The KC Junior Match Play, sponsored by Granite Garage Floors Kansas City, took place this week at Heritage Park Golf Course. The tournament began Monday morning with an 18-hole stroke-play qualifying round. 

In the Girls Division, Jenny Sun fired a 76 (+5) on Monday’s qualifying round, earning her the number two seed going into match play. She defeated Addie McKenna 2 up in the round of 16. In Tuesday’s Quarterfinal match, Sun overcame Naomi Koontz 3&2, and in the Semifinal match, she defeated Claire Sullivan after 19 holes. Sun faced Hadley Neese in the Final match, winning 6&5. “The match that got me here was the Semifinal match,” Sun said after claiming her trophy. “Claire and I would go back and forth; it was a challenging match.” In her final match, Sun birdied three out of the four par 3s she played. 

In the Boys Division, Myles Tarvin was crowned Champion on Wednesday afternoon. Tarvin shot 72 (+1) in his qualifying round, earning him the eleventh seed going into the round of 16 matches. He overcame a tough match against Parker Boggins, winning 2&1. In the Quarterfinal match, Tarvin had to dig deep to defeat Connor McGee 2 up. In the Semifinal match, he was pushed to his limits by Luke Springer, winning by a narrow margin of 1 up. In the Final match, Tarvin’s resilience paid off, winning 1 up over Parker Bennett on 18. “McGee was my hardest match,” Tarvin said, “he birdied 16, the hardest hole on the course, to tie it up, in my Quarterfinal match. That match came down to the 18th hole.” The Match Play field was filled with many competitive golfers this week. 

Link to full results >>

The Final Round of the Kansas Junior Amateur concluded late Thursday afternoon at Crestwood Country Club. The three-day tournament ended with 14 players scoring under par. Asher Whitaker won the Boys’ division by four strokes over Benjamin Wheeler. Emerie Schartz defended her title, winning the Girls’ division by seven strokes over Avery Schartz. 

Asher Whitaker earned the title of Kansas Junior Champion. He scored a three-day total of 64-66-70-200 (-16). He had one bogey in his first round, a bogey-free second round, and carded four birdies in his final round to secure his victory. “My putting solidified my rounds. I was able to take advantage of the good shots that I hit on the putting green,” Whitaker said after finishing his final round.  Benjamin Wheeler earned solo second, scoring 69-72-63-204 (-12). He is the new course record holder at Crestview Country Club, with his round of 63. 

Emerie Schartz, the defending champion, once again proved her ability by securing the Kansas Girls Junior Champion title with a three-day total of 72-68-68-208 (-8). Her performance, marked by 12 birdies and two eagles, was a testament to her competitive spirit. Her sister, Avery Schartz, showcased her consistency and resilience, carding three birdies in her final nine holes. Avery earned the Kansas Girls Junior Amateur Runner-Up carding 72-72-71-215 (-1).

Emerie Schartz’s three-day total qualifies her to play in the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Championship at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, California, from July 15 to 20.

Central Links Golf is grateful to Crestwood Country Club for hosting the event. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the players and their families for participating, which made this week a truly memorable one.

The 2023 Kansas City Junior Championship, presented by Granite Garage Floors, was held at Winterstone Golf Course in Independence, Missouri, and concluded on Tuesday, June 6th.

Alex Hogan won the event for the boys at five-under for the two days. Hogan carded two rounds of 71-68 for a 36-hole total of 139. Liz Lyons won the event for the girls at six-over-par the two days. Lyons went 74-73 for a two-day tournament total of 147.

Alex Hogan claimed his first Central Links Champion event at five-under. He was tied for fourth, scoring one-under, after the first round at the KC Junior Championship. However, Hogan started his final round strong with a birdie on number one. He ended the day with five birdies and one bogey. Jacob Frazel finished runner-up after his first round of shooting even par. Frazel had two eagles in his final round, which helped him finish three-under. He claimed solo second, beating Benjamin Wheeler, Tyler Strong, and Jack Randall by one stroke. 

Liz Lyons started Monday’s round with a birdie on the second hole and a double bogey on the fourth. However, she stayed in it and finished her day two-over, leading the tournament by one stroke. In the final round, Lyons started with two bogeys but kept her head in there and birdied fourteen and sixteen for a nice comeback. Lyons claimed her first Central Links Junior Championship title at three-over par.

Alexa Garrett earned runner-up, finishing the tournament at nine-over-par. On Monday, Garrett had a tough day finishing her round with three double-bogeys. However, she was on a hot streak in the final round, finishing the day with six birdies. Garrett ended her final-round one over and beat Lynn Powell by one stroke to claim solo second.

Benjamin Wheeler, Tyler Strong, and Jack Randall tied for third place at two-under. Lynn Powell and McKenzie Kelso tied for third place at ten-over.

Full Results >>

Central Links Golf is excited to announce some new junior events in 2023! For the first time in a while, juniors will have the opportunity to play events outside of the summer season. Learn more about our new junior offerings below!

Girls Spring Swing Series

Introducing a girls-only spring series that is open to all playing abilities. Girls just need an active GHIN number with a CLG club and a partner!

Girls are welcome to play in all three or just one event. It’s not mandatory to play in all three. This fun, laidback series offers a variety of formats to keep the mood light and entertaining!

All events are afternoon tee time starts and girls will play with their partner and two other girls in a foursome. A Team Champion and Team Runner-Up prize will be given out at each event as well as Player of the Year points. All players will receive a small gift for joining this new series!

Fields are limited to the first 40 girls (20 teams), so register soon if interested! Grab a friend and we’ll see you this spring!

Dates:

• April 29^th at Tomahawk Hills GC – Best Ball format
• May 7^th at Emporia GC – Alternate Shot format
• May 14^th at Hesston GC – Scramble format

Boys Fall Series

Similar to the Girls Spring Swing, Central Links Golf is introducing a new team series for junior boys this fall.

Each tournament will have a different format and partner element. These tournaments are open to all playing abilities and only require an active GHIN number. This competitive yet fun series will allow our juniors to play in formats they may have never tried before!

Each event with be an afternoon tee time start and fields are limited to the first 60 boys (30 teams). Prizes will be given to the Champion and Runner Ups, and Player of the Year points will also be awarded.

Dates:

• September 10^th at Salina Municipal – Individual Gross & Partner Blind Draw
  Players will compete against the field as an individual and as a team. Partners will be decided randomly after the round and both an individual and team Champion will be crowned.
• September 24^th at Lake Shawnee – 9/9 Format (Alternate Shot & Shamble)
  Players will compete as a team with a partner of their choosing in an 18-hole tournament (9 holes of alternate shot and 9 holes of shamble)
• October 1^st at Auburn Hills – Four-Ball (Red, White, and Blue)
  Players will compete as a team with a chosen partner in a four-ball stroke play event. Course setup will consist of 6 holes of forward tees, 6 holes of middle tees, and 6 holes of back tees

Boys Four-Ball Championship

On top of fun one-day events, Central Links Golf is hosting a new two-day Junior Championship: the Junior Boys Four-Ball Championship.

This Championship is open to all junior boys with an active GHIN number. This 36-hole stroke-play event with be a team four-ball event. Players will choose their partner and compete as a team with the best ball for each hole counting as the team score.

Trophies for Team Champions and Runner Ups will be presented and Player of the Year points awarded.

• Dates: October 14 & 15 at Ironhorse Golf Club

Junior Golf is booming and we are excited to offer these new events to our junior players. We hope you are all as excited as we are!

You can register for these events through your player profile.
>> Junior Girls events: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/1297199
>> Junior Boys events: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/1297198

Reach out to Taylor with any questions, taylor@clgolf.org.