Invitational Field

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The Prairie Invitational Preview – Presented by Dr. J Douglas Cusick MD, FACS

The 2020 Prairie Invitational will be played July 27-29 at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe, KS. “We are thankful to be able to host The Prairie Invitational at Shadow Glen. This could be the toughest Prairie venue yet, and I am excited to see how the players fare,” said Jacque Madison, Tournament Director. “As always, the field is very strong and a good mix of professionals, collegiate players, and mid-amateurs.”

78 of the top female golfers in the Midwest will complete the field.

Amateurs:

  • Bri Boden, an incoming sophomore at the University of Missouri
  • Standout golfers representing Wichita State University: Kenni Henson, Megan Lucas, and Madison Slayton
  • Home course favorite and former University of Nebraska golf team member, Audrey Judd

Mid- Amateurs:

  • 2020 Kansas Mid-Amateur Champion, Carmen Titus
  • 2019 Kansas Mid-Amateur Champion, Katy Winters
  • Texas Golf Association Executive Director, Stacy Dennis

Juniors:

  • Kansas City local and 2019 Kansas Junior Girl’s Player of the Year, Julia Misemer
  • Nebraska’s Danica Badura. Badura is the 2019 Nebraska Junior Girl’s Golfer of the Year, 2020 Nebraska Girls Junior PGA Champion, 2020 Nebraska Junior Girls Amateur Champion, and 2020 Nebraska Girls Match Play Champion
  • 2020 Kansas City Junior Girls Match Play Champion, Beth Grant

Professionals:

  • 2017 Prairie Invitational Champion and 2018 Runner Up, Kristen Samp
  • Three-time Kansas High School State Champion, former K-State Golfer, and LPGA Teaching Professional, Gianna Augustine
  • PGA Head Golf Professional at St. Andrews Golf Club and former University of Kansas golfer, Jennifer Clark Walker
  • PGA Teaching Profession in the Overland Park Golf Division, Maureen Olson

About The Prairie Invitational

The Prairie Invitational is a premiere women’s event in Kansas City for amateur and professional players. It’s purpose is to enhance women’s golf and junior women’s golf not only in the Kansas City area, but on a regional level. Formerly known as the Women’s Amateur of Kansas City, the Prairie Invitational was founded to determine the best female golfer in the Midwest. The 2017 event was the first time the event was conducted over 54 holes in the Open Division, and was also the first year the event was included in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

The Prairie Invitational consists of two divisions. The Open Division is includes golfers with a handicap index of 5.0 or below. The Open Division competes as a 54-hole event with a cut to the low 18 and ties after 36 holes. The Player’s Division includes golfers with a handicap index of 5.1-18.0. Golfers in this division compete in a 36-hole event.

Dr. J. Douglas Cusick is serving as the title sponsor again in 2020. The Cusick family’s dedication to promoting women’s golf in the area has been a tremendous boost to the event and to the Girls Performance Initiative. The Kansas City Area Toyota Dealers join us as the presenting sponsor along with the Midwest Section PGA Foundation.

All golfers will be required to comply with state and local government COVID-19 safety policies and additional safety procedures put in place by Central Links Golf.

Tournament Information & Results >>

Full Media Package available upon request. Please email baile@clgolf.org.

2019 Prairie Invitational

Tilma Claims Kansas Women’s Amateur Title

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Newton, KS – Kate Tilma, Wichita, won the Kansas Women’s Amateur Tuesday shooting 74-71-74-219 (+3). This is Tilma’s second Amateur victory of the summer. Last month, she won the Kansas Junior Amateur in Salina, KS. There has never been another woman in the history of Kansas women’s golf to hold both titles in the same year.

When asked how she felt about holding both titles in the same year she said “It’s a great honor to be able to play, it’s good for the hard work that I put into both.”

Abby Glynn, Unversity of Kansas golfer, also made a run for the Kansas Women’s Amateur title. Glynn, hot off her win at the Missouri Women’s Amateur just two weeks ago, made a push in the final round today shooting an even-par, 72. Going into 18, both Glynn and Tilma were tied at four-over-par for the tournament.

Going into 18, Tilma knew she needed to either birdie or par in order to win. She proceeded to make a 20-foot birdie putt to win the championship and overall Low Junior. “I just wanted to give it enough to have a chance at going in,” Tilma said.

Madison Slayton, Wichita State University golfer, held the lead after rounds one and two on Monday. Although Slayton carded only one birdie on her scorecard today, she finished in third place.

The 2021 Kansas Women’s Amateur will be held at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, KS.

Full Results >>

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Day 1: Slayton leads at Kansas Women’s Amateur

Newton, KS – The Kansas Women’s Amateur is underway at Sand Creek Station. Madison Slayton leads by two strokes.

Slayton, an incoming freshman on the Wichita State University golf team, shot 70-73-143 (-2) at Sand Creek Station today. Slayton found success throughout her day, carding a total of nine birdies.

There is a crowd on the leader board for second place. Megan Whittaker, junior at the University of Nebraska, shot 72-73-145. Kate Tilma, 2020 Kansas Junior Amateur Champion, shot 74-71-145. Most notably, Thirteen-year-old Kinslea Jones shot 76-69-145. Jones had 5 birdies and one eagle during her second round.

Also at the top of the leader board is 2019 Kansas Women’s Mid-Am Champion, Katy Winters. Winters, a former Kansas University golfer, shot 75-71-145. During the afternoon, she had five birdies on holes 6, 9, 10, 16, and 18.

Competitors played 36 holes on Monday at Sand Creek Station Golf Course. They will finish the event with 18 holes on Tuesday morning.

View full results >>

Media Package available upon request. Contact: Baile Stephenson baile@clgolf.org

Groom, Kimmel, And Grant Emerge Victorious at Swope

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Kansas City Senior/Junior Match Play Championship

The final day of the Kansas City Senior, Boys, and Girls Match Play Championships at Swope Memorial Golf Course provided three outstanding final matches.

In the Senior Match Play Championship, 11-seed Steve Groom defeated 5-seed Dave Cunningham in the final match: A match that went to extra holes. Tied after 18 holes, Steve and Dave went two more sudden death holes to decide the champion, ending with Steve Groom winning with a par on the second extra hole. Steve’s round was highlighted with early birdies on holes 1, 4, and 7 that propelled him to a fast start and eventually the victory.

In the Boys Match Play Championship, 4-seed Caleb Kimmel defeated 7-seed Chance Rinkol in the final match by a result of 3&2. Caleb, following an impressive 29 that he fired in yesterday’s semifinal match, came out strong this morning in the final match, winning his first four holes of the match and never looked back.

In the Girls Match Play Championship, 5-seed Elizabeth Grant defeated 3-seed Caroline Giocondo in the final match by a result of 4&2. Elizabeth won four of the last five holes on the front nine, giving her a 4UP lead that she never surrendered.

Thank you to Swope Memorial Golf Course and all of our volunteers who made these championships possible!

To view final results from the Senior Match Play Championship, click here.

To view final results from the Junior Match Play Championship, click here.

Day Two Recap:

After day two of the Senior, Boys and Girls Kansas City Match Play Championships, we have three championship matches that are sure to be action-packed on Sunday.

In the Senior Match Play Championship, the 11-seed Steve Groom defeated the 14-seed Kevin Rome Saturday morning with a result of 5&3, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 2-seed Frank Hoback with a result of 4&3. The other remaining player in the Senior Match Play Championship is Dave Cunningham, who won his morning match 5&4 over Mark Addington, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over Sean Thayer with a result of 4&3. The final match of the Senior Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM between Steve Groom and Dave Cunningham.

In the Boys Match Play Championship, the 4-seed Caleb Kimmel defeated the 5-seed Davis Cooper in the morning matches with a result of 3&2, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 8-seed Will Harding with a result of 6&5, highlighted by an opening nine score of 29. The other remaining player in the Boys Match Play Championship is Chance Rinkol, who who his morning match 1 UP over the 15-seed Calvin Dillon, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over Myles Tarvin with a result of 3&2. The final match of the Boys Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:38 AM between Caleb Kimmel and Chance Rinkol.

In the Girls Match Play Championship, the 5-seed Elizabeth Grant defeated the 4-seed Tess Roman Saturday morning with a result of 4&2, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 1-seed Victoria Klausner with a result of 2 UP. The other remaining player in the Girls Match Play Championship is Caroline Giocondo, who won her morning match 6&5 over the 6-seed Ella Slicker, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over the 2-seed Lia Johnson with a result of 2&1. The final match of the Girls Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:46 AM between Elizabeth Grant and Caroline Giocondo.

Watson Challenge Postponed to 2021

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LENEXA, KS (July 9, 2020) – Representatives of the Watson Challenge Committee and the host committee from the National Golf Club met today and decided to postpone the Watson Challenge until spring of 2021.

“The decision to not play the event in 2020 was a difficult one for all involved.”, said Watson Challenge director Doug Habel, “The staff and members of the National have made every effort to try and play the event, but ultimately decided that the safety of the club’s members and tournament players was more important. The committee supports that decision and we are thankful that they will host the event next year.”

While the date for next year’s Watson Challenge has not yet been set, the National has committed to hosting the event.

For any questions regarding the Watson Challenge, please reach out to Doug Habel at doug@clgolf.org.

Kansas wins Junior Girls Four State for the first time in 19 years

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Columbia, MO – The Junior Girls Four State Championship was played at Country Club of Missouri last week, July 1-2. The Kansas Team comprised of Julia Misemer, Allison Comer, Libby Green, Lia Johnson, Victoria Klausner, and Brooke King and Captains Baile Stephenson and Audrey Meisch took home the win after three rounds of match play. The format was 18-holes of Four-Ball matches followed by 9-holes of Foursome matches (shortened due to weather), and 18-holes of singles matches.

Kansas got off to an early lead winning two of three Four-Ball matches. Kansas continued to lead after earning 2.5 of the 3 points available in their Foursome matches.

“We had a strong team dynamic which lead to great success in the team matches,” said captain Baile Stephenson, “I’m impressed by how well the girls worked together and cheered each other on.”

The team also faired well in their singles matches. Kansas battled back and forth with Nebraska for the final points on the board. Julia Misemer won her singles match over Nebraska’s Danica Badura and Lia Johnson tied her match with Nebraska’s Nicole Kolbas. Most impressively, Brooke King won her match over Ellie Braksiek. King was 2 down going into hole 13 and won 5 holes in a row to finish 3&1. Libby Green got off to a fast start after she was 5 up through 5 holes against Rylee Heryford. Green eventually won her match 2&1.

View Full Results: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/2559354

Kansas is set to host the 2021 Four State, a site announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

2020 Watson Challenge Update

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LENEXA, Kansas, June 26, 2020 – The 2020 Watson Challenge will be played on August 4-6 at the National Golf Club of Kansas City. The rescheduled date was announced on April 3, 2020, due to coronavirus concerns.

Unfortunately, event namesake and 5-time champion, Tom Watson is having shoulder surgery and will not be able to play. The field will still be strong, including 2-time champion and 2019 Kansas Amateur champion, Andy Spencer and defending champion, Alex Springer.

Due to COVID-19, spectators will be limited to National Golf Club members, tournament sponsors, and five guests per player.

“The Watson Challenge is one of the premier golf events in the Kansas City area, and it’s our intention to keep players, spectators, volunteers, and staff safe,” Doug Habel, Tournament Director, said. Central Links Golf will continue to monitor the health crisis and make any necessary changes to the event.

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.