First One Seed to Take Home KC Match Play Trophy

Monday morning began with two semi-final matches between Jay Gregory vs Zach VanDolah and Greg Diederich vs Sam Parrot.

VanDolah and Gregory battled on the front nine, seeing five lead changes. With a birdie on the Par-3, 6th hole, Gregory gained some momentum, winning the next two holes as well to go 3 up through 8. VanDolah stayed the course and with back-t0-back wins on Hole 11 and 12, VanDolah saw the lead diminish to just 1 up heading into Hole 13. Some great play from both competitiors, but VanDolah couldn’t grab another birdie and remained 1 down heading into Hole 18. With two bogeys, VanDolah and Gregory halved the hole, securing the semi-final victory for Gregory, 1 up.

In the second semi-final match, Diederich got off to an early start with three birdies in five holes to go 3 up over Sam Parrott through 5 holes. Parrott got one back with a birdie on the Par-3, 6th hole followed by three straight halves. Parrott would get the lead to 1 up with a par on Hole 10, only to lost holes 12 and 14 and go back down 3 with four holes to play. Parrott’s much needed birdie on Hole 15 got him within two, but a missed birdie putt on Hole 17 would secure the win for Diederich, 2 and 1.

The 1 seed, Gregory, was set to face the 7 seed, Diederich. With a birdie on #1, Diederich grabbed a quick lead over Gregory. With some great shot-making and putting, Gregory would win the next four holes in a row with three birdies and a par. Gregory’s great playing kept Diederich from getting the match back on track and after winning Holes 7,8, and 9, the fate of the match was sealed.

With a win on Hole 13, Gregory clinched his first KC Match Play victory and the first as a #1 seed. Gregory played consistently well all weekend and despite some close matches, took care of the field convincingly. Congratulations to Jay on his much deserved victory and to Greg Diederich as well on a great weekend of play.

Thank you to everyone at Swope Memorial and all of our volunteers for persevering through all the weather delays and helping to finish the tournament a day late. Here’s to next year!

KC Match Play Field Down to Final Four after Day 3 of Competition

The Round of 16 was completed on Sunday Morning at Swope Memorial Golf Course after a day’s suspension due to thunderstorms in the area all day Saturday. Players resumed play at 7:00 AM Sunday morning and it didn’t take long to figure out our 8 Quarter-finalists.

The lower seed took 6 out of the 8 morning matches. 1 seed Jay Gregory punched his ticket to the quarterfinals after a tight 1 up victory over Jon Dold. 21 seed dispatched Garret Allen with a 3 and 1 victory and the other Allen brother, Colton, lost to Jim Gates, 9 seed, 3 and 2.

7 seed Greg Diederich beat 10 seed Parker Miller handily 6 and 5. Mark Terranova’s match play run came to an end Sunday morning after losing to Sam Parrott 2 up.

The line up for the Quarterfinals looked like this:

Jay Gregory (1) vs Jim Gates (9) – Zach VanDolah (20) vs Tim Barry (21) – Alex Downing (18) vs Greg Diederich (7) – Sam Parrott (19) vs Brad Welch (11).

Jay Gregory take care of business over Jim Gates with a 5 and 4 win. Zach VanDolah put Tim Barry away on the par-3, 16th hole with a par, winning 3 and 2. Diederich continued his strong showing with a 2 and 1 victory over Alex Downing. Parrott was the last player to secure his spot in the Semi-Finals with a clutch par save on the Par-5, 17th hole after a wayward tee shot to go on and win 2 up.

The Semi-Finals of the KC Match Play will continue tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM with the Finals to follow in the afternoon. It will be an exciting finish as no one left in the field has yet to win the KC Match Play Championship before.

Follow along with live scoring in Golf Genius using the ID: 19KCMATCH.

Day 1 of the KC Match Play Brings Upsets in Round of 32

The 104^th Kansas City Match Play Championship began at Swope Memorial Friday morning with 18-hole stroke play qualifying to determine the 32 players to continue to match play.

The consistent breeze and thick rough made for tough conditions and the scores showed. Only four players carded a round under par: Ritch Nigh (-2), Jay Gregory (-2), Cameron Wiltse (-2), and Tanner Owen (-1).  The cut line was set at 77 (+5) with five players battling for two spots to advance to match play.

Luke Lutgen, Hank Simpson, Chris Beaubien, Jeff Mason, and Michael Armentrout all carded rounds of 77 and after two play-off holes, Lutgen and Simpson advanced to the Round of 32. Lutgen drew the 32 seed and Simpson the 31 seed to round out the field.

The Round of 32 began Friday afternoon and out of the 16 matches, the field saw 9 total upsets. Hank Simpson provided the biggest upset of the day as the 31 seed beating Cam Wiltse, the 2 seed with a 2 & 1 victory. Mark Terranova provided another big upset as the 30 seed taking out the 3 seed Ritch Nigh, 3 & 2. Terranova had a similar run in last year’s KC Match Play as the 32 seed defeating the 1 seed Park Ulrich.

Garret Allen as the 28 seed defeated Matthew Rau the 5 seed, 6 & 4 and the 27 seed Derryck Curchin took out the 6 seed in Clayton Moles 3 & 1. 21 seed Tim Barry had a close victory over 12 seed Patrick Roth, 1 up. 1 seed Jay Gregory’s match with 32 seed Luke Lutgen went the distance into 18 with Gregory winning 2 & 1.

The Round of 16 will begin Saturday morning at 7:30 AM. Follow along with the Golf Genius app with the code 19KCMATCH.

Read the 2019 KC Match Play Program here.

We sat down with two local KC golf professionals who also specialize in golf fitness. Both offer unique approaches to getting your game in shape. If you’ve been pondering the idea of putting in some hours at the gym, you should consider a more specialized approach with golf-specific training.

Austin Jarchow, PGA, TPI Golf 2 Expert – Martin City & Lee’s Summit

What is TPI?

Short for Titleist Performance Institute, TPI, is the leading educational organization dedicated to the body’s functionality in terms of how it relates to the golf swing. More specifically, it’s the relationship between how well you move and how efficient you swing a golf club.

What is different about training with TPI compared to other work out programs?

TPI and other fitness programs are designed to help improve the quality of life in terms of a move better feel better perspective. TPI takes this a step further and applies the new movements and flexibility we uncovered through training and then makes our movement more golf swing efficient. We ask questions like, ‘Now that we’re turning better, have a better hip hinge, stronger lower body, back doesn’t hurt, etc. how can we now take these benefits to increase our swing speed and ability to hit the ball more consistently?’

What other benefits can someone expect?

Other benefits can be varied based off an individual’s needs. Weight loss, lower blood pressure, better cholesterol scores, more energy, added strength throughout the body and higher overall quality of life can be expected. As always, you get what you put into the program.

“Specialized golf training is important to allow you specifically to work on what you as an individual need to improve in order to move better and play better golf,” Jarchow said.

Jarchow specializes in TPI training out of the Martin City Golf Center near Leawood, KS and Active Strength Co in Lee’s Summit. During an initial consultation, golfers can expect to gain valuable information about the specifics of their body and how it moves while swinging the club. From there, Jarchow will develop a one-of-a-kind program that is designed specifically for the golfer to improve problem areas. Golfers will be given 17-20 exercises tailored to their needs.

For more information about working with Austin Jarchow, you can visit his website: https://www.ajsfitnesscompany.com/

Sally Krystyn, LPGA, 200 YTT, TPI Level 3 – Lake Quivira & Overland Park

What makes Yoga for Golf different than other yoga classes?

Yoga for Golf includes more golf specific movements (a lot of stabilizing the hips and adding rotation) and relates movements to different aspects of the swing. Yoga for Golf focuses on stability, flexibility, mobility, balance, strength, and focus. Sometimes we use golf clubs as props and get to do a few swings at the end of class!

Why is Yoga so great for Golfers?

Yoga is great for golfers because there is such a high correlation to what we do in yoga to what we do in golf. There are many similar movements plus it works on breath, focusing of the mind and relaxation. A common problem many golfers suffer from is low back pain. Yoga helps keep the back healthy by strengthening the core and adding flexibility and mobility.

As we age, one of the things we lose the quickest is our balance. I try to incorporate balancing poses in all my yoga for golf classes. Balance is very important in the golf swing. Yoga can not only help us with our game now but it can help us keep playing golf longer. It helps keep the body healthy and moving well so we can enjoy the game for years to come!

What common misconceptions are there about yoga?

The most common misconceptions of yoga are that is just “stretching”. Yoga is so much more than stretching. If you think you won’t get a workout in, you’re wrong. It really depends on the class type you’re doing. Some yoga classes are high intensity and others are deep stretch and most are somewhere in between. Other misconceptions are ‘I am not flexible, so I can’t do yoga.’  The person who thinks that really needs to do yoga, so they can improve their flexibility.

Yoga mirrors many of the same concepts golf demands. Krystyn says, “besides the physical aspect, yoga can help create a sense of calm and peace, bring clarity, and increase mindfulness and awareness,” skills that are vital to any golfer seeking to improve their game.

Krystyn teaches golf and yoga at Lake Quivira Country Club. She also offers classes at EverGlow Yoga Studio, Lifetime Fitness Overland Park,  and private individual or group classes. She can be contacted via email golfwithsally@gmail.com.

Do you know a local professional who specializes in golf who we should feature? Have you heard a story that should be shared? Contact us!

Two US Open Local qualifiers were held this week at Creekmoor Golf Course in Raymore, Missouri and Wichita Country Club in Wichita, KS. Each qualifier held three spots to move on to US Open Sectional qualifying.

At Creekmoor, 60 players fought for three qualifying spots. The first two spots were claimed by Jack Maguire and Matt Echelmeier, who both carded three-under 69. Maguire had six birdies on the day with three bogeys. Echelmeier similarly had five birdies with two bogeys.

The last qualifier from Creekmoor came from the last group on the course to the dismay of five players sitting at the next best score of even par, 72. Kyle Long shot a two-under, 70, despite the other two guys in his group shooting above 90. Long’s two birdies and an eagle on the Par-5, 13th helped him to advance by claiming the final qualifying spot.

At Wichita CC, 59 players competed through two weather delays, including a postponement to the next day. After players returned to finish their round on Day 2 of competition, five players carded three-under 68. Fisher Vollendorf, Kevin Ward, Nick Heinen, Curtis Yonke, and Drew Shepherd all were forced in to a playoff to determine the three who would advance to Sectional qualifying and who would be the first and second alternate.

After the first playoff hole, Curtis Yonke was eliminated and given the second alternate spot with a bogey on Hole 1 at Wichita CC.

The four players remaining continued to Hole 18 where Drew Shepherd made a bogey after a wayward drive kept him from getting it up and down for par. Shepherd claimed the first alternate position and Vollendorf, Ward, and Heinen grabbed a qualifying spot to Sectionals.

Good luck to all six players who qualified. For a field of results for each qualifier, see here and here.

 

LAWRENCE, KS (May 6, 2019) – Megan Lucas and Abby Glynn, both of Topeka, took home the Overall Gross title at the Women’s Spring Triple Threat held at Lawrence CC.  The pair carded a strong 4-under par to cruise to the title.  Megan Lucas drove the green on the difficult par-4 16th and made the eagle putt to seal their victory.

Erin Priddy and Karen Hass took the Overall Net title.  Their 8-under par performance was very strong on a difficult course which yielded only four sub-par net scores.  Narrow fairways, long rough, and undulating greens proved to be a challenge for the entire field.  Steady play in all three formats kept Priddy and Hass atop the net leaderboard for most of the day.

The Spring Triple Threat is comprised of six holes of Four-Ball, six holes of Chapman Alternate Shot, and six holes of Scramble.  It is the first counting event for the 2019 Women’s Player of the Year and Senior Women’s Player of the Year Series.  The series will conclude with the Fall Triple Threat in the same format at Terradyne CC in Andover, Kansas in mid-October.

Click Here for Complete Gross/Net Tournament Results in Overall and Flighted Divisions

Click Here for 2019 Women’s/Senior Women’s Player of the Year Standings

Karen Shippy

Every year the KCGA reflects on the efforts of all our hard-working volunteers and crowns a Volunteer of the Year. Our volunteer staff puts in countless hours to help us conduct our overflowing calendar of events. Without them, the KCGA couldn’t be successful.

The 2018 Volunteer of the Year is a long-standing member of the golf community both as an avid golfer herself and a tenured volunteer with the golf association. After encouragement from KCGA board member Mary Jane Barnes, Karen Shippy decided to get involved serving on the board and in volunteering after retiring in 1998.

“I thought it would be interesting and I had a great respect for the organization and what they did so I said yes,” says Shippy.

Shippy believes she has broadened her horizons delving into the worlds of course rating and rules officiating. Her motivation to keep volunteering comes from her admiration of the association and the camaraderie between the other volunteers that she has come to know over the years.

“Many of the volunteers have been involved as long, or even longer, than I have. The association is so appreciative of their volunteers and they continue to acknowledge that at every opportunity,” praises Shippy.

“The other thing I must mention is that the KCGA Staff is one of the most professional, knowledgeable, and fun groups to be around.”

In mentioning the learning aspect of volunteering, Shippy believes that junior tour events are the best place to learn. Junior events can be unpredictable and provide some rulings you may never have thought would come up. Shippy thinks the KCGA ought to publish something about the crazy situations that come up.

“The group of juniors participating in our events is so impressive. My faith in the younger generation has been restored by meeting so many wonderful young people,” Shippy says of our junior players.

Shippy is a dual-threat volunteer as she assists with both rules officiating and course rating. The big difference between course rating from the rules is that volunteers don’t encounter situations similar to giving an unfavorable ruling. In course rating, there are less outside influences and involves discourse between a team or raters. When a team of course raters has a disagreement, Shippy says the team tends to “leave some chicken on the bone” and move on – a term she says only course raters would appreciate.

In Volunteer of the Year fashion, Shippy encourages all to consider joining the KCGA Volunteer group.

“It’s a very rewarding endeavor. We aren’t talking about dedicating your whole summer, but you can start off slow and see if it’s something that could become as addictive as it did for me.”

The Kansas City Golf Association would like to thank Karen Shippy as well as all of our volunteers for all of their hard work. Their dedication and passion for the sport and our players is something we take great pride in.

Karen Shippy is one of the many veteran volunteers that not only serve themselves but are positive influences towards other volunteers and players.

If you would like to get involved in volunteering as a rules official, contact Todd Stice at todd@kcgolf.org. If you would like to get involved as a course rater, contact Jacque Madison at jacque@kcgolf.org.

In honor of Masters week, take a look at these featured stories written by our historian, Jack Garvin. Both pieces center around great Masters traditions and historical events. One is a feature on Horton Smith, winner of the first and third Masters tournament. The other features the history of the 1968 Masters tournament in which Garvin describes life in the military and seeing Augusta for the first time.

Horton Smith Masters Winner

The 1968 Masters Tournament