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Schultz Goes Back-to-Back, Tilma Wins First Junior Am

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Cooper Schultz and Kate Tilma battled through windy conditions at Salina Municipal Golf Course over the three days of the Kansas Junior Amateur Championship, winning the Overall Boys and Girls titles, respectively.

The Kansas Junior Amateur Championship is a three-day event with a cut after two rounds to the top-15 and ties in each age division. After two rounds, Cooper Schultz found himself at 8-under par and never looked back, shooting a final-round 65 that included a stellar opening nine score of 31. Cooper Schultz finished the event with a three-day total of 13-under par (197). Schultz successfully defended his 2019 title, beating last year’s performance by 9 strokes.

Kate Tilma also got off to a quick start to the tournament, as she fired back-to-back under-par rounds of 69 and 67 in the first two rounds. Kate finished up her final round with a solid score of 72, which included a clutch birdie on the final hole, and finished the event with a three-day total of 2-under par (208). After finishing runner up in 2019, Tilma was able to break through for her first Junior Amateur win.

As far as each age division goes, the champion of each boys age division and their final score are listed below:

  • 14 and under: Chance Rinkol, 4-over par (214)
  • 15 years old: Ryder Cowan and Will King, 2-under par (208)
  • 16 years old: Ryan Lee, 2-under par (208)
  • 17 years old: Michael Winslow, 5-under par (205)
  • 18 years old: Cooper Schultz, 13-under par (197).

Thank you to Salina Municipal for hosting us and we hope to see everyone again in 2021. To see full results, please see here.

DeVoe & Studley Lead at Tee Fore Two

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Hays, KS – Susan DeVoe and Alane Studley hold the first round lead in the Tee Fore Two Championship at Smoky Hill CC. Windy conditions prevailed from the start this morning and picked up as the day progressed. Smoky Hill CC is in top condition for the championship, and the fast greens coupled with the windy conditions made for a difficult back nine.

Judy Morris and Jaci Weber or Derby, Kansas and Jayne Clarke (Hays) and Terri Albers (Oakley) were keeping pace with DeVoe and Studley through the front nine. DeVoe and Studley rounded the difficult back nine in 1-under par 35. Morris/Weber and Clarke/Albers were both over par on the back as the winds picked up. DeVoe and Studley lead by four shots heading into the challenging Chapman Alternate Shot format on Tuesday, which is setting up for another day of strong winds.

In the Net Division, Valerie Wente and Lien Quan, both of Hays, lead with a score of 4-under par 68. Wente and Quan also played the back nine well, finishing with a 4-under 32. They lead Paula Routon and Shirley Blick of Wichita by two shots, and Jettie Bexek (Ottawa) and Kathy Thomas (Lee’s Summit, MO) by three shots.

Tomorrow’s Alternate Shot round will begin at 8:00am.

Member Club Spotlight: The Amateur Open

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A unique, new golf competition in Kansas City and Kansas will aim to benefit Youth on Course.

The Amateur Open aims to make every round of golf exciting and rewarding through a summer-long competition. Golfers can simply post their scores from their rounds to get on a region-wide Leaderboard and win gift certificates to local golf establishments.

How it works:

  1. Men and women 21+ can Register in TheAmateurOpen of KC club for $50 (if you already have a handicap, you can still register on the platform by paying $30); Players can use special promo code WEL20 for this inaugural season and save $20.
  2. Pick a partner and play on any course and set of tees; golfers can compete as a team or individual or both ($5 for each competition). A portion of this fee will directly benefit Youth on Course in Kansas City.
  3. Upload the picture of your completed scorecard to get on Weekly and Season leaderboards; don’t forget to post your scores on to your GHIN Handicap.
  4. Play a minimum of 8 rounds between June 30 – September 6 to become eligible for season points race prizes.
  5. At the end of the season, there will also be an 18-hole Amateur Open Championship.

The idea:

The Amateur Open is made up of working professionals who are passionate about the game of golf. Founder, Som Chilukuri says “We are really passionate about the game especially since it makes competition across skill levels possible, more so with the World Handicap System. We realized that there is no real platform for golfers to connect with a larger picture across a region or season. Leagues are typically limited to a course and a group. We thought it would be really cool to make each round count for every golfer and in relation to all the golfers in the area and that’s how this idea came up.”

The club emphasizes three main themes:

  1. Celebrate the “compete with yourself” aspect of the game
  2. Create winning possibilities across skill levels
  3. Foster vibrant community of recreational, yet competitive golfers

Chilukuri says it best “golf to us is an avenue to unify people in a great competitive setting with no barriers at all on skill levels, age, and gender or whatsoever. And with The Amateur Open, we are able to do that without needing to physically come together at a single event or course”

Support for The Amateur Open:

Central Links Golf supports The Amateur Open in its values and mission to create competitive golf opportunities while bringing the community together. CLG has consulted with The Amateur Open to provide League Management best practices, making it a certified Central Links Golf League.

The Amateur Open is also supported by an Advisory Panel from Incub8 Startup Studios, a Silicon Valley-based technology incubation company. www.incub8.vc

Youth on Course:

“We are excited that 10% of each round’s proceeds will directly benefit Youth on Course,” says Doug Habel, Executive Director of Central Links Golf. Youth on Course allows junior golfers in our region to play golf at participating facilities for only $5 (or less) per round. This program has allowed junior golfers in our community access to playing golf when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to play. Learn more at youthoncourse.org. 

Interested in learning more about The Amateur Open?

Visit: theamateuropen.com to register.

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

Kansas Women’s | Mid-Amateur

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Manhattan, KS – Carmen Titus was all smiles after a fantastic come-from-behind victory in the Kansas Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship today at Colbert Hills GC in Manhattan, Kansas.  This year was especially sweet since it was the championship that got away from her least season.

The field maintained the positions they started in for the most part through the front nine, but the momentum shifted as the final group made the turn.  First round leader Meghan Stasi started the back nine with an uncharacteristic double bogey on the 10th, and a triple bogey on the 11th.  Suddenly, Titus had made up four strokes of the six-stroke deficit she had at the turn.  Stasi got one back with a par to Titus’s bogey on the 12th hole, then another with a birdie on #13.  Titus had a strong finish starting with the 14th hole.  Stasi made triple bogey at the difficult hole as the wind was really picking up, while Titus carded a steady bogey.  Titus made two more birdies at #15 and #16 and finished with two strong pars as the wind continued to howl. 

Titus said after the round that this win felt good after losing a big lead last year at about the point on the course where this year’s championship turned around for her. “It was fun being in this position this year after being where Meghan was last year.  I got to be the chaser.” “I just tried to play my own game…I tried to play smart and make pars and let her come back to me, and it worked.”  Titus has a Kansas City Women’s Match Play Championship under her belt and has qualified for several USGA Mid-Amateur Championships including advancing to match play in 2018.  After a great win over a player with multiple national championship wins, she can head into the next qualifying season knowing she can play with anyone in the field.

Alane Studley took home the Overall Net title after a very steady two rounds of play.  She had a rocky stretch on the back nine going bogey-double bogey-bogey on holes #12 through #14.  She regained her composure and finished strong even as the winds were picking up.  Ashley Childers fired a net 74 today including a birdie and an eagle on the back nine, but it wasn’t enough to counter Studley’s consistency.

The next Central Links Golf women’s event is June 15-16 at Smoky Hill CC in Hays, KS at the Tee Fore Two Championship which includes one round of Four Ball and one round of Chapman Alternate Shot.

Click here for complete results.

Manhattan, KS – The Kansas Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is underway under hot and difficult conditions at Colbert Hills GC in Manhattan, KS. Meghan Stasi, four-time US Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion, leads the field at 1-under par.

Stasi had a very steady round with nothing more than a bogey on her card.  She was under par on the difficult par 5s.  Chasing her is Audrey Judd (former University of Nebraska player), Carmen Titus (former Rockhurst University player), and Chloe Kraus (assistant coach at Baker University).  Judd, Titus, and Kraus all gave up some strokes on the par 5s but have plenty of firepower to make a comeback in round two.  Defending champion Katy Winters (Andover, KS) is not out of reach in spite of carding two triple bogeys in her round.  Winters and Martha Linscott (Mission Hills, KS) are tied for 5th with scores of 79.

Alane Studley of St. Joseph, MO leads the Net Division at even par.  Studley finished strong on the difficult back nine.  She kept the ball in play nicely and managed the difficult 10th hole carding one of the few pars in the field.

Play will resume with the final round tomorrow at 7:30am.  The Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship is held annually for women age 20+ who are not on a college golf roster for the fall. 

Click here for complete results.

2021 Kansas Women’s Amateur Site Announced

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Lenexa, KS – Central Links Golf is very pleased to announce that the 2021 Kansas Women’s Amateur Championship will be held at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kansas on July 12-13, 2021.

“We’ve had a real influx of female talent in Kansas in the past few years, and we want to showcase that talent by hosting the Kansas Women’s Amateur at Flint Hills National. This will be a good test for the ladies and we’re excited about having them here in 2021.” – Dave Henson, Head Golf Professional at Flint Hills National

Flint Hills National Golf Club is a private golf club designed by Tom Fazio.  It has received many accolades including:

  • Ranked in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses
  • Ranked as one of the Best New Private Courses – 1998
  • Ranked in the top 10 of America’s Best Private Golf Retreats
  • Hosted USGA Junior Amateur Championship in 2017
  • Hosted the Trans-Miss Amateur in 2003, 2009, and 2015
  • Hosted USGA Men’s Senior Amateur Championship in 2007
  • Hosted USGA Women’s Amateur Championship in 2001

“We are certain that Flint Hills National will identify a worthy Kansas Women’s Amateur Champion next year.  The beauty and challenge of the golf course will be something special that the competitors will remember for years to come,” said Jacque Madison, championship director.

A priority entry period will be granted to all Central Links Golf members who participate in the 2020 Kansas Women’s Amateur Championship.  Make sure to register this year for the best chance at gaining entry to next year’s event.

Golfers who wish to play in the 2020 Women’s Amateur can register here.

KC Women’s | Match Play

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Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Women’s Match Play wrapped up this morning at Swope Memorial Golf Course with a fantastic match in the Championship Bracket.

Sera Tadokoro (Japan/University of Kansas) and Jessica Haraden (Westlake Village, CA/University of Nebraska) had a back and forth match early on.  Tadokoro took a 2-up lead with pars on #7 and #8.  Haraden made a charge winning holes #9 and #10 to even the match.  Haraden had a great up-and-down par save to win hole #11 and take a 1-up lead.  The pair tied the next two holes, before Tadokoro won #14 and #15 to reverse the tide.  Haraden had another great par save on #16 to tie the hole, and they went to #17 tee with Tadokoro 2-up.  Tadokoro hit a big drive and reached the par-5 #17 in two strokes, making a birdie to claim the hole and the match 2&1.

Rosie Klausner (Olathe/Central Missouri) jumped out to an early 2-up lead on Ellen Port (St. Louis, MO) and never looked back.  She claimed holes #1 and #2 with pars, and the match turned with Klausner remaining 2-up.  Klausner made a spectacular birdie at #10 to gain a 3-up advantage.  Port took advantage of an opening and won #11 with a par after Klausner’s approach found the left bunker.  Klausner closed out the match 4&3 with a birdie at #15.  Port continued praised Klausner’s tremendous play today at the end of the match.

The players had great praise for Swope Memorial GC.  The conditions were superb during the championship, and the set-up is good for match play with a number of risk/reward holes on both sides.  

Click here for complete results.

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Women’s Match Play has delivered as expected – great golf from an exceptionally strong field.  As the semi-final rounds concluded today at Swope Memorial Golf Course, the matches were close with most extending past the 16th hole.

Jessica Haraden (Westlake Village, CA/University of Nebraska) took an early lead in her match but was continually challenged by her opponent Abby Glynn (Topeka/University of Kansas).  Haraden made a clutch birdie putt on the 16th hole with Glynn just a couple feet away for birdie to go to the 17th hole two holes up.  Glynn won the 17th hole with a birdie to extend the match.  The 18th hole was tied with pars, and Haraden claimed the match 1-up.  Both players were under par for the match.

Sera Tadokoro (Japan/University of Kansas) took an early lead in her semi-final match and closed out her opponent Kirsten Baete (Beatrice, NE/University of Nebraska) 6&5.

Seven-time USGA champion Ellen Port had a back and forth match with her opponent Lauren Thiele (Wahoo, NE).  Port evened the match on the 15th hole and took a 1-up lead with a birdie at 16.  Thiele found a penalty area off the 17th tee.  Port went on to win the 17th hole and the match 2&1.

Rosie Klausner (Olathe/Central Missouri) and Libby Green (Shawnee) had a back and forth match as well trading holes early on, then making the turn even.  Klausner won 10 and 11 to go 2-up.  The pair traded holes on 12 and 13.  Green won 16 and 17 to even the match.  Klausner finally won the match with a par on the 20th hole to go 1-up.

“This is a great match play course.  There are opportunities for birdies, but six-foot putts are not easy here,” said Port.  “I am grateful to have something to play in with most of the USGA Championships being cancelled this season.  It is fun to get out and compete again, and you have to play great golf here to beat people.”

Tomorrow’s Championship matches begin at 8:00am with Sera Tadokoro taking on Jessica Haraden in the Championship Bracket, and Ellen Port playing Rosie Klausner in the Silver Bracket.

Click here for complete results.

Re-Open Open: Great Success

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136 golfers from across Kansas City and Kansas played in a Region-Wide Net Stableford Event this past weekend. The format was simple, play at a local club and participate with your partner in a fun, competitive event.

Teams were comprised of men, women, and mixed genders.

Patrick Anderson and Mike Thompson took home the overall win, carding 45 Stableford points. The team played their round at Tiffany Greens.

The event resulted in a 4-way tie for 2nd place at 44 Stableford points.

Other notable teams include the mixed partner duo Chuck and LouAnn Buss who had 43 points. Shirley West and Carol Collins also fared well with 43 points. Both teams played at Winfield Country Club.

The father/daughter team comprised of Gary and Megan Lucas tied for 12th place with 42 points. The team participated through The Topeka Country Club.

Top participating clubs include Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays, KS who had 11 teams and Winfield Country Club in Winfield, KS who had 13 teams participate.

The Re-Open Open directly benefitted Central Links Golf Member Clubs by awarding the top performing golfers gift certificates to be used at Member Club prior to June. We recognize that Member Clubs have been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and we wanted to support them through this event.

10 Reasons | To Get A Handicap

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In 2020, we moved from the USGA Handicap System to the World Handicap System. Now, everyone in the world is using the same Handicap System. We’ve outlined a few reasons why you should be keeping a handicap about your local club or Eclub.

1. Allows you to compete fairly in a number of different formats

Whether you are playing match play or stroke play, Stableford or Four-Ball, your Handicap Index allows players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis. Read Appendix C of the Handicap Manual for recommended Handicap Allowances for various formats of play.

2. Tracks your progress and reflects your potential

Your handicap will display your past scores and your index will reflect what your potential could be. Each time you play and post a score, you will receive a Handicap Index Revision the next day. You can also keep your hole-by-hole stats in the USGA GHIN Mobile App.

3. Easy Score Posting

Your GHIN membership through Central Links Golf allows you to post scores on ghin.com, the GHIN Mobile App, and access to any score posting kiosk. Be sure to play and post on the same day in order for the Playing Conditions Calculation to accurately be applied, if applicable. Posting on the same day also ensures that your Handicap Index is accurate for the next day of play.

4. Tournament competition for men, women, and juniors

Your Handicap Index allows you to play in Central Links Golf tournaments and access to USGA Championships. Our tournaments are open to golfers of all ages and abilities, there is something for everyone!

5. Discounts on travel, concert tickets, sports tickets, and more*

Your GHIN membership allows you to use  Affinity Travel Benefits, where you can save up to 70% on travel and entertainment for any time of year.

6. Stay Up to Date

You will receive a GHIN Newsletter in your inbox on the 1st and the 15th of every month. This newsletter focuses on golf-related news, Rules of Golf & Handicapping Education, upcoming events, and past results.

7. Hole in One Recognition

When your golf course submits your Hole-in-One, you will receive a Hole-in-One certificate and mention in the GHIN newsletter.

8. Opportunity to be chosen for regional team events

Players who compete in Central Links Golf Tournaments can be chosen to play for a regional competition team. A few of our regional competitions include 4-State, Kansas/Nebraska Cup, Fore State, Mid America Cup, and more.

9. “What’s your handicap index?”

Once people find out you play golf, they’re sure to ask you this question, and now you’ll have an answer.

10. Motivates you to improve    

Because an index will track your progress, you will be motivated to continue improving. We give our yearly awards to the Most Improved Golfer in our region, maybe this year it could be you!

What would you add to this list?

*May take up to 14 business days after joining for Affinity Travel Benefits to activate

Join/Renew Your Handicap

Member Benefit: | Club Champion

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Golfers of All Skill Levels See Improvement with Custom Fitting

Club Champion fitters create instant success

With advances in golf club technology, most golfers could easily hit the ball farther and more accurately. Yet golfers of all skill levels still struggle with distance, consistency and other elements of the game that could be tightened up with a custom club fitting like the ones offered at Club Champion.

A Golf Digest study found that eight out of nine custom fit golfers lowered their score by as much as six strokes per round and added up to 21 yards off the tee after a Club Champion fitting. Even more impressive, higher handicap golfers saw the most improvement, dispelling the idea that only scratch golfers are “good enough” to be fitted.

“It never ceases to amaze me that golfers buy clubs off the shelf and assume they’re right for them. Whether you’re a great golfer or a casual one, getting a custom club fitting is one of the quickest ways to improve your game,” says world-renowned instructor and Club Champion brand ambassador David Leadbetter.

The nation’s #1 premium fitter, Club Champion delivers a Tour-quality fitting that produces longer, more accurate shots, with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate. Their approach is unbiased; no specific vendor is promoted. The only goal is to find the best combination of components to lower your scores.

The company has a unique coupling system that allows them to combine any head and shaft together, so golfers hit the precise combination to be custom built for them. Club Champion is the only fitter to offer 45,000+ interchangeable head and shaft combinations on-site at all of their national locations. The equipment available for demo is far more expansive than what’s offered at competitive companies, and the variety allows the master fitter to find exactly the right combination to complement a golfer’s swing. Those golfers don’t have to wait to test the suggested clubs – they get to hit the exact club that will be custom built for them.

“The proof is in the results,” says Florida resident Dave Greer. “The fitting process was amazing. The fitter first identified the proper shaft and then found the right head. With each combination, I was able to see the improved results statistically laid out on screen. I picked up 10-20 yards in distance. It’s worth every penny spent just to see the looks on your playing partners’ faces when they see the results of your changes.” Club Champion stores nationwide are offering a FREE fitting for a limited time: fitting costs are waived with an equipment purchase of $500 or more. Terms apply; please call (888) 340-7820 or visit clubchampiongolf.com for more information.