Blog

Do You Want to Play College Golf?

Posted on

Junior Golf Blog Series - College Golf

Whether you’ve always wanted to play in college or you just started thinking about it, the process can feel overwhelming. Here are a few details to keep in mind.

The recruiting process is important.

Making a good impression with the coach and team are crucial during this process. One way to do this is to make sure you know what you can and can’t do by downloading a free copy of the NCAA 2018 -2019 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (NAIA Eligibility Center) and get certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Remember to smile, be friendly and answer questions that the coach may ask you. It is important for parents to allow their child to be the driver of this process (don’t let your parents answer questions for you).

Go to an information night.

The KCGA offers a College Golf Information Night each year. Coaches from regional universities and colleges come and discuss the ins and outs of the recruiting process. The next information night being offered is on January 17 in Wichita.

Make sure the school is the right fit.

There is no denying that going to college will be a transition. Be sure to choose a school that has the classes and support you need to get the degree you are looking for. Ask questions like “what support do you have if I’m struggling in a class?” or “am I required to go to study hall every day?”

Remember you are a student first and athlete second.

You won’t regret playing.

If you are on the fence whether to play in college, try to play! Playing golf in college will give you the opportunity to travel, make friendships, and overcome challenges. You will grow in every aspect of your life by becoming a student-athlete. When your four (or five years) come to a close, you will be so glad you made the choice to play.

Wherever you are in the recruiting process, remember to take the time to get to know each school you visit. Making the right decision is the first step to a successful college golf experience.

If you are still looking for more information about the recruiting process, be sure to sign up for the Winter College Golf Information Night.

KC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Posted on

Hall of Fame to induct four

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the honorees for this year’s class of the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame.

Well known golf professional and stand-out amateur Jim Colbert joins the hall on the strength of his Missouri Amateur (1963), Heart of America Four Ball (1964) and Kansas Amateur (1965) Championships as well as his record of 8 PGA TOUR and 20 PGA TOUR Champions victories.

For more than five decades Frank Kirk has served the golf community in Kansas City. He was a principal founder and Board member of the First Tee of Greater Kansas City, has served on the Boards of the KCGA, KGA and the Western Golf Association, and gives freely of his time and resources to various community organizations and foundations.

In the 1930’s and early 40’s there was no one in the women’s game in Kansas City to compare to Jean Pepper. She won six KC Women’s Match Play Championships, was runner-up twice (losing to Hall of Famers Opal Hill and Marian Gault) and won the Missouri Women’s Amateur three times in succession (1939, ’40 and ’41).

Beginning with this, the fourth class of the Hall of Fame, the committee has initiated a “Committee Selection” to recognize outstanding individuals whose accomplishments might otherwise “fly under the radar” in the normal nomination/election process.

This year’s Committee Selection is Maxine Johnson. After four runner-up finishes in the KC Women’s Match Play, Ms. Johnson captured the first of her seven championships in 1953. She won the Missouri Women’s Amateur in 1951, was runner-up in 1956 and defeated 2016 Hall of Fame inductee Karen Schull (MacGee) for the title in 1957. She also was a consistent performer in the LPGA’s KC Women’s Open, never finishing worse than T-5 low amateur in the six years she competed.

These outstanding individuals join a star-studded cross section of individuals who make up the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame. They include:

The 2013 class of Opal Hill, Miriam Burns (Horn), Bob Reid, Stan Thirsk, Leland “Duke Gibson, Chester Mendenhall and Tom Watson.

The 2014 inductees were Bob Stone, Karen Schull MacGee, and “The Foursome” a group of African-American golfers who played a major role in integrating public golf in Kansas City.

In 2016 we honored “The Father of Kansas City Golf” James Dalgleish, Marian Gault and Bill Ludwig.

When the committee was established in 2012, as part of the celebration of our first century serving the golf community in Kansas City, the charge was:

“…to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of area amateur and professional golfers, teaching professionals, golf course superintendents, pioneers of the game and others who have contributed to the success and growth of the game over the more than one-hundred years since the founding of the Kansas City Golf Association.”

As stewards of the game, we believe it is our responsibility to preserve our history and to recognize those who built the foundation of excellence on which we stand. The Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame is one of the ways we strive toward that goal.

The Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will be held at Mission Hills CC on November 17th. For those who wish to attend, register here. Attendance is $40. For any questions, email Doug Habel at doug@kcgolf.org.

Statement by Don Kuehn

2018 Player of the Year Recipients Announced

Posted on

The Kansas City Golf Association rewards exceptional play for our golfers through a season long points system that determines the Player of the Year for each division through the number of events played and how well a golfer placed in the events he/she played. Our points system also takes in to consideration the “weight” of each event – if it is a regional championship or USGA qualifier more points are available.

We have three Player of the Year awards for our men’s division and three for our women’s: Amateur Player of the Year, Senior Player of the Year and Junior Player of the Year.

Our Men’s Amateur POY for 2018 is Andy Spencer. Spencer is currently a junior on the Kansas University golf team and is no stranger to the KCGA limelight. Spencer is the winner of the 2017 and 2018 Watson Challenge and a semifinalist in the 2018 Kansas Amateur Championship. Spencer also qualified for the US Amateur at Pebble Beach. Spencer’s consistent play gave him a lead over second place finisher and KC Amateur Champion, Blake Allen.

Our Women’s Amateur POY for 2018 is Lacy Shelton. Shelton had another great year of golf with a third place finish in the Women’s Mid-Am Championship as well as a runner up finish in the Women’s Match Play. Shelton also qualified with her partner Megan Propeck with a five-under round of 65 in the 2019 US Women’s Four-Ball qualifying at Mission Hills CC. Shelton edged out Carmen Titus to win the honor.

Our Men’s Senior POY race was a close one between three or four of our top talents. Ultimately Mark Addington edged out Steve Groom for player of the year with a year that featured wins in the Stateline Championship and the Low Senior at the KC Amateur Championship. Addington had top five finishes in almost every tournament he competed in and was a semi-finalist in the KC Senior Match Play as well as tied for third in the Kansas Senior Amateur.

Pam Simpson has taken the Women’s Senior POY award over a close second finisher, Denise Desilet. Simpson’s season highlights include a semi-finalist finish in the Women’s Match Play and qualifying for the both the US Women’s Mid-Am and US Senior Women’s Amateur. Simpson is one of KC’s consistent qualifier for USGA events.

The 2018 Boys’ Player of the Year was decided upon by the Committee based on astounding play and finishes. The Committee decided that Justin Wingerter after winning both the KC Junior Championship and most recently the KC Masters, he bolstered an already talented resume to win Player of the Year. Other highlights from Wingerter’s season include qualifying for the US Junior Amateur and playing in the Watson Challenge. Wingerter also played on the KCGA Mid-America Junior Cup team that recently beat the Metropolitan Golf Association in a Ryder Cup style team event.

Megan Propeck had an outstanding year that solidified her last year’s performance. Propeck claimed the Girls Player of the Year title over second place finisher Julia Misemer with a win in the Kansas Junior Amateur, KC Junior Championship, and qualifying for the US Women’s Four-Ball with Lacy Shelton. Megan’s been a long time force in the KC Junior orbit and her talent continues to improve.

Congratulations to all of our 2018 Player of the Year recipients. The talent in the Kansas City area is a joy to watch and see compete throughout each season. We look forward to seeing how our current champions compete next year and perhaps new Player of the Year recipients.

To see the overall standings for the Men’s Player of the Year, see here.

To see the overall standings for the Women’s Player of the Year, see here.

 

2018 Season Comes to a Close with the KC Masters

Posted on

Another great season at the Kansas City Golf Association has come to a close with the conclusion of the Kansas City Masters, an invitation only, two-day tournament where the best of the best fight for their last chance at a title.

This year’s Masters was held at Wolf Creek Golf Club and it certainly did not disappoint. In great condition and a reputable atmosphere, Wolf Creek provides a difficult, yet fair test for the best golfers in the KC area.

40 players accepted an invitation and ages ranged from 16 year old high schoolers Justin Wingerter and Joe Bultman to our reputable senior players Steve Groom and Jim Seward. It’s a unique event that allows great representation of the talent we have.

Day one of competition showed the difficulties of Wolf Creek as only three players carded rounds under par. Justin Wingerter, Greg Diederich and defending champion Park Ulrich all came in with rounds of 69 (-3). Fourteen birdies were carded on day one between the three of them and lead the field by three.

Heading in to day two of competition, Parker Miller and Jeff Bell sat in a tie for fourth place after shooting even par rounds with Joe Bultman on the outside looking in after a round of 73 (+1).

Day two brought a lot of changes in the leaderboard as scores seemed to be consistently lower than round one with everyone chasing the leading group. Some notable scores from day two included a two-under round from Mark Terranova, a one-under round from Ed Brown and a three-under round (69) by Jackson Foth.

The leading group struggled a bit on the final day of competition to create a little bit of excitement as the tournament came down the stretch. Both Parker Miller and Joe Bultman carded even par rounds of 72 to become the leaders in the clubhouse at 144 (E) and 145 (+1). With the final group still out, both Bultman and Miller waited to see how their scores would hold up.

Greg Diederich and Park Ulrich would both struggle down the stretch with a few bogeys to leave the door open for Justin Wingerter. Despite a few bogeys on the back nine, Wingerter’s great play on day one would be enough to hold off the field. Wingerter’s final round of 74, (+2), would bring him to a total score of 143 (-1) and beat out Parker Miller, 144, for first place. Joe Bultman would finish in third place with his one-over total score of 145.

Greg Diederich shot a final round of 77 (+5) to finish tied for fourth with Mark Terranova (146). Park Ulrich shot a final round of 78 (+6) to finish tied for sixth with Jackson Foth (147).

With the season finally ended, we would like to thank everyone who makes what we do possible. We have a great group of volunteers who donate their time to support our events throughout the season. We also couldn’t do what we do without the players who continue to support us and choose to play in our events all season long.

Thank you for the continued support and we will see you all in April!

Staley Farms and Tiffany Greens Claim Victory in KC Cup Championships

Posted on

On a beautiful, fall day in Kansas City, Oakwood CC hosted both the KC Cup and Women’s KC Cup Championships on October 24.

Defending women’s champions, Staley Farms GC, #2 seed, competed against Sunflower Hills, #1 seed, in three four-ball matches. 3 total points were available in the championship match, in which a team needed 2 points to secure the win and avoid a sudden death playoff. All three matches went the distance with two ending after 18 holes and one on the 17th green. Tammy Harmon and Tracee Lechner of Staley Farms took the first point with a 1 up win over Sunflower in the low handicap four-ball match. The second and deciding point for Staley Farms came a few minutes later when Kim Ekiss and Tawyna Neal claimed victory on the 17th green with a 2 and 1 win. Having clinched the championship, Staley Farms finished out its final match between Angel Harbison/Julie Scriven vs Teresa Gumm/Alane Studley of Sunflower Hills. Staley took the final point of competition with a 1 up win and ultimately defended their Women’s KC Cup Championship with a final score of 3 to 0.

In the KC Cup Championship, two teams competed that had not been in the final last year. Tiffany Greens GC, #1 seed, battled St. Joseph CC, #7 seed, in various formats over 11 matches in which the winning team needed at least 6 points to claim the title.  Tiffany Greens got off to a quick start over St. Joseph’s with a win in the first three matches: chapman alternate shot, open singles and open handicap singles. The two teams would trade off the next two matches, each claiming one point in the senior handicap and senior singles matches. The score stood at 4 to 1 in favor of Tiffany Greens with six matches left to finish. With a win in the senior handicap four-ball match, St Joseph would close the gap by another point (4 to 2). The professional/amateur four-ball match point went to Tiffany Green to get them closer to clinching the KC Cup final, but St Joseph fought back with a win in the handicap four-ball match. With the score standing at 5 to 3, Tiffany Green just needed one point out of the last three matches to become the 2018 KC Cup Champions.

Tiffany Greens would do just that after winning their second handicap four-ball match with a clutch par save on the 18th green to clinch the win. All players whose matches were finished gathered around the 18th green at Oakwood to watch the intense finish. Tiffany Greens’ players erupted in applause and cheers after securing the 2018 title with two matches remaining in play. The last two matches would finish out and St Joseph’s would gain another point in the scratch four-ball match and a half point in the open/senior four-ball match. With a final score of 6 1/2 to 4 1/2, Tiffany Greens became the 2018 KC Cup Champions!

What a great KC Cup season we had this year. The KCGA is able to reach so many players through this event, and we hope the players enjoy it as much as we do. Thank you to all the players and the team captains for all their hard work in score posting and scheduling matches. We look forward to next year and see is Staley Farms can repeat for a third time, and if Tiffany Greens can defend their new title!

Kansas City CC & Mission Hills Host Early US Four-Ball Qualifying

Posted on

Qualifying for the US Four-ball Championships got off to an early start this week at Kansas City CC and Mission Hills CC.

On October 22nd, KCCC hosted the US Four-Ball qualifying round with over 40 teams. Teams competed in an 18-hole qualifying round for two qualifying spots and two alternates. Expectations for teams were high in order to have a shot at a spot in the USGA Championship.

An incredible 20 total teams came in under par. The low round of the day and top qualifying spot would go to Tyler Cummins and William Gantz with a great round of 65, five under. The pair carded eight birdies on their round to clinch a spot in the 2019 Championship. Four teams tied for second place with rounds of four-under, 66’s. A playoff for the last qualifying spot and the two alternate spots took place between the four teams.

Danny Amundson and Michael Martin would birdie the Par-2, second in order to claim the last qualifying spot. Through the rest of the playoff, Sidney McKnight/Alan Stearns and Nathan Lee/Peter Noble would claim the alternate spots.

The following day at Mission Hills CC would be the women’s turn. 8 total sides would compete for one qualifying spot and two alternate spots. In a strong field, four out of the eight teams shot under par rounds. Lacey Shelton and Megan Propeck, names well known to the KCGA, would shoot the low round of the day to claim the only qualifying spot with an incredible five-under, 65. The team carded six birdies and only one bogey on their round to earn the spot in next year’s event.

Brooke Biermann and Claire Solovic shot a three-under, 67 to claim the first alternate spot. For the last alternate spot, Kayla Eckelkamp and Kelly Osborne would defeat Erin Carney and Martha Linscott in a one-hole playoff.

Good luck to all of the teams that qualified in the 2019 Four-ball and Women’s Four-ball Championship!

For men’s qualifying results, see here.

For women’s qualifying results, see here.

Kansas City Defends Mid America Junior Cup Title

Posted on

The Ryder Cup style, Mid America Junior Cup was held at Bogey Hills GC in St. Louis as it was the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association’s turn to host. Eight of the top junior golfers for each team competed in a two day event that consisted of a round of four-ball, foursomes, and eight singles matches.

Kansas City Golf Association retained the Mid America Junior Cup last year after tying with MAGA 4 to 4. A few changes were made to this year’s format that allowed for a total of 16 points to be won in competition as opposed to the usual 8 points allotted.

The roster of MAGA consisted of: Brooke Biermann, Nicole Rallo, Momo Kikuchi, Claire Solovic, Hunter Niles, Kal Kolar, Max Kreikemeier, and Zach Walsh.

The KCGA roster consisted of: Julia Misemer, Lia Johnson, Vera Bohning, Sarah Lawson, Liam Coughlin, Michael Winslow, Joe Bultman, and Justin Wingerter.

Day one of competition began on Saturday, October 20 at 9 AM with a round of four, four-ball matches. MAGA got out to an early lead over the KCGA by winning two matches out right and halving one. The pair of Joe Bultman/Justin Wingerter were the only team to win their four-ball match and pick up a point for the KCGA. The score after the morning round stood in favor of MAGA, 2 1/2 to 1 1/2.

The afternoon session kicked off around 1:30 PM with a round of foursomes or alternate shot. KCGA had a strong showing during the foursomes in which they took 3 out of the 4 points available over MAGA. Julia Misemer/Michael Winslow had a 3 and 1 victory while Lia Johnson/Liam Coughlin took their match 6 and 4. Vera Bohning/Justin Wingerter won a close match over Kikuchi/Kreikemeier 2 and 1. Solovic/Walsh beat Lawson/Bultman 1 up to score a point in the afternoon matches. After day one of competition, the KCGA lead 4 1/2 to 3 1/2.

The final day of competition consisted of eight singles matches where each player competed against a player from the opposing team. Heading into singles, the KCGA was up by one point and need to win at least four points to claim victory. Singles brought lots of tight competition and as match play always does, some excitement.

MAGA took two points quickly on Sunday with a 7 & 6 from Claire Solovic and a 4 & 3 victory from Hunter Niles. KCGA fought back with a 4 & 2 win from Sarah Lawson and a 4 & 3 victory from Justin Wingerter. With four matches remaining, the score stood 6 1/2 to 5 1/2 in favor of KCGA. Lia Johnson would lose to Nicole Rallo of MAGA in a very competitive and close match, 1 up.

KCGA’s Julia Misemer would gain a very important half point against Brooke Biermann after being down four through 7 holes. Michael Winslow took another point in favor of KCGA after beating Kal Kolar 4 & 2. In the final match of the day,  Joe Bultman would secure the win for the KCGA with a 4 & 3 win over Max Kreikemeier! The KCGA would take home the Mid America Junior Cup trophy back to Kansas City with a 9 to 7 victory over MAGA.

It was a great showing for both golf associations and all of the talented juniors representing both teams. We are so proud of all the players and thank you to the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association for hosting a great tournament. The Mid America Junior Cup is back where it belongs!

Stateline Amateur Season Comes to a Close at Staley Farms

Posted on

A great 2018 season for the Stateline Amateur Tour came to a close at Staley Farms on October 11 for our SLAT Championship. Over 70 players came out for a chance to win their division Tour Championship as well as fight for Player of the Year.

In our Open division, Jon Dold won the tour championship with an incredible four-under, 68 in a round that featured only two bogeys and six birdies. Greg Diederich shot a two-over, 74, to claim second place followed by Chris  Beaubien in third with a three-over, 75.

This played a part in the Open Player of the Year as Chris Beaubien, Greg Diederich, and Matt Kelley all had a chance to take home the Player of the Year award coming into the SLAT Championship. Chris’s third place finish in the championship gave him enough points over Greg Diederich to claim Player of the Year!

A familiar face to the KCGA winner circle, Mark Addington claimed both the tour championship and Senior Player of the Year after shooting a three-over, 75. His tour victory was enough to give Addington the POY award by 14 points over Steve Groom.

In the Legends Gross division, Jim Seward would shoot an impressive 77 that featured two birdies on the Par-3, 10th and 12th holes to win the tour championship. Pete Robbins would edge out Bob Bezek for the Legends Player of the Year award by a narrow 6 points after out scoring Bezek in the stroke play championship.

In the Legends Net division, John Pawsat ran away with the Player of the Year after shooting a net score of even par 72 to claim the tour championship as well. Pawsat played consistently well all season and overtook Ron Brewer in second place by over 30 points in the Player of the Year race.

Alex Reed and Steve Hammond both shot a six-over, 78, to claim co-tour champions in the Players Gross division. Both players had three birdies on the day and Hammond’s tour co-championship would be enough to edge out both Michael Buckhouse and Chris Meyer in the Player of the Year race by 14 points. Hammond was our third double champion on the day, winning both the tour championship and Player of the Year (Pawsat, Addington).

In our final division at the SLAT Championship, Jacob Epperson claimed the Players Net tour championship with a net score of 71. Mike Naegele and Mittal Patel would both shoot a one-over, 73, to tie for second place. Patel’s second place finish would move him in to the top spot in the Players Net Player of the Year race. Overtaking Gary Gatten by 6 points, Patel’s hard work all season would pay off and earn him the Player of the Year award.

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. Without the players, we couldn’t do what we do. Also a big thank you to all of our amazing volunteers that donate their time and effort to support the Kansas City Golf Association and our events. As the 2018 comes to a close, we are thrilled about what next year has to bring.

For a full results of the field from our SLAT Championship, see here.

For final Player of the Year standings, see here.

Mid America Jr Cup

Posted on

The Mid America Jr Cup is an annual competition between the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association and the Kansas City Golf Association. This competition began in 1999 as an effort to showcase the top juniors from each association’s respective regions. The format consists of a Ryder Cup format with both fourball and single matches over a weekend of competition The MAGA leads the competition with 9 wins to the KCGA’s 7 wins with 3 years being halved. The KCGA retains the trophy after winning back to back titles in 2015 and 2016 and halved last year. This year’s Jr Cup will be held at Bogey Hills CC on October 20 & 21 in St. Louis. The team includes:

Joe Bultman, Justin Wingerter, Sarah Lawson, Vera Bohning, Liam Coughlin, Michael Winslow, Lia Johnson, and Julia Misemer