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Stateline Champions Crowned at the National

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The 2019 Stateline Amateur Tour came to a close with its end of the season championship held at the National Golf Course of Kansas City on October 9th.

Over 90 players in four divisions competed to win the Tour Championship and division Player of the Year. In the Open division, Greg Diederich won the tour championship with a two-over, 74, featuring two birdies on the day. Diederich beat out Chris Beaubien and Jeff Mason, who both tied for second place with rounds of 76 (+4).

Jeff Mason’s second place finish was enough to edge out Chris Beaubien in the Player of the Year race. Playing in 7 events, Mason won two to finish the season with 78 points and a Player of the Year trophy.

In the Senior division, Scott Richey, Don Kuehn, and Steve Hammond all tied for first place with one-over, rounds of 73. Between the three, eleven birdies were carded. Steve Groom finished in fourth place with a two-over, 74. Groom’s fourth place finish propelled him to the Player of the Year finalist over Mark Addington. Groom played in eight events this year and won two to finish with 83.5 points, three more than Addington.

In the Legends Gross division, David Hamilton and Sam Vanlandingham would both finish tied for first after shooting rounds of 76 (+4). John Grant finished in third with a five-over, 77. David Hamilton’s added yet another win to his SLAT season. Playing in ten total events, Hamilton won five of them, finishing with 121 points. Bob Bezek finished second in the Player of the Year list with 87.5 points.

In the Legends Net division, John Grant’s great round gave him the trophy as Legends Net tour champion with a three-under, 69, net score.

Garret Routh had a great day after shooting a gross score of 74 to claim both the Player’s Gross and Net champion title. Routh’s round featured five birdies and gave him the lead in the gross division by three strokes over Marcus Moore. Routh’s 74 would net him a score of 69 to claim the Player’s Net champion.

Alex Reed finished third in the Player’s Gross division with a score of 79 (+7). His third place finish was enough to give him the lead on the Player of the Year list with a total of 82.5 points. Reed played in eight events and won four of them to best second place finisher Marcus Moore. Marcus Moore would take home the Player of the Year trophy in the Player’s Net division after playing well in the championship with a total of 76.33 points. Mittal Patel finished in second with 57.25 points.

For full results of the championship, see here. For Player of the Year points list, see here.

The KCGA would like to thank all of our Stateline Amateur players that came out to play over the season and we are so grateful to have such great talent that continues to show up each and every event. We’ll see everyone next year on the Stateline Tour at our first event at Milburn CC!

The 9-Hole Guy

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One Wichita man has played every 9-hole golf course in the state of Kansas. That’s a total of 107 grass green courses.

Dakin Cramer is a former member of Flint Hills National Golf Club and a long-time member of the Kansas Golf Association. When Flint Hills was closed on Mondays or during the winter you could find him at nearby 9-hole courses in Wichita, there are more than 30 9-hole golf courses within 75 miles of Wichita. He reflected on when he first thought “maybe I should expand my playing to include more 9-hole courses nearby when Flint Hills is closed.” His first course was Anthony Golf Club played in January of 2015.

Some of his buddies at Flint Hills National thought he was crazy, due to the excellent condition of their home club. Overtime, Dakin found a particular hole on every course that really spoke to him. Even the most mundane of courses have some type of design feature that made the course interesting. It was in his appreciation for these courses, that his dream to play every 9-hole course was born.

Dakin planned out his trips carefully, as his radius grew outside of 75 miles from Wichita it often included overnight stays. For example, he played 36 holes two days in a row in the Hays/Colby area.

He’s learned a lot about the different communities he’s played in. Dakin said “having a golf course is a lot like having a post office or school, once the town loses it, they lose their identity. Communities are proud of their courses, several have been built by the community and funded by them, too.”

In my conversation with Dakin, he reflected on some of his favorite and most unique golf courses.

In Sharon Springs, the scorecard has a picture of a ball being wrapped up by a rattlesnake, it turns out, they’re home to a tournament called the Rattle Snake Open.

One of his favorite courses is Prairie Dog Golf Course in Norton, KS

Other notable courses for Dakin included:

For Dakin, his goal hasn’t changed over the years, but his expectations have. He now understands the importance of the 9-hole golf courses to each community he visits. He knows that they don’t always make money, but the importance of the facility is the commitment the community has to it. Over the years, some properties have been bought, sold, remained privately owned, but for the town, it’s remained a labor of love to keep the doors open and the grass mowed.

Dakin completed his goal of playing every 9-hole golf course in the state on September 10, 2019.

Dakin’s collage includes signatures from people who have had an impact on his life. It’s all about his experience visiting with people while they sign his collage. Memories and people, he has interacted with during his golf experiences. Signatures from Kim Richey, Golf Team from 1966, Steve Hatchet (won a junior event together in 1965), lower right-hand corner – check to Dean Smith for $50 that was never cashed, Gary Conover (past president of KGA), Dave Hensen (Head Golf Profession at Flint Hills National). He even mentioned when he dies this collage will be at his funeral, that’s how important these memories are to him!

Do you have a story that should be shared with our golf community? Contact us: baile@kcgolf.org

Simpson Breaks Through for First Kansas Women’s Senior Championship

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Falcon Lakes Golf Club, Basehor, KS – Pam Simpson earned her first Kansas Women’s Senior Championship and ended Denise Desilet’s streak of consecutive wins at seven.

The field was strong in this year’s championship and played a well-conditioned golf course in unseasonably warm weather for two days.  The day began with Susan DeVoe atop the leaderboard at 1-under par, and Denise Desilet and Pam Simpson chasing from behind.  Desilet and Simpson opened with birdies on the par-5 first hole to close the gap.  Simpson had a very steady front nine, making the turn at even par for the day with only one bogey on her card.  DeVoe and Desilet both carded 40s on the front side.  The back nine was all Pam Simpson as she made three birdies to card a final round 3-under par 69.

Patsy Byrnes and Sandy Pepper battled to the finish in the Senior Division Net Championship.  Pepper had a very strong back nine on day 2, but it was not enough to surpass the lead Byrnes had built by opening the round with a net eagle and closing the front nine with a net birdie.  Byrnes claimed her first Overall Net title by one stroke.

Phyllis Fast began round two leading Judy Morris by one stroke after a very solid 80 on the opening day.  She continued her steady play and carded 80 again in round two.  Morris finished with an uncharacteristic 88.  Fast cruised to a seven-stroke victory to claim her second Super Senior Championship.

Karen Brower began round two with the lead in the Super Senior Net Championship, but Deyonne Pickerign made a charge with a superb second round score.  Pickerign opened the round with a net 6-under par on the front nine, and continued to charge on the back.  Brower held on to her lead by three strokes with strong play on the final five holes.  This is Karen Brower’s first Super Senior Net title.

The 2019 KGA/KCGA Women’s Player of the Year Series concludes in October with the final two events – Fall Triple Threat at Terradyne CC in Andover, KS on October 14, and the US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier.  Rachel Stous of Topeka sits atop the Women’s Player of the Year standings, and Susan DeVoe leads the Senior Women’s Player of the Year list heading into the final month.

DeVoe Leads Day 1 of Kansas Women’s Senior Championship With Only Sub-Par Round of the Day

Day one of the Kansas Women’s Senior/Super Senior Championship kicked off at Falcon Lakes Golf Club in Basehor, Kansas on Monday morning with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun.

60 ladies squared off in individual stroke-play in hot, humid conditions on round one of the two-day championship. In the Senior division, 2018 Senior Runner Up, Susan DeVoe of Overland Park, shot the only under-par, gross round of the day to lead the field. DeVoe’s impressive one-under, 71, was highlighted by three birdies and two bogeys. Defending Champion, Denise Desilet of Wichita, finished in second place by two strokes with a one-over, 73, that featured three birdies and four bogeys. Pam Simpson of Kansas City rounded out the top three in the Senior division after a two-over, 74.

In our Super Senior division, Phyllis Fast of Topeka, finished as the leader in the clubhouse with a round of 80 (+8). Fast’s round was highlighted by two birdies on the back nine on Holes 11 & 14. Judy Morris of Derby finished second in the Super Senior division after round one by one stroke with a round of 81. Darlene Allen of Topeka capped off the top three with a ten-over, 82, heading into round two of competition.

Our net division leaders after 18 holes of competition are Patsy Byrnes of Overland Park, Kansas, in the Senior division with a day one score of 63, and Karen Brower of Shawnee, Kansas, with a round one score of 59 to lead the Super Senior net race.

Full results can be found here!

Follow along tomorrow as we conclude the 2019 Kansas Women’s Senior/Super Senior Championship!

Junior Golf Year in Review

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1 – First KS Girls Match Play Championship: Shauna Lee

2 – Holes In One: Faith Hedges & Nick Nickloy

3 – Top Ten Junior Finishers in Watson Challenge: Nicklaus Mason, Davis Cooper, Jack Lee

+3.22 – Average Handicap Index of Members on KS/NE Cup Team

4 – Strokes Under Par Cooper Schultz Shot to Win KS Junior Amateur

5 – Position Low Junior Finished in KS Women’s Amateur: Megan Propeck

6 – Total Under Par Will Harding Shot to Win KC Junior Championship

11 – Members of the KC Junior Ambassador Team

14 – Age of Youngest Player in the KS Amateur field (Ty Adkins)

24 – Girls in KS Junior Amateur

25 – Juniors in KC Amateur field

32 – Number of Juniors Qualified for KS Amateur

80 – Number of Players in KJGA Tour Championship

112.7 – Average Field of a KC Junior Tour event

143 – Winning Score of Lois Deeter in Sunflower Girls Championship

159 – Two Day Total for Prairie Invitational Player Division Champion Maggie King

789.33 – Number of Points Tate Herrenbruck Has on Boys Player of the Year List

2065.5 – Number of Points Julia Misemer Has on Girls Player of the Year List

World Handicap System | FAQ

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World Handicap System FAQ

You have a question, we have the answer.

Will my score history be migrated to the new system? As long as you have previously had a USGA Handicap Index, all of your past scoring history will be migrated – whether you want it to or not. ?

Will I get a new Handicap Index when WHS goes live in January 2020? Maybe. There is no guarantee that your index will change, but it most likely will. In some cases, your index will go up. For other golfers, your index might go down. Just remember that the WHS will be a more accurate, inclusive, and fair system.

What is a “Low Handicap Index”? We’re glad you asked. Low Handicap Index will be a key component of the World Handicap System.  A golfer’s handicap index is subject to a soft cap from the low handicap index over the prior year once it rises three strokes.  A handicap index is subject to a hard cap of no more than five strokes higher than the low handicap index over the previous year.

Many tournaments currently use the low handicap index over the prior year for events like the Member/Guest.  It is important to note that the World Handicap System is a new formula, so the low handicap index for every golfer as it pertains to the World Handicap System will be set on the first day of its implementation in January 2020.  In order for the low handicap index to become a part of a golfer’s handicap index,  the golfer must have 20 scores in the scoring record.

Please have your tournament committees carefully consider how to implement this particular feature for the year 2020.  Feel free to reach out to us with any questions.  We are happy to be available for committee meetings by phone or Skype if necessary to answer any questions related to this new component of the WHS.

Will the active handicap season change? Nope. We are still operating from March 1 – December 31 à that means you can post your score when you play golf during our active season. Be sure to check if the state you’re playing in is observing an active season – you can always post your score when it is an active season where you played golf.

All this talk about the Handicap System has me wanting to establish a Handicap Index. How can I do that? You can join at your local club or through an Eclub Here.

If you do not see your question listed on this page, please contact baile@kcgolf.org

Campbell Wins Kansas Women’s Amateur by 6 Strokes

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Prairie Dunes CC, Hutchinson, KS –

Round 3 Update:

Campbell Wins Kansas Women’s Amateur by 6 Strokes

Alanna Campbell kept her lead throughout the day at the Kansas Women’s Amateur Tuesday. Campbell came into the day with all eyes on her to make a stunning victory at Prairie Dunes Country Club on the 100th Anniversary of the event. Campbell will add her name to the trophy that includes names such as Marilynn Smith and Judy Bell. She finished the tournament with rounds 73-66-72 (211), winning the event by 6 strokes over Rachel Stous. Stous was four-over-par on the day finishing at 73-68-76 (217), earning her Runner Up status.

Sera Tadokoro made strides throughout her day shooting 71 (-1), after birdies on holes 3, 5, 7, and 11 with an unfortunate double bogey finish on hole 18. Tadokoro finished in 3rd Place.

Kenni Henson of Derby, Kansas, finished her day under par after having only two bogies and three birdies on her scorecard. Henson finished in 4th place with a three day total of 75-75-71 (221).

Megan Propeck won the Low Junior Competition, after shooting 74-72-77 (223). Propeck finished in 5th overall and won Low Junior by 3 shots over Julia Misemer (226).

There were two Holes-In-One on Tuesday. Megan Lucas made her ace on 10th hole with her 7-iron from 160 yards. Faith Hedges made her ace on the 4th hole, just minutes after Lucas made hers. Hedges used her 5-iron from 150 yards.

The Kansas Golf Association thanks all the players, volunteers, and staff at Prairie Dunes Country Club. The 2020 Kansas Women’s Amateur Venue will be announced in the soon future.

 

Round 2 Update:

Alanna Campbell Leads at -5

As the weather was heating up, so was the leaderboard this afternoon at The Kansas Women’s Amateur.

Leading the way was Alanna Campbell with eight birdies on her round, shooting 66 (-6). Campbell had back-to-back birdies on holes 2&3, 5&6, and 11&12. She also had birdies on holes 9 and 18. The incoming Junior at Iowa State University, is not unfamiliar with having a scorecard full of birdies. Campbell had 90 birdies during the 2018-2019 collegiate season, with 9 coming from her round at the Mountain View Collegiate.

Rachel Stous, KC Women’s Match Play Champion and Fore-State Team Member, had an impressive afternoon. Making her way to solo second place, Stous had a bogey free round this afternoon and shot 68 (-4). Key holes on her day were birdies 5&6, the 13th hole where she saved par by making an up and down and birdies on 11&18.

Megan Propeck had a good afternoon, shooting even par and moving herself up the leaderboard. Propeck continues to lead the Low Junior Competition going into the final round tomorrow.

Sera Tadokoro finished the 36-hole day with a total at three-over-par, after shooting even par during Round 1.

Megan Whittaker, Round 1 Leader, moved a few spots back after shooting 78 (+6) during her second round of the day.

With a lot of excitement at the top of the leaderboard, all eyes will be on Campbell and Stous tomorrow as they take on the final round of The 2019 Kansas Women’s Amateur

Round 1 Update:

Whittaker Leads After Round 1

Blue skies and calm winds made for an exciting morning at The 2019 Kansas Women’s Amateur this morning at Prairie Dunes Country Club. With a field composed of 60 elite female amateur golfers, all competing for the title shared by great names such as Marilynn Smith and Judy Bell.  This marks the 100th anniversary of the championship, first played in 1919.

Round 1 was led by Megan Whittaker of Elkhorn, Nebraska. Whittaker started her round with a bogey on the par-3, 10th hole finishing her front-9 at one-over-par. She made great strides on her back nine, after birdieing hole 2 and making an eagle on the par-5, fifth hole. Whittaker finished her round shooting 71 (-1).

Sera Tadokoro, incoming Junior on the University of Kansas Women’s Golf Team, was just one shot back from Whittaker after the first round. Key holes for Tadokoro included three birdies in a row on holes 4-6. Other notable players include, Alanna Campbell and Rachel Stous who are tied for 3rd place after shooting 73 (+1).

Megan Propeck leads the Low Junior by 3 shots after this morning. Propeck made key birdies on holes 5, 11, and 13, shooting 74 (+2). Julia Misemer and Kayla Pfitzner were tied for second place in the Low Junior competition; both shot 77 (+5).

With another round in progress for this afternoon, a new set of leaders will emerge. The tournament will conclude on Tuesday afternoon. View results: http://www.kansascitygolfer.org/2019-kansas-womens-amateur/

Allen Comes From Behind to Defend KC Amateur Title

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Blake Allen Comes From Behind to Defend KC Amateur Title

Championship Sunday at the Kansas City Amateur was one for the books. At the beginning of the day our top three competitors were Zach Sokolosky (-1), Joe Bultman (-2), and Sam Parrott (-4). Blake Allen had a different plan however, after making the turn with a four-under, front nine of 32. Allen’s birdies on Hole 5, 6, 8, and 9 catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard.

Our final group all made the turn at even par or higher, and Allen found himself with a two-shot lead over Sam Parrott through nine holes. Allen’s run continued on the back nine with another three birdies and a hole-out eagle on the Par-4, 16th hole. Two bogeys would temper the back nine and put Allen in the clubhouse with an amazing seven-under round of 65 and make him the leader in the clubhouse.

Parrott, Sokolosky, and Bultman yet to finish all came in over par for their round on the day. Parrott carded a 76 (+4), Sokolosky a 73 (+2), and Bultman a 76 (+4). Sokolosky and Parrot ended the tournament in a tie for second place with a three-day total of 216 (E). Grant Herrenbruck finished solo fourth place with an even-par third round of 72. Joe Bultman finished out the top five with a three-day total of 218. Justin Wingerter finished as our low junior of the tournament with a three-day total of 219 (+3).

Blake Allen’s great round of 65, the second lowest round of the tournament, gave him a seven-shot victory and his second, consecutive Kansas City Amateur title with a three-day total of 209 (-7).

Steve Grooms Wins Yet Another KC Amateur Senior Title

Steve Groom held on to his lead heading into day three of the KC Amateur. Despite a double bogey on 18, Groom’s two birdies helped card him a round of 75 (+3) and secured him another KC Amateur Senior title – a title he’s won at least 6 times. Jay Gregory made the biggest move of the day with a one-under round of 71 to get in the clubhouse with a 228 (+12). Groom followed in with a good round to win the title by four strokes with a 224 total (+8).

Don Kuehn Wins Legend Division by 8 Strokes

Don Kuehn followed up his great second round of 68, with another solid round of 72 (E). Kuehn had six birdies on the day that offset a couple mistakes to end with a 72 and win the Legends division by 8 strokes over Bob Bezek. Bezek had a great tournament with rounds of 72, 78, and 76 to finish at solo second with a 226 (+10). David Hornaday finished in third place with rounds of 75, 70, and 83 (228).

Derryck Curchin Wins First KC Amateur Players Title

Curchin put up his second-best round of the tournament with a 76 to secure his victory over Mark Pesek by three strokes. Curchin’s round was highlighted by two birdies on the day and gave him a three-day total of 231. Mark Pesek followed closely behind with rounds of 75, 83, 76 to finish solo second with 234.

It was a great finish for the 2019 KC Amateur Championship, and we wish a congratulations to all of our winners today. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible and we hope to see everyone back at Creekmoor next year at the end of July for the 2020 KC Amateur Championship!

Moving Day Brings New Leader, Parrot, at KC Amateur

Round two of the KC Amateur saw a lot of shakeups at the top of the leaderboard, including a new leader in the clubhouse.

After shooting an eight-under, 64, Zach Sokolosky struggled a little today and carded a seven-over, 79, for a two-day total of 143 (-1). Sam Parrott, who began the day tied for second at three under, shot a one-under round of 71 that featured a double bogey and three birdies. Parrot’s two-day total of 140 (-4) was enough to give him the lead heading into Sunday by two strokes.

Joe Bultman led a big charge on day two with the low round for the day of four under (68). With only one bogey and five birdies, Bultman shot up the leaderboard with a two-day total of 142 (-2) and in second place. Sokolosky is only three shots back and in solo third place heading into Championship Sunday.

Zach VanDolah and Blake Allen are tied for fourth at even par, 144. VanDolah shot a one-under, 71, to get himself into contention and only four shots back. Defending champion, Blake Allen, is also only four shots back after a one-over, 73.

Ryne Fisher tied for the low round of the day with Joe Bultman after shooting a 68 (-4) after two bogeys and six birdies. Fisher’s round was good enough to shoot himself up the leaderboard and into tied for eighth and six shots back.

Overall, eight players carded an under-par round on day two and only three players currently sit in the red after two days. The cut for the Open was determined by the low 36 and ties to advance to Sunday and play for the title.

Steve Groom Leads Senior Division

Steve Groom had the second lowest round of the day with a three-over, 75 to make his two-day total of 149 to lead the Senior division by one stroke over John Scarsella. Scarsella’s up and down round of three birdies, five bogeys and a double for 76 has him in second place over Mark Addington by one stroke. Addington had a two-over, 74, to add to his day one, 77, for a total of 151. All three players are no stranger to KCGA competitions and it will be a close finish tomorrow for Championship Sunday.

Hornaday and Curchin Hope to Hold on in Legends & Players

David Hornaday shot a two-under round of 70 to complete his two-day total of 145 (+1) and find himself on top of the leaderboard thanks to five birdies and three bogeys. Don Kuehn shot himself into contention with a four-under round of 68 that was bogey-free and put him in solo second at 146 (+2). Bob Bezek and Thomas Leonard sit tied for third at a two-day total of 150.

Derryck Curchin leads the Players division by three strokes with rounds of 75 & 80 (155). Mark Pesek is in close second place with rounds of 75 & 83 (158).

All divisions will play tomorrow morning starting at 8:00 am. Live scoring will be available through the Golf Genius app using 19KCAM or on our KCGA homepage.

It’s going to be an exciting finish!

Sokolosky Cards Bogey-Free 64 to Lead Day One at KC Amateur

The 2019 Kansas City Amateur kicked off on Friday July 26th at the Golf Club of Creekmoor in Raymore, Missouri with 140 players competing in four different divisions: the Open, Players, Seniors and Legends.

91 players consisted of the Open division, gross-only division playing from approximately 7,000 yards in windy conditions. 3 players carded even-par rounds of 72, sitting at tied for seventh: Mark Terranova, Justin Wingerter, and Matt Kelley. Only 6 players carded an under-par round for the first day of competition. Grant Grego, Grant Herrenbruck, and defending champion Blake Allen all tied for fourth with rounds of one-under, 71. Between the three players, eight bogeys were carded on the day and ten birdies. Grego’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the Par-5, 5th hole.

Tied for second after Round 1 was Brent Mertz and Sam Parrott, who both shot three-under, 69. Both Parrot and Mertz finished with five birdies on their round and two bogeys. The leader in the clubhouse came from Zach Sokolosky, Kansas University golfer, who carded an amazing round of 64 (-8), tying the course record in a competition round. Sokolosky’s bogey-free round featured eight birdies, five of them coming on the back nine. Sokolosky has a five shot lead and tees off at 1:21 pm on day two.

Brett Allen Leads Senior Division

18 players battled it out in the Senior division, a gross-only scoring division for players 50 and older playing from approximately 6600 yards. The low round of the day came from Brett Allen with a one-over, 73 that featured three bogeys and two birdies. John Scarsella and Steve Groom tied for second with two-over, 74’s.

Bezek Shoots Even Par for Low Round in Legends Division

15 players comprised the Legends division, a gross and net scoring division for players 60 and older that played from approximately 6,000 yards. Bob Bezek leads the Legends division after an even-par, 72 round that featured four birdies, two bogeys and a double. David Hornaday and Tom Freitag both carded rounds of 3-over, 75, to tie for second.

Tie for First in Players Division

16 players made up the Players division, a gross and net scoring division that played from about 6600 yards. After round one, the Players division saw a tie for first. Derryck Curchin and Mark Pesek both shot three-over rounds of 75. Curchin’s round was highlighted by three birdies. Pesek had two birdies on his round as well. Brian Moeller and Thai Hong tied for third with rounds of 81.

Round Two begins Saturday, July 27th at 7:30 am and will go until 2:51 pm. Follow along with live scoring using the Golf Genius app and 19KCAM or with the portal here! Following round two, a cut in each division will be made for Sunday. In the Open division, the top 36 and ties will move on to Sunday. In the Seniors and Players, the top 12 and ties will advance and the top 9 and ties will make Sunday in the Legends division.

The 2019 Prairie Invitational Recap

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Sarah Bell Claims The Cusick Family Trophy

A Champion has been decided after the third and final round of The Prairie Invitational. Sarah Bell, of Jackson, Missouri, won the championship by 2 strokes over Sera Tadokoro. Bell found herself in the lead on the back nine after making back-to-back birdies on holes 13 and 14. Bell knew she was in the lead after someone mentioned it to her on the 17th hole. Feeling pressure going into 18, she said to herself “Sarah, it’s your last hole, just stay mentally strong. Don’t think about anything, just play this like it’s a normal hole,” and she did just that. Finishing her round with a par secured her as the leader in the clubhouse. Bell shot 74-78-71-223 and was the only golfer in the field to shoot under par during the tournament.

Tadokoro started the round as the leader and fell a couple of shots back after a double bogey on the 16th hole. She earned her Runner Up title, shooting 74-74-77-225.

Other notable players include Whitney Pyle who finished in 3rd Place shooting 77-76-74-227. 2017 Prairie Invitational Champion, Kristen Samp won the Midwest Section PGA Champion Award which is the award given to the best player in the field representing the Midwest Section PGA; Samp shot 77-75-77-229. The Low Junior Award was given to Danica Badura of Aurora, Nebraska for shooting 76-79-79-234 and the Low Senior Award was given to 7-time USGA Champion, Ellen Port who shot 79-75-77-231.

For full results: http://www.kansascitygolfer.org/2019-prairie-invitational-recap/

Players Division Champions Awarded, Top 21 Open Division players move onto Round 3

Players Division

Maggie King took home The Prairie Invitational Players Division Championship Title by four shots over Neely Adler. King, a Junior at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, shot 80-79-159 with impressive birdies today on holes 8 and 16. Audrey Rischer of Columbia, Missouri finished in 3rd place shooting 83-84-167. Jaclyn Koziol of Loch Lloyd, Missouri and Lauren Muller of Blue Springs, Missouri tied for fourth.

Jacci Kelly of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, was the Players Division Net Champion. With net scores of 71-73-144 she took the championship by 7 shots over Harley Hiltibrand or Brule, Nebraska.  Judy Moning of Raymore, Missouri finished in third place, and Sandra Pepper of Leavenworth, Kansas and Izzy Puk of Omaha, Nebraska tied for fourth place.

Open Division

21 Players in the Open Division will continue to Round 3 at The National Golf Club of Kansas City. Sera Tadokora leads the division shooting two rounds of 74. Tadakoro had a strong front 9 with two birdies and seven pars.

Aristelle Acuff is right behind Tadokoro by one stroke. Acuff made strides throughout her round bringing in 5 birdies on her day. Gianna Augustine, Rachel Stous, and Kenni Henson share 3rd place with two-day totals of 151, 3 shots back from the lead. Augustine birdied her first three holes of the day, though she struggled throughout the front 9, she played consistently on the back 9. Henson also had an impressive back 9, shooting (-2), 34.

2016, 2017, and 2018 Prairie Invitational Champions, Kayla Eckelkamp, Kristen Samp, and Emma Whitaker, are all four shots back from the lead. Going into the final round, many players are within reach of The 2019 Prairie Invitational Title.

Rigsby, Bell, and Tadokoro Lead The Prairie Invitational after Round 1

Cooler than usual temperatures and moderate winds made for a perfect day of golf at The National Golf Club of Kansas City.

In the Open Division, several golfers ended their round tied for the lead at (+2) 74. Abigail Rigsby was the early leader after birdieing her opening hole and getting an eagle on her second hole of the day. Sarah Bell, Sophomore at Oral Roberts University, got off to a hot start birdieing her first two holes. Sera Tadokoro, the University of Kansas Junior, also had a great round finishing even par on the front nine and two over on the back.

The 2016 Prairie Invitational Champion, Kayla Eckelcamp, Gianna Augustine and Rachel Stous are tied for 4th, (+3) 75.

Gianna Augustine

Rounding out the top ten was the 2018 Prairie Invitational Champion, Emma Whitaker, along with Danica Badura and Aristelle Acuff all are tied for 7th place, (+4) 76.

With the top of the leaderboard crowded, the Cusick Family Trophy is still within reach for many Open Division Competitors.

The Players Division

Maggie King (+8)  leads the Players Division by one stroke over Neely Adler (+9) after the first round. Following her double-bogey start, King made her comeback on the back nine shooting even par. Adler had an exciting beginning with an eagle on the par 5, second hole and had birdies on holes 8 and 15.

Harley Hiltibrand, Sam Maceli, and Audrey Rischer are tied for 3rd place at (+11) 83.

Other notable players include the 2018 Players Division Champion, Hope Robinette (+16). Robinette is currently tied for 11th place. 2017 Players Division Champion, Barbara Cusick (+18) is tied for 16th place.

 

Danica Badura hits her third shot into the green on hole 18 at The National Golf Club of Kansas City

Follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook tomorrow for updates @prairieinvitational for live scoring click here.

Addington, Dillon, and Johnson Take the Triple Crown

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This weekend at Swope Memorial, the KCGA crowned three more champions in 2019. The Senior and Junior Match Play Championship were played in conjunction with each other and all began with an 18-hole, stroke-play qualifying round to determine the top 16 players in each division to move on to match play that afternoon.

In the Senior division, Ed Brown finished with the low qualifying round with a four-under, 68, in a round that featured 7 birdies and three bogeys to capture the first seed heading in to match play. Steve Groom finished as the 2 seed with a two-under, 70. The top 16 faced off Friday afternoon and the lower seed took 5 out of the 8 matches. Upsets included David Rismiller (12) over John Scarsella (5) and Dennis Keglovits (14) over Kevin Handlan (3). The 1 & 2 seed, Brown and Groom, both moved on with convincing wins.

For the Quarterfinal round, the lower seed took all 4 matches, including the 1 and 2 seed. Mark Addington (4) took down David Rismiller 5 and 4 to advance to the semifinals. Groom defeated Mike Steiert 2 and 1 while Brown narrowly advanced with a 24 hole win over Ritch Nigh. The semifinal round took place Saturday afternoon featuring matches between Ed Brown (1) vs Mark Addington (4) and Steve Groom (2) vs Brian Schorgl (11).

Ed Brown’s run came to an end when his meeting with Addington ended in a 3 & 2 defeat. Addington got out to a hot start winning the first four holes and followed it up with a win on Hole #7 to go 5 up over Brown. Brown fought back winning Holes 8, 10, and 13 to cut the lead to 2 up. Addington won Hole 14 to go 3 up with four to go and Brown was unable to win Hole 16 which ultimately sealed the deal. The 2 seed, Groom, would also fail to make the final match after a 3 & 2 defeat to Brian Schorgl. It was a back and forth match the whole way as Groom and Schorgl traded holes 3, 6, 8, and 9. On the back nine, Schorgl started off quick, winning Hole 10 with a birdie and kept the momentum going with a win on Hole 14 & 15 to go 3 up over Groom heading in to Hole 16. With Groom unable to win Hole 16, Schorgl advanced to the finals on Sunday with a 3 & 2 win.

In the Senior final, Addington again worked quickly, winning Holes 1 & 2 and following it up with a win on Hole 7. Schorgl fought back with a birdie on Hole 10, but Addington would cancel it out with a win on Hole 11 to keep his 3 up lead. Addington’s great play continued throughout the back nine and sealed his win with a win on Hole 14 to go 4 up with 4 holes remaining. Schorgl could not win Hole 15 and the winner was decided. Mark Addington played great all weekend, something the KCGA is used to by now, to become the 2019 KC Senior Match Play Champion!

In our Junior Match Play, stroke-play qualifying turned some really low scores. In the girls division, Caroline Setter earned the one seed with a four-over, 76, followed by Averi Mickelson (77), Jaclyn Koziol (78), and Maggie King/Victoria Klausner (79). In the boys division, Tanner Collins turned in the low round of qualifying with a great four-under 68, followed by Cole Elling/Calvin Dillon (69), and a four way tie for fourth between Michael Bessenbacher, Justin Wingerter, Davis Cooper, and Blake Mullen (71).

In the Boys Round of 16, the low seed took five out of the eight matches. 1 seed Tanner Collins cruised to victory over Connor Hanrahan (16) with a 3 & 2 victory. Daniel Duffin (8) took out Griffin Brassell (9) with a 5 & 3 win. Justin Wingerter (5) defeated Liam Coughlin (12) after a 2 & 1 win and Calvin Dillon (2) cruised past Kobe Jenkins (15) with a 4 & 3 victory.

Daniel Duffin upset Tanner Collins (1) in the Quarterfinal round Friday morning, 3 & 2. Wingerter stayed hot and defeated John Gardner (13), 2 & 1. Ian McCrary (14) upset Blake Mullen (6) after a 5 & 4 win and Calvin Dillon cruised by Zach Molzer (10), 3 & 2, to set up a great semifinal match up. Friday afternoon, the semifinal round began between Daniel Duffin (8) vs Justin Wingerter (5) and Calvin Dillon (2) vs Ian McCrary (14). Ian McCrary’s underdog run would come to an end thanks to Calvin Dillon, who would advance to the final match after a narrow 3 & 1 victory. Wingerter took care of Duffin handily with a 5 & 4 to punch his ticket to the Boys Junior Match Play finals against Dillon.

Sunday morning, the final round began with a back and forth opening nine. Dillon would find himself 2 up after 3 holes, only to lose the lead over Hole 4 & 5. Another quick bounce back for Dillon would increase his lead again to 2 up after winning Holes 6 & 7. Wingerter fought back with a par on Hole 9 to decrease the lead to 1 up. The back side was a little more one sided as Dillon won Hole 11 and 12 after Wingerter struggled a bit. Justin battled with a win on Hole 13 with a clutch par save, but Dillon would grab another hole with 15. Dillon was able to hold off Wingerter on the par-3, Hole 16 to claim his 2019 Boys Match Play Champion title!

In the Girls Round of 16, the low seed only took 3 out of the 8 matches. 1 seed Caroline Setter was victorious over Kayla Kimbley, 4 & 2. Victoria Klausner (4) would also handle business over Sam Maceli (13), 3 & 1. Averi Mickelson also narrowly took her first round match over Lauren Muller (15), 1 up. Upsets included Lia Johnson (11) over Vera Bohning (6), 3 & 1, Hope Robinett (12) over Maggie King (5), 1 up, and Hanna Robinett (14) over Jaclyn Koziol (3), 2 & 1.

In the Saturday morning quarterfinals, Caroline Setter (1) would see her match play run end after losing to Libby Green (9), 5 & 4. Averi Mickelson (2) also saw her run end with a 3 & 2 defeat to the 10 seed, Abby Howard. Lia Johnson (11) advanced to the semifinal round after beating Hanna Robinett, 6 & 5. Her sister, Hope, would also lose to Victoria Klausner in a close 2 & 1 match. Saturday’s semifinal round looked like this: Libby Green (9) vs Victoria Klausner (4) and Abby Howard (10) vs Lia Johnson (11).

Both semifinal matches were back and forth contests. Lia Johnson after being two up through two holes, would trade holes with Howard on 3, 4, and 5 to see her lead diminish to 1 up after 5. Johnson saw some momentum shift her way after winning Holes 8, 9 and 10 to go 4 up over Howard. Howard tried to gain ground on Johnson with a win on Hole 11, but after halving the next three holes and losing Hole 15, Johnson punched her ticket to the finals. In the second semifinal, Klausner saw herself down 1 after Hole 6, but quickly grabbed Holes 7-11 to go 3 up over Green. Green would earn Holes 11 & 12, but Klausner bounced back with a win on Hole 13 to stay 2 up. Klausner would win Holes 15 & 16 with two pars to defeat Green 4 and 2 and face Johnson in the Sunday final.

The Sunday Girls final would prove to be the closest of three. Klausner and Johnson traded Holes 3 through 6 and would head in to Hole 9, all square. Klausner struggled a little bit and left the door open for Johnson to grab Holes 9-11 and go 3 up. Klausner proved to be a true competitor as she battled throughout the back nine and took three out of the next four holes to get the match to all square heading in to Hole 16. With a par on 16, Johnson would again go 1 up over Klausner with two holes to play. With a great second shot on Hole 17, Klausner found herself putting for birdie to win the hole and head to 18, all square. She ended up with a par, but was still good enough to win the hole and even the match. Johnson needed a clutch par save on the 18th green to tie the hole and continue the match to extra holes. Sinking a 10 footer, Johnson did just that. Klausner and Johnson fought for three more holes (21st hole) to decide the 2019 Girls Match Play Champion. With a par on Hole 3, the 21st hole of the match, Johnson would take the crown over a hard fought match by Victoria Klausner.

It was a great weekend with all three events going on together. We hope the entire field had a great time this weekend battling it out in match play. Thank you to Swope Memorial for hosting another great event. Congratulations to our match play champions: Mark Addington, Calvin Dillon, and Lia Johnson!

Davis Cooper Wins Prestigious Golf Honor to Add to Great Year

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Davis Cooper, Blue Valley North golfer, recently received a prestigious golf honor – the Kenneth Smith Award. The award is presented annually to the top high school golfer who demonstrates excellence in academics, leadership, community service, and golf. Cooper is the first Mustang to ever win the award. $5,000 was donated to the First Tee in Cooper’s name as a result of winning the Kenneth Smith Award.

On top of placing fifth at the Kansas 6A state tournament this spring, Cooper also recently won his first AJGA event at the Kyle Stanley Championship and finished in the top 10 in the Watson Challenge. Cooper is also participating in the 2019 Kansas Amateur this week at Milburn Country Club.

Despite some personal hardships, Cooper has worked extremely hard to improve his game and we are extremely proud of all the success he has had. The award couldn’t have gone to a more deserving player.

Cooper is currently verbally committed to play golf for the University of Kansas and will begin his senior year of high school at Blue Valley North in the fall. Good luck to Davis in his final year of school and also this week as he participates in the Kansas Amateur!

Karen Kornacki and KMBC 9 did a wonderful story on Cooper winning the Kenneth Smith Award. To see that feature, please see here.