Category: Men’s Golf

Tyler Shelton Repeats as KC Match Play Champion

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What a victory for Tyler Shelton. It took six rounds of golf, a weather delay, and a 5 down comeback semifinal win, but he is our 2020 KC Match Play Champion. This is his second KC Match Play victory, with the first coming in 1994.

Shelton finished stroke play qualifying on Friday morning as the 22 seed with an even par round of 72 that featured one birdie and one bogey. He matched up with Patrick Roth in the first round of match play and after winning Holes 16 & 17 went on to win the match, 1 up.

In the Round of 16 on Saturday morning, Shelton faced a familiar name in Kansas City of Mark Terranova. After getting out to an early 3 up lead, Shelton faced a tough competitor in Terranova who tried to stage a comeback. Winning Hole 15, Shelton had a comfortable 2 up lead heading in to 16 and clinched the match with a par on the 17th hole to win 2 and 1.

Shelton stayed steady in his Quarterfinal match on Saturday afternoon, going up against Stateline Amateur player Alex Reed. Shelton again got out to an early 3 up lead and after trading a few holes got back to a 3 up lead heading in to the par-5, 12th hole. Reed and Shelton halved the next three and with a win on the 15th, Shelton was heading to the semifinals on Sunday.

In his first match of the day, Shelton faced a tough opponent in Kyle Hummer, who had defeated Kansas Amateur Champion, Park Ulrich, and 2 seed Ryne Fisher. What an exciting match it was. Instead of getting out to an early lead, Shelton saw himself down 5 after the front nine. Hummer had the early momentum with three birdies through the first five holes.

“When you’re five down, you really think you’re done. But I just hung in there and kept going,” said Shelton after the match. And kept going he did. Shelton chipped away at Hummer’s lead with a win on Hole 10 and 12. Hummer quickly responded with a win of us own on Hole 13 and Shelton was down 4 heading to 14 tee. Shelton birdied 14 to cut in to the lead and with a bogey by Hummer on 15, Shelton was two down with three holes to play. Hummer made a clutch par putt on 16 green to keep his lead. Hummer had a little trouble on 17 and with a bogey, left the door open a little for Shelton on 18. An errant tee shot, gave Shelton the opening he needed and was able to capitalize with a par on 18 to send the match to extra holes.

Despite an hour and a half of a weather delay, Shelton and Hummer returned to 1 fairway to resume their extra holes match. Both players would par Holes 1 & 2. Hummer’s tee shot on Hole 3 (21st hole) was left and he had to chip through the trees to the green. Laying two in the greenside bunker, Hummer chipped to about 15 feet for par. He would barely miss and Shelton had two putts to win the match. With a clutch par putt, Shelton completed his epic comeback and was headed to the finals.

In a windy and rainy afternoon, the 1 seed Luke Horseman and 22 seed Tyler Shelton faced off to claim the KC Match Play crown. Horseman struck first with a birdie Hole 2, but Shelton quickly followed with a win on Hole 4 and 6. Luke tried to battle back and tie the match with a birdie on Holy 7, but Tyler responded yet again with wins on 8 & 9 to go two up through the front nine. With another win on Hole 10 and then 12 & 13, Shelton found himself 5 up heading to 14 tee. Horseman continued to fight and made a clutch par putt to put some pressure on Shelton. He responded with a par putt of his own to clinch the match.

It was a great weekend and we had such a strong field this year. This is one of our premiere events and we are excited to see the growth of the field size and talent this year.

Thank you to Swope Memorial for hosting us yet again and for being so flexible and helpful. The course is in fantastic shape and we love having events out there. Thank you of course to all of our volunteers as well. It’s been a busy and exciting 2020 for us and we hope to see everyone again next year. The tournament is scheduled to be played in its usual month of May in 2021.

>> Full Results Here

Day Two Recap

And then there were four.

Saturday at Swope Memorial featured two rounds of match play between a very competitive field. The top 8 seeds remained in the bracket at the start of the day and only the 1 seed remains.

1 seed, Luke Horseman secured his place in the semi-finals with a narrow victory over Nebraska freshman, Will Harding, 1 up, and an extra holes match against junior golfer Nicklaus Mason, winning with a birdie on the 21st hole.

The three remaining players are 21, 22, and 23 seed respectively. Michael Garden (21) looks toward his match up with the 1 seed, Horseman, after taking out Jeff Spradlin and Greg Goode. Kyle Hummer (23) and Tyler Shelton (22) will compete in our second semi-final match tomorrow morning. Hummer had to go through Kansas Amateur Champion Park Ulrich and 2 seed Ryne Fisher to earn his spot in the semifinals. Shelton took out Mark Terranova on the 17th hole and secured his place in the semis with a 4 & 3 win over Alex Reed.

It should be an exciting finish to the 2020 KC Match Play Championship as we are guaranteed to have a new winner. Live scoring for each match will be available.

>> See Results Here

Day One Recap

After a beautiful Friday of golf, the Kansas City Match Play Championship is in to the Round of 16.

An 18-hole stroke play qualifying round kicked the tournament off Friday morning at Swope Memorial Golf Course. 84 players competed to earn their spot in the top 32 golfers and make match play.

Low medalist of the morning qualifying round was Luke Horseman, of Weston, after shooting an impressive nine-under round of 63. Horseman, the current Kansas City Amateur Champion, had a bogey-free round with four birdies on the front nine and five on the back.

Ryne Fisher and Zach VanDolah, both of Kansas City, finished tied for second in the qualifying round with rounds of 65 (-7). VanDolah and Fisher had 15 birdies combined on the day with the only blemish coming on Hole 15 for Fisher.

A total of 15 players carded under-par rounds for qualifying. Five players were tied at 31st place after all rounds had been turned in at 75 (+3). A playoff began on Hole 5 and with two birdies, the last two seeds were determined. Tyler Norris finished as the 31 seed and Eric Lester as the 32.

The Round of 32 afternoon matches began at 2:00 pm off Holes 1 & 10. The #1 seed, Horseman advanced with a win over Lester, 7 & 5. Michael Garden (21) and Ryne Fisher (2) also cruised to the Round of 16 with a 6 & 5 and 5 & 4 victory respectively. The lower seed took 8 out of the 16 matches this afternoon.

Some upsets included Brent Mertz (18) over Jeff Mason (15) in 19 holes, Colton Allen (24) over Scott Schaeffer (9), and Tyler Shelton (22) over Patrick Roth (11).

We will return to Swope Memorial tomorrow morning to see who makes it to the Quarterfinals in the afternoon.

Horseman Eagles 2nd Playoff Hole to Win KC Amateur

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It took extra holes, but Lucas Horseman, Missouri Western State golfer, captured his first KC Amateur victory with an eagle on #18. After 36 holes, Horseman was tied with Ross Steelman, University of Missouri redshirt-sophomore, at a two-day total of 137 (-7). Both players birdied the first playoff hole and re-teed on #18. Horseman made a ten footer for Eagle and it was up to Steelman to make his putt to extend. Steelman fought hard and barely missed his eagle putt to keep the playoff going.

Both players shot 67-70 for their 137 total. Horseman had 14 birdies over his two rounds and despite a few hiccups, seemed calm and collected while on the golf course. Steelman had 9 birdies and one eagle during competition and showed some grit under pressure during the playoff.

The 2020 Kansas City Amateur Championship had to be shortened to 36 holes after Friday’s round was cancelled due to rain and course conditions. Despite the shortened event, the KC Amateur featured some great golf and familiar names.

Kit Grove finished solo third at 141 (-3) and Kansas Amateur Champion Park Ulrich finished in fourth place at 142 (-2).

In our Players division, another playoff occurred to determine our champion. Matt Foster and Nathan Deadmond both finished at 155 (+11) and headed out to #1 tee to begin their playoff. With a birdie on the first, Deadmond claimed his first Player’s title. Gary Gatten and Brian Moeller finished tied for Players Net Champion at 146 (+2).

Our Senior Champion is no stranger to the winner’s circle for Central Links Golf events. Steve Groom shot one-under, 71, for his second round to come from behind and take the title, finishing at 147 (+3). Groom had five birdies over his two rounds of competition, four of them coming on Sunday to help him take the victory. Dave Cunningham and Kevin Rome tied for second at 148 (+4).

Our Legends Champion is none other than Don Kuehn. Kuehn bested the field by two strokes, finishing at 149 (+5). His competition rounds were highlight by six total birdies. Bob Bezek finished in second place with a 151. Jim Moore captured the Legends Net Champion title after his 74-72 rounds to total 146.

Congratulations to all of our winners this weekend and thank you to Creekmoor for continuing to host this event for us. We will see everyone next year at Shoal Creek Golf Course.

Full Results Here >>

Photo Album >>

Day One Recap

Missouri Western State golfer Lucas Horseman and University of Missouri redshirt-sophomore Ross Steelman are tied for the lead after the first round of the Kansas City Amateur after carding five-under, 67. Horseman had eight birdies on the day, four on each nine. Steelman carded six birdies on his round and a single bogey. Four of the size birdies came on the back nine, including one on the Par-5th, 18th hole.

Kansas Amateur Champion, Park Ulrich, sits in solo third after carding a four-under round of 68. Ulrich’s round was highlighted by a double eagle on the Par-5, 9th hole and an eagle on Hole 16. Ulrich also carded a birdie on the Par-4, 2nd hole.  

Alex Downing sits in solo fourth heading in to the final round of competition. Downing finished his round at three-under, 69, with six birdies on the day.

In the Senior division, Dave Cunningham leads the competition after an even-par round of 72 with three birdies. Kevin Rome and Brett Allen sit at solo second and third place. Rome shot a one-over, 73, and Allen followed closely behind with a 74.

Don Kuehn leads the Legends division with a two-over round of 74. Bryan Meyer and Nathan Deadmond are tied for the lead in the Players division after rounds of 77.

The Kansas City Amateur Championship continues tomorrow morning with the final round of competition. The event has been shortened to 36 holes after a rain-out on Friday occurred. Final results will be concluded based on total scores after tomorrow’s round. No cut has been made for this year’s competition.

See full results and pairings >>

Park Ulrich Wins 110th Kansas Amateur

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Overland Park’s Park Ulrich with the Kansas Amateur trophy

Full Results >>
Pictures >>

Final Match Update – July 26

30-year old Park Ulrich of Overland Park claimed the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship on Sunday at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. Ulrich bested 21-year Wichita native and Auburn Tiger golfer Wells Padgett in the 36-hole final match that needed three extra holes to determine a champion.

The 36-hole match was back and forth during the opening 18 holes with Padgett taking a 1-up lead at the intermission. Padgett continued his solid place during the afternoon session and saw his lead increase to 3-up with six holes to go.

Ulrich chipped away at the lead late with birdies on #13 and #15 to get the match tied with three holes to play. Padgett regained the lead on #16 with a birdie. Ulrich then responded with a near hole in one on the par 3 17th hole to tie the match with one hole to play. On #18, the 36th hole of the match, both players got up and down for par to send the match to sudden death extra holes.

Both players returned to #18 tee for the first sudden-death hole. Ulrich and Padgett both just missed on birdie attempts to further extend the match.

On the second sudden-death hole, the par 5 1st hole at Colbert Hills, again both players just missed on lengthy birdie tries.

Ulrich and Padgett moved to the par 4 2nd hole at Colbert Hills for the third sudden-death playoff hole. Both players found the fairway with their tee shots, but both missed the green just right with the hole location tucked on the far right side. Ulrich was away and chipped in for a birdie. Needing to chip in for birdie to extend the match, Padgett’s birdie attempt came up just short of the cup to give Ulrich the championship title.

Thank you to the staff and members of Colbert Hills for hosting the Kansas Amateur! A big thank you to the Rules Committee members that volunteered their time this week to make for a very successful championship.

The 111th Kansas Amateur will be held at Crestview (North) Country Club in Wichita on July 19-25, 2021.


Quarterfinals & Semifinals Update – July 25

21-year old Wells Padgett of Wichita will face 30-year old Park Ulrich of Overland Park in the 36-hole final match at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship on Sunday at Colbert Hills in Manhattan.

Padgett, a junior on the Auburn University golf team, advanced to the finals following a 4&3 victory over Overland Park junior golf standout Michael Winslow in Saturday morning’s Quarterfinal match and then defeating Kansas State University Assistant Women’s Golf Coach Jared Helin by a 5&4 margin the afternoon Semifinal.

Ulrich, a financial advisor and former collegiate golfer at UMKC, advanced to the finals with a Quarterfinal 2-up victory over Washburn golfer Andrew Beckler. In the afternoon Semifinal match, Ulrich bested future University of Nebraska golfer Will Harding 4&2.

The 36-hole final match will get underway at 7:30 am on Sunday at Colbert Hills.


Round of 32 & 16 Update – July 24

A busy day on the course at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship at Colbert Hills on Friday has trimmed the remaining field to eight players following today’s Round of 32 matches this morning and Round of 16 matches this afternoon.

Quarterfinal matches will get underway at 7:30 am on Saturday at Colbert Hills. The Semifinals will follow in the afternoon. Meet the Quarterfinalists:

Lucas Scheufler, 17, Wellington
– 2020 Kansas Junior Tour champion
– 2020 Kansas Junior Match Play champion

Jared Helin, 34, Manhattan
– 2017 Konza Prairie Amateur champion
– Assistant Women’s Golf Coach, Kansas State University

Wells Padgett, 21, Wichita
– 2020 Kansas Four-Ball champion
– 3-time USGA Junior Amateur participant
– Auburn University golf team member

Michael Winslow, 17, Overland Park
– 2018 Kansas Junior Amateur champion
– 2018 USGA Junior Amateur participant

Park Ulrich, 30, Overland Park
– 2017 & 2019 Kansas Mid-Amateur champion
– Former UMKC golf team member

Andrew Beckler, 23, Topeka
– 2019 & 2020 Railer champion
– 2019 Kansas Men’s Player of the Year
– Washburn University golf team member

Will Harding, 19, Prairie Village
– Signed with University of Nebraska golf team
– 2018 Western Junior Amateur participant

Davis Cooper, 19, Overland Park
– Signed with University of Kansas golf team
– 2020 Kansas City Junior Amateur champion


Round of 64 Match Play Update – July 23

32 players remain in the hunt for the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship following a wild first day of match play that saw five top 20 seeds fall in the opening round.

64-seed Lucas Scheufler of Wellington, the last player into the match play field, took down top seed Matt Percy in a match that went 19 holes.

Wichita junior golfer and 62-seed Asher Whitaker bested 3-seed Kameron Shaw, 56-seed Bradley Lane of Lawrence topped 9-seed Jack Courington and Washburn golfer Ian Trebilock advanced after defeating 13-seed Sean Thayer.

Former Washburn golfer Garret Allen, the 49-seed, highlighted his match win over Pete Krsnich with a hole in one on #8 at Colbert Hills. Allen used an 8-iron from 185 yards for the ace.

The longest match of the day went 22 holes with 19-seed Will Harding advancing over 46-seed Nick Kagy.

Round of 32 matches will get underway at 7:30 am on Friday at Colbert Hills. The Round of 16 matches will follow in the afternoon.


Day Two Update – July 22

Ottawa’s Matt Percy took medalist honors during the stroke play qualifying portion of the 110th Kansas Amateur on Wednesday at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. Percy finished at 5-under par 139 total after rounds of 70-69 to take the top seed heading to match play on Thursday.

Wellington junior golfer Blake Saffell will be the #2 seed for match play. Saffell posted back to back rounds of 2-under par 70. Round one co-leader Kameron Shaw is the three seed after finishing at 69-72–141.

A five hole sudden death playoff was needed to determine the final seven players to advance to the 64-player single elimination match play bracket. 10 players that were at a 36-hole score of 9-over par 153 were in the playoff for the remaining spots.

Round of 64 match play will begin at 7:30 am on Thursday at Colbert Hills.


Day One Update – July 21

2018 Kansas Amateur champion Sion Audrain and Salina junior golfer Kameron Shaw are tied at the top following round one of stroke play qualifying at the 110th Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan. 

Audrain, a Garden City native and University of Kansas golfer, posted a 3-under par 69 to take the overnight lead along with Shaw. 

Five players sit one shot back after first round 2-under par 70’s on a day that saw a total of 2.5 hours of rain and weather delays. 

Stroke play qualifying will continue on Wednesday with the second round. 

Following the completion of the stroke play, the top 64 players will advance to a single elimination match play bracket. If necessary, a sudden death playoff will occur to determine the final players to advance to match play.



Groom, Kimmel, And Grant Emerge Victorious at Swope

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Kansas City Senior/Junior Match Play Championship

The final day of the Kansas City Senior, Boys, and Girls Match Play Championships at Swope Memorial Golf Course provided three outstanding final matches.

In the Senior Match Play Championship, 11-seed Steve Groom defeated 5-seed Dave Cunningham in the final match: A match that went to extra holes. Tied after 18 holes, Steve and Dave went two more sudden death holes to decide the champion, ending with Steve Groom winning with a par on the second extra hole. Steve’s round was highlighted with early birdies on holes 1, 4, and 7 that propelled him to a fast start and eventually the victory.

In the Boys Match Play Championship, 4-seed Caleb Kimmel defeated 7-seed Chance Rinkol in the final match by a result of 3&2. Caleb, following an impressive 29 that he fired in yesterday’s semifinal match, came out strong this morning in the final match, winning his first four holes of the match and never looked back.

In the Girls Match Play Championship, 5-seed Elizabeth Grant defeated 3-seed Caroline Giocondo in the final match by a result of 4&2. Elizabeth won four of the last five holes on the front nine, giving her a 4UP lead that she never surrendered.

Thank you to Swope Memorial Golf Course and all of our volunteers who made these championships possible!

To view final results from the Senior Match Play Championship, click here.

To view final results from the Junior Match Play Championship, click here.

Day Two Recap:

After day two of the Senior, Boys and Girls Kansas City Match Play Championships, we have three championship matches that are sure to be action-packed on Sunday.

In the Senior Match Play Championship, the 11-seed Steve Groom defeated the 14-seed Kevin Rome Saturday morning with a result of 5&3, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 2-seed Frank Hoback with a result of 4&3. The other remaining player in the Senior Match Play Championship is Dave Cunningham, who won his morning match 5&4 over Mark Addington, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over Sean Thayer with a result of 4&3. The final match of the Senior Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM between Steve Groom and Dave Cunningham.

In the Boys Match Play Championship, the 4-seed Caleb Kimmel defeated the 5-seed Davis Cooper in the morning matches with a result of 3&2, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 8-seed Will Harding with a result of 6&5, highlighted by an opening nine score of 29. The other remaining player in the Boys Match Play Championship is Chance Rinkol, who who his morning match 1 UP over the 15-seed Calvin Dillon, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over Myles Tarvin with a result of 3&2. The final match of the Boys Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:38 AM between Caleb Kimmel and Chance Rinkol.

In the Girls Match Play Championship, the 5-seed Elizabeth Grant defeated the 4-seed Tess Roman Saturday morning with a result of 4&2, followed by a victory in the afternoon in the semifinals over the 1-seed Victoria Klausner with a result of 2 UP. The other remaining player in the Girls Match Play Championship is Caroline Giocondo, who won her morning match 6&5 over the 6-seed Ella Slicker, followed by a semifinal afternoon victory over the 2-seed Lia Johnson with a result of 2&1. The final match of the Girls Match Play Championship is tomorrow morning at 7:46 AM between Elizabeth Grant and Caroline Giocondo.

18 Eagles | on 18 Holes

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Ron Brewer, a member at Wolf Creek Golf Links in Olathe, has accomplished some cool feats over his time playing golf. Ron is 74 years old and has been playing golf for 55 years – some career highlights of his golfing journey are playing in the 1997 US Senior Open as an amateur (and he made the cut!), being a two-time Heart of America Four-Ball Champion, and a one-time Kansas City Amateur Champion.  

However, Ron’s most recent accomplishment is arguably the most impressive: With Ron’s recent ace on the 2nd hole at Wolf Creek Golf Links, he has now eagled all 18 holes at Wolf Creek in his lifetime. You read that right – every single hole. That means 4 different aces, 4 eagled par 5’s, and many amazing hole outs for 2 on par 4’s. 

Ron’s journey at Wolf Creek Golf Links began in 1982, with his first eagle coming at the 7th hole (a par 5). His first hole in one at Wolf Creek was at the 5th hole in 1985 – “The 5th hole has been very good to me over the years. I’ve made 4 (aces) on that hole”, Ron said.

His most memorable “eagle” was when he made back to back eagles on holes 6 & 7 (where he made a 2 followed by a 3 – a nice scorecard view!).

Throughout Ron’s lifetime, he has made 10 hole-in-ones. Many of us search for just one ace in our lifetime, but Ron puts that he has been “very lucky and blessed” to not only make aces and eagles but to just enjoy the experiences that golf has given him over the years.

When asked if he has any specific new goals for himself now that he has completed his “18 Eagle” goal, Ron replied, “At 74 years old, I’m just trying to not get worse.”  

Seeing as Ron keeps making eagles, it sounds like he is only getting better. 

 
Story written by Nelson Searcy 

Kuehn | Notches Milestone #150

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The first time, when he was 66 years-old, he carded a 65 in a tournament at The Cardinal Club in Louisville, KY. An old friend told him then to “write this down when you get home. Keep a record of these,” referring to times when you shoot your age or better.

It was good advice.

On April 28, at the age of 73, multiple-time KGA and KCGA champion, Don Kuehn accomplished the feat for the 150th time with a score of 71 on the Posse course at Paradise Pointe (Smithville, MO).

Along the way there have been course-record tying rounds, come-from-behind victories and a couple of holes-in-one to add to the list.

Asked if any of these scores stood out above others, Kuehn recalled the 2018 Railer at Sand Creek Station (Newton, KS) when he had rounds of 66, 69 and 71 to win by a record 14 strokes over the field of younger seniors; and last year’s Sunnehanna Senior Invitational (Johnstown, PA) where rounds of 68, 69 and 70 were good for an 8 shot victory.

“But there were others that meant an awful lot at the time, too,” Kuehn said. “I tied the course record twice at the Outlaw at Paradise Pointe with rounds of 64. And I have had some low ones at the Senior Porter Cup (Niagara Falls, NY) and the Geranium Senior Invitational (Stockbridge, GA).”

Whether it’s a local tournament, a national event or a casual round with the guys, Kuehn says “it’s always a goal when it looks possible, to finish a round strong and not kick away the chance to write another good one down on the list.”

Asked if it gets harder to shoot your age as the years add up, Kuehn quipped “Every November (his birthday) it gets one shot easier!”

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!

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.

Alex Springer Earns First Watson Challenge Title

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Mother Nature Ends Watson Challenge Early – Alex Springer’s Great Second Round Crowns Him Champion

Round 3 of the Watson Challenge has been cancelled due to excessive rain and unplayable course conditions. The Championship has been shortened to a 36 hole championship. After a great round two, Alex Springer has been crowned the 2019 Watson Challenge Champion with an eight-under, two day total of 136. Tom Watson and Andy Spencer finish tied for second with a two-day total of 138 (-6).

Congratulations to Alex Springer for earning his first Watson Challenge title. We look forward to next year’s event and hope the weather cooperates a little more. We hope to see everyone out at Blue Hills Country Club in 2020!

New Leader, Alex Springer, After Moving Day at Watson Challenge – Round 2 Recap

On moving day of the Watson Challenge, a new leader emerged after 36 holes of competition and after another lengthy weather delay. On top of battling the field, players were forced to endure another rain and lightning delay before the second round of the Watson Challenge could begin. 7:30 am starting times were pushed back until 9:45 am.

Alex Springer, Mackenzie Tour player and Central Missouri graduate, made a move in to first place with another great round of 68 (-4) for a total of 136 (-8). Springer started off strong with a birdie on Holes 3, 4 and 6 to find himself with a one shot lead over Tom Watson. Springer’s front nine ended with a bogey on Hole 9, but his back nine featured another three birdies and a solo bogey on Hole 13. Six birdies and two bogeys would be enough to put Springer’s name atop the leaderboard after moving day over second place Tom Watson and Andy Spencer.

Watson’s round featured three birdies through the first 12 holes and the only two blemishes came on the last two holes of the round. A bogey on Hole 17 and 18 would keep Watson from tying Springer as leader in the clubhouse. Spencer also had a few hiccups on the day to erase his five birdies and card a two-under round of 70 to put him tied for second at a 138 (-6) total score with Tom Watson.

The rest of the field sits at least five shots behind second place with Michael Letzig and Tanner Owen at a one-under, 143 total and tied for fourth place. Letzig shot a two-under par round of 70, after a slightly disappointing one-over, 73 on Round 1. Owen fought back after a round one score of 74 that featured a 9 on the Par-5, 12th hole. A three-under, 69, second round that saw four birdies, an eagle, a bogey, and a double would shoot Owen in to the top five.

Four players are tied for sixth with an even-par total score of 144. Clay Devers, Jackson Foth, Nicklaus Mason, and Park Ulrich all sit on the outside looking in.

Championship Sunday will surely bring some exciting golf and leaderboard changes as players vie for the title of Kansas City’s best golfer. Springer is battling for his first ever Watson Challenge in two appearances. Spencer is vying for his third Watson Challenge victory in a row. Watson is trying for his sixth Watson Challenge victory, and first since 2013. Round 3’s final pairing will tee off at 10:00 am with Alex Springer, Tom Watson, and Andy Spencer.

Follow along with the Golf Genius app using the code WATSON19 or click here.

For all professional pictures of the event, see the KCGA Facebook.

Watson’s 67 Shines Through the Rain – Round 1 Recap

In it’s 13th year, the Watson Challenge began with an unlikely turn of events that included a 5 and a half hour rain delay at the Nicklaus Club of Lionsgate. 7:30 am starting times turned in to 9:30 am and then to 1:30 pm after two separate storm delays that lasted a total of 5.5 hours with powerful winds and heavy rain.

Despite the unexpected start to the tournament, round one did not disappoint. Local media and spectators turned up at the Nicklaus Golf Club in Overland Park to see the best golfers compete in Kansas City at the new venue. Media officials snapped pictures and fans paraded around the course as the featured group of the day had some jaw-dropping performances.

Five-time champion, Tom Watson, two-time defending champion, Andy Spencer, and club professional, Robert Russell, created quite the following around the golf course. Leader in the clubhouse, Tom Watson, carded a five-under, 67. After making the turn at even par with two birdies and two bogeys, Watson went on to birdie four in a row and finish with a birdie on the Par-4, 18th. Andy Spencer finished tied for second with a round of 68, (-4), that included five birdies and one bogey. Local favorite Robert Russell started out hot with two birdies, but followed with a little hiccup on the Par-5, 6th hole. Russell fought back with three birdies to card an even-par round of 72.

Also tied for second place after Round 1 is Clayton Devers and Alex Springer with rounds of 68. Devers had a steady round that included only one bogey on the Par-3, 2nd hole and five birdies. Alex Springer’s round featured an eagle on the Par-5, 4th hole and followed it up with a birdie on Hole 6. With two bogeys on the day, Springer had a total of four birdies and the eagle to shoot four-under.

Despite the weather and course conditions, 11 players carded an under-par round. Notable names include two juniors: Nicklaus Mason (-2) and Davis Cooper (-1), Garret (-2) and Blake Allen (-1), and Blue Hills golf professional Sean Dougherty (-2).

Four players sit an even par: Tim Barry, Jackson Foth, and local favorites Park Ulrich, and Robert Russell.

Round two will kick off tomorrow at 7:30 AM and tee times will continue until 10:00 AM. The final pairing of round two will include Tom Watson, Alex Springer, and Andy Spencer. The KCGA and fellow fans of golf hope round two of the Watson Challenge will bring less rain and even better golf.

For live scoring, see here.

Jackson Foth Claims His First KCGA Major Title at the KC Match Play Championship

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By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Boatwright Intern

The 2018 Kansas City Match Play Championship kicked off Friday, May 18th with a full field of 78 players teeing it up at Swope Memorial Golf Course.

With a beautiful opening day and optimal conditions, the golfers fought for the chance to make match play after 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying Friday morning. The top 32 scores advanced to match play later that afternoon with the cut line at 75 (+3). Five players carded a 75 on their round tied at 29th and a playoff was required to narrow down the field. Five players went off at #5 at Swope Memorial, battling for four spots left for match play.

Mark Terranova, Blake Mullen, Scott Schaeffer, Ritch Nigh, and Alex Downing fought through a 3 hole playoff, and ultimately Alex Downing was left on the outside looking in. Some other featured names who made match play include Ryne Fisher, Matt Kelley, Luke Lutgen, and defending champion Travis Mays.

With the match play field set, the round of 32 began Friday afternoon. As the 32 seed, Terranova pulled off the upset by defeating the 1 seed, Park Ulrich. A few other upsets included Ryne Fisher, 24 seed, over Ryan Faherty, 7 seed, and Blake Mullen, 30 seed, over Nick Nash, 3 seed.

The round of 16 began Saturday morning after a two hour rain delay. Terranova and Mullen continued their upset bids by beating Jim Seward, the 16 seed and Luke Horseman, the 19 seed. Cam Wiltse took out Doug Albers 3 and 2 and the round of 16 saw defending champion Travis Mays lose to Jay Gregory 6 and 5.

The quarterfinals began that afternoon between the top 8. Terranova went up against Jeff Mason and secured a spot in the semi-finals 2 and 1. Cam Wiltse defeated Jay Gregory 4 and 2 while Michael Madrigal took out Blake Allen 2 and 1. The last quarterfinal match between Jackson Foth and Blake Mullen was decided handily by Foth 7 and 6.

Championship Sunday began after another brief weather delay in the morning. Mark Terranova went up against Cam Wiltse in the first semi-final match of the day. Wiltse struggled on the opening few holes, and Terranova took advantage. Never losing his lead, Terranova won his way to the championship match 3 and 2.

The second semi-final match between Michael Madrigal and Jackson Foth saw a competitive first nine. Both players battled back and forth, but Foth ultimately made the turn at 1 up after a birdie on #9. After a few mistakes by Madrigal on the back nine, Foth came out on top 4 and 2 with five birdies and an eagle on his round.

The championship match was set between Mark Terranova, the 32 seed, and Jackson Foth, the 22 seed. Foth got off to a early lead after three birdies in a row. Terranova continued to fight back throughout the front nine, but after a couple more birdies, Foth made the turn at 2 up. Terranova and Foth were step for step through the first four holes on the back nine. After a bogey on 14 by Terranova, Foth saw himself 3 up with four holes to go. After a great 20-foot birdie make on the Par-3, 16th, Foth became the 2018 Kansas City Match Play Champion at 3 and 2.

Both players played great golf all weekend, along with the many others who joined us for this weekend. It was a great championship, and a big congratulations to the new KC Match Play Champion: Jackson Foth.

As always we couldn’t do any of this without the many volunteers who help us as well as Swope Memorial Golf Course for hosting. We can’t wait to see everyone back next year!

For a full field of results, see here. See our Facebook page for an interview with Jackson Foth after his win.