Category: Junior Golf

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Misemer Defends, | Cooper Wins First Title

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After two exciting days of golf at Swope Memorial Golf Course, The Kansas City Junior Championship ended with impressive scores from our juniors. In the Boys Division, Davis Cooper held the overnight lead and did not look back, firing a final round 70 en route to finishing 8-under for 36 holes and winning the Boys Division by 5 shots. When asked about his performance, Davis discussed his hot start in the first round and his solid play across the entire Championship: “I played well in basically every part of the game this week. Yesterday, I started hot and made some putts and carried that over into today where I was making more mid-range putts… it made it feel pretty easy for the most part.”

In a tie for second place in the Boys Division, Chance Rinkol and Ryan Lee had a solid two-day total of 3-under par. Chance fired a final round 70 and Ryan shot a final round 71.

In the Girls Division, Julia Misemer put on quite the show and successfully defended her title, as she won this event in 2019 and is now a back-to-back champion with winning the 2020 Championship. She also held an overnight lead and increased it as the day went on. Julia shot a final round 69, which put her at 5-under par for the Championship, a whole 13 shots ahead of second place. When highlighting key points in her tournament, she went back to her mindset as the first round began: “I three-putted the first two holes in the first round, so I was kind of down but then thought ‘let’s just come back and have a good round’ and then I ended up coming back… my putting kind of saved me in the end.”

In a tie for second place, Faith Hedges and Audrey Rischer had a two-day total of 8-over par, where they both improved on their first-round scores, shooting 74 and 75 in the final round, respectively.

To view final results from the 2020 Kansas City Junior Championship, click here: https://centrallinksgolf.org/competitions/2020-junior-golf-schedule/kc-junior-championship/

Day One Recap

On a warm summer day at Swope Memorial Golf Course, day 1 of the Kansas City Junior Championship provided some great scores from the boys and girls competing. The highlights from round one in the Boys division include a 6-under round of 66 fired by Davis Cooper that began with 4 birdies on his first 4 holes. Davis leads by 3 shots heading into round 2 over Ian McCrary, who fired a 3-under par round of 69 that started strong with a front-nine score of 32. In third, just behind Ian McCrary is Ryan Lee, who also had a fast start to his round after firing a front-nine score of 31 en route to a 2-under par round of 70.

In the Girls division, the round of the day went to Julia Misemer, who carded a 2-under round of 70 that included 6 birdies. Julia leads by 6 shots heading into round 2 over Maggie King, who shot a 4-over round of 76 that included 3 birdies. In third, just behind Maggie King is Audrey Rischer, who shot a 5-over round of 77.

Tomorrow is the final round of the Kansas City Junior Championship at Swope Memorial Golf Course, where we expect more great golf to come.

You can find pairings and results for the Kansas City Junior Championship here: https://centrallinksgolf.org/competitions/2020-junior-golf-schedule/kc-junior-championship/

Pictures from KC Junior Championship: https://kansasgolf.zenfolio.com/p643024375

Harding & Misemer Take Home KC Junior Titles

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The 2019 Kansas City Junior Championship was one of a kind. After multiple days of missed classes due to extreme weather this winter, students had to extend the school year into the week of the KC Junior. Because of this, the tournament was played as a 3:30 shotgun start both days at Brookridge Golf & Fitness.

Boys Division

Our boy’s division, after day one, was highlighted by Michael Winslow shooting a 69 (-2). Winslow caught fire during his back nine going -4 during a five-hole stretch. Liam Coughlin was in sole possession of second place with a 70 (-1) with an impressive three-hole birdie streak on holes four-six.  After round one, four other players shot even par, all within striking range of the two leaders.

Round two was nothing short of exciting from our boy’s division with several players at the top of the leaderboard. One of those players within striking distance was Will Harding who shot 71 in the first round. Harding took advantage of the scorable conditions and started his round making birdies on the first five holes and finishing at 65 (-6). Harding’s two round of 71-65, 136 was good enough to claim the championship over Winslow 69-70, 139. Finishing up the leaderboard was Joe Bultman 71-69, 140 in third, Ian McCrary 69-72, 141 fourth, and Justin Wingerter 71-71, 142 and Nicklaus Mason 71-71, 142 tied for fifth.

Will Harding and Michael Winslow’s exceptional play was rewarded by getting an exemption into the 2019 Watson Challenge on June 21-23 hosted by The Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate.

Girls Division

Our girl’s division was featured by the great play of Julia Misemer and Libby Green. The key hole during the first round was hole 11 with Misemer making a birdie and Green making a double bogey. Green (74) would overcome that three shot difference and take a one-shot lead after round one over Misemer (75). Lia Johnson would find herself 4 shots off the lead with a solid round of 78 carding 11 pars for the day.

Misemer and Green battled for the top of the leaderboard during the second day, which lead to a playoff. Green going into the day holding a one-shot lead, was tied with Misemer after the first hole. Green would find herself with a one-stroke lead again with just two holes remaining. However, Green went on to make bogey on 17th and Misemer making a par. Both made par the 18th hole and finding themselves in a tie for 1st (Misemer, 75-76, 151) (Green 74-77, 151). The playoff started on the 10th hole where Green made a bogey and Misemer made par to claim the 2019 Girl’s Junior Championship. Lia Johnson (78-79, 157) and Audrey Rischer (81-76, 157) tied for third place.

Misemer earned an exemption and paid entry fees into the 2019 Prairie Invitational. The Prairie Invitational will be held at The National Golf Club July 22-24.

Introducing the 2019 Junior Ambassadors Team

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The New Junior Ambassadors Program

This year we are excited to announce a new program within the Kansas City Junior Tour: the KC Junior Ambassadors. The mission of the Junior Ambassador program is to not only promote the game of golf to everyone in the Kansas City area, but also to encourage players who have never played before to join. Junior Ambassadors were invited based on their friendly and positive attitude as well as their dedication to helping and encouraging players of all talent levels on the Kansas City Junior Tour this summer.

Junior Ambassadors will be tasked with inviting new players to join the Kansas City Junior Tour as well as being a point of contact for those who have questions or are unsure of what to do at a Kansas City Junior Tour event. We are excited about the great group of kids that have accepted their invitation to be a part of the Inaugural Junior Ambassador Program. We hope to keep young players involved in golf no matter their playing level. Whether you shoot in the 70’s and 80’s or you are just picking up a golf club, there is always a spot for you on the Kansas City Junior Tour.

Meet the 2019 KC Junior Ambassador Team

Name – Age – School – Tournament Excited About Playing This Summer – Favorite Part of Playing Golf

Maggie King – 17 – St Thomas Aquinas HS – Prairie Invitational – Playing in tournaments and playing a variety of courses

Kobe Jenkins – 17 – The Barstow School – Kansas City Junior Championship – Stuffing a long iron to a tight pin

Libby Green – 15 – Mill Valley HS – Kansas City Junior Championship and the Prairie Invitational – Winning the first Girls State Championship at Mill Valley HS

Evan Highfill – 17 – Rockhurst High School – KCJT tournaments at St Andrew’s and Lake Quivira CC – Being able to play with my friends and studying golf courses

Tess Roman – 15 – Shawnee Mission East HS – Prairie Invitational – Getting to meet a lot of new people and make good friends

EJ Atkins – 16 – Grandview High School – KCJT tournaments – Meeting new people and challenging himself

Savannah Gentry – 15 – St Theresa’s Academy – KCJT tournament at St Andrew’s GC – Overall experience of the game and building character while having fun

Drew Krystyn – 10 – Overland Trail Elementary – Lake Quivira Championship – Playing golf with friends

Madeline Gentry – 16 – St Theresa’s Academy – KCJT tournament at St Andrew’s – Feeling you get when you hit a good shot

Jacob Fratzel – 12 – Hope Lutheran School – KCJT tournament at CC of Leawood – Improving his score at a course he’s played before and making new golf friends

Nick Nickloy – 13 – Mission Trail Middle School – Kansas City Junior Championship – Improving his score and getting to travel and play new courses

 

If you are interested in being a part of the Junior Ambassadors team in the future or learning more information, reach out to Taylor Albritton, Junior Golf Manager, at taylor@kcgolf.org.

 

2018 Junior Golf Highlights

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2018 Junior Golf Highlights

Match the Junior Golfer with his or her accomplishments. Answers are below.

Choices: Joe Bultman, Justin Wingerter, Sion Audrain, Julia Misemer, Hanna Hawks, Megan Propeck, Nicklaus Mason

#1: She was the 2018 Girls Player of the Year, Champion of KC Junior and Kansas Junior Amateur, Qualified for 2019 US Women’s Four-Ball

#2: He was the 2018 KCGA Boys Player of the Year, Champion of KC Junior and KC Masters, Qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge and US Junior Amateur Championship, Participant on Mid-America Junior Cup Team

#3: He was the KGA Boys Player of the Year, Champion of the KS Railer and KS Junior Match Play, Champion of Parent/Child Championship, Runner-Up of High Plains Amateur, Semifinalist in KC Boys Junior Match Play

#4: She was the Champion of KC Girls Match Play, Third Place Finish in KC Junior Championship and KS Junior Amateur, Top 15 finish at 2018 Prairie Invitational, Participant on Mid-America Junior Cup Team

#5: He was the KC Boys Junior Match Play Champion, Medalist at US Junior Amateur Qualifying, Third Place finish at KC Masters, Qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge, Mid-America Junior Cup Participant, Committed to Wichita State for 2019

#6: She managed a second place finish at KS Junior Amateur, Second place finish at KS Girls Kick-Off, Third place finish at Optimist Qualifier

#7: He was the Kansas Amateur and High Plains Amateur Champion, Third place finish at KS Boys Junior Amateur, Committed to Kansas University for 2019

Answers: Megan Propeck, Justin Wingerter, Nicklaus Mason, Julia Misemer, Joe Bultman, Hanna Hawks, Sion Audrain

These seven candidates are just the tip of the iceberg the KCGA and KGA have in terms of junior golf talent. Our junior golfers are competing at every level, including performing in our regional championships.

Below are a few other accomplishments our junior golfers made in 2018
3 Juniors qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge
9 – 7  KCGA beats MAGA in Mid-America Junior Cup
24 Juniors qualified for the 2018 KS Amateur
30 Juniors played in the 2018 Prairie Invitational

Are you reading this and thinking, “How do I get my name on this list”?

  • Get involved. Get a GHIN Handicap if you don’t already have one.
  • Practice. Commit to working on your short-game or taking lessons with a PGA/LPGA Professional this year.
  • Compete. Register for tournaments across the state and at different levels of competition. Don’t be afraid to fail a few times before you get better.

We’d love to see different names at the top of this list this time next year. Make 2019 your year!

Want to be featured in the Junior Golf Newsletter? Reach out to Taylor Albritton, Junior Golf Manager, at taylor@kcgolf.org with your story.

Sign up for our new Junior Golf Newsletter sent out the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

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Wingerter, Propeck Win Kansas City Junior Champion Title

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This year’s Kansas City Junior Championship was held at Brookridge Golf and Fitness May 30-31st. 89 of the top junior talent took their shot at the KC Junior title and a chance to play in either the Watson Challenge or the Prairie Invitational.

In the girl’s division, 29 girls vied for the top spot. Over the course of the two-day competition, Megan Propeck distinguished herself atop the leaderboard. With a first round score of 69, (-2), Propeck etched her name over the field by 7 strokes over Julia Misemer. In her first round, Propeck carded two bogeys and four birdies.

Despite a big lead, Propeck had a few mistakes in her second round with a handful of bogeys on the day. She battled back with two birdies to card 75, (+4). Her great play secured her the 2018 KC Junior Girl’s Champion title by an amazing 9 strokes. Molly Saporito secured second place shooting a 79, 74 (153). Julia Misemer rounded out the top three with a 76, 81 (157).

As a result of her win, Megan Propeck also secured an invitation to the Prairie Invitational at the end of July. We look forward to seeing Megan bring more great golf to the Prairie Invitational field.

In the boy’s division, 60 players battled for medalist and an invitation to play in the Watson Challenge June 8-10th. Competition was tight throughout the two-day competition. Some notable names in the field included Michael Winslow, recent State Champion, Garrett Clark, defending champion Ryan Bender, and many more. After round one, Justin Wingerter earned the leader spot after shooting a bogey-free round of 69, (-2), by two strokes over Daniel Gutgesell.

On the final day of competition, the leading group included Justin Wingerter, 69, Daniel Gutgesell, 71, and Calvin Dillon, 72, but the last few groups all had a shot at the victory being within two or three strokes of the lead. Wingerter’s biggest competition came from Joe Bultman, who started the second round 4 strokes behind. With a birdie and an eagle on the Par-5, 11th, Bultman found himself in contention heading to the final few holes.

Wingerter’s final round featured a few hiccups on the front nine that saw him fall back to +1 for the tournament at one point. Unaware of other player’s standings, Wingerter had to battle through his mistakes to make up some ground. Bultman finished his round with a 69, (-2), and a 142 overall score for the tournament. Heading into the 16th hole, Wingerter was down by one stroke. With an incredible bogey save on the 15th, Wingerter went on to birdie 16, 17, and 18 to beat out Bultman by one stroke.

It was an incredible two days of golf and an even better finish. Wingerter and Bultman both secured their Champion and Runner-Up titles as well as invitations to the Watson Challenge next week. We wish both of them the best of luck and hope their great play continues into the Watson.

For a full field of results, click here.

Visit our Facebook page for in-depth interviews with both Megan Propeck and Justin Wingerter.

 

By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern

Milburn CC Raises nearly $5,000 for Youth on Course

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By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern

Saturday, April 28th, Milburn Country Club held their opening day tournament for the benefit of their members and to kick off the summer season. One member in particular, Dave Jackson, took the opportunity upon himself to raise awareness and money for the local Youth on Course program.

During the duration of the opening day tournament, Jackson perched himself on the #1 tee and passed out information packets as well as advocated for the importance of the Youth on Course program in Kansas City to Milburn members as they passed through. His persuasiveness paid off in a big way. In one day, Jackson and Milburn CC were able to raise nearly $5,00o from its members specifically for the Youth on Course program. On top of a successful donation of nearly $2,000 earlier in the year, Milburn CC has managed to raise almost $7,000 for Youth on Course in 2018 alone.

Despite being a private club and not being able to personally benefit from Youth on Course services, Milburn CC has done a great thing for its Kansas City community.

“It’s great to see private clubs embracing Youth on Course,” said Doug Habel, Executive Director of the Kansas City Golf Association.

“The success of Youth on Course will ensure the success and future of these private clubs for years to come. I hope the rest of the private clubs around Kansas City will also take opportunities such as this to help such an important program.”

Youth on Course is great program that supports local kids’ desire to play golf at an affordable and less competitive environment. In order to keep the game of golf relevant and important for many years to come, the youth movement must continue to grow. Please join us and the many other golf associations in supporting your local Youth on Course program.

A big thank you to Milburn Country Club for their amazing contribution!

2018 KCGA Season is Officially Open!

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The 2018 KCGA Season has officially begun!

As of 10 AM today, players are now eligible to register for any KCGA event, as well as post scores. Registration for KCGA events will be through Tournament Pairing Program (TPP), the same system used last year.

Click here to register!

To be eligible to register, players must have an active GHIN number. For StateLine Amateur Tour and Kansas City Junior Tour, players must also be a registered member of the league before signing up for individual events.

If you have any questions or issues feel free to email the KCGA staff or give us a call at (913)-649-5242 ext 0.

KWGA Memorial Scholarship Applications Now Open

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The Kansas Women’s Golf Association Memorial Scholarship was established January 1, 2018 to commemorate and continue the KWGA Scholarship. This scholarship awarded college/university scholarships from 1991 through 2017. The KWGA Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to one or more Kansas high school seniors or graduates of a Kansas high school who are enrolled as a full-time student of an accredited college or university.

Applications for the KWGA Memorial Scholarship are now open! All applications/supporting materials become the property of the KWGA Memorial Scholarship Committee and MUST BE postmarked on or before March 30, 2018 and mailed by U.S. Mail to:

Karen Exon, Committee Chair, KWGA Memorial Scholarship
2310 SW Mayfair Place
Topeka, KS 66611
Phone – 785.633.2723
Email – karenexon01@gmail.com

Please see the following link for more detailed information such as eligibility and requirements for applications:

KWGA Memorial Scholarship

Volunteer, Coach with The First Tee of Greater Kansas City

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first teeLooking for ways to grow the game and impact the lives of junior golfers across Kansas City?

Visit the First Tee of Greater Kansas City and see how you can volunteer your time, knowledge and resources to benefit the next generation of golfers.

The First Tee is currently searching for volunteers and volunteer coaches to assist in their mission of teaching life lessons through golf.

Visit their website or facebook page to find out more information.