As we wind down a great 2017 season, we would like to make you aware of some changes you will be seeing to your GHIN Handicap service in the coming weeks and months.  These steps are the first of some very exciting advancements to handicapping that will take place over the next three seasons.  Your handicap service will continue as it always has, but it will look a little different.  As a part of the USGA’s plan to streamline its operations for golfers and clubs, GHIN services will be strategically placed with the Kansas City Golf Association for all clubs in the Kansas City Metro and the state of Kansas.

What changes will golfers see?

Current KCGA members will see no changes.  Handicap services will continue uninterrupted, and you will continue to receive GHIN update newsletters on the 1^st and 15^th of each month.  For current KGA/KWGA members, these newsletters, along with your mobile app and kiosk will look a little different with the KCGA logo starting on December 1, 2017.  Your handicap index is still issued by your home or online club and handicap committee, and they will be your first point of contact when you have questions regarding your handicap index.

What does this mean for golfers?

• All golfers will now be members of both the Kansas Golf Association and the Kansas City Golf Association.
• All golfers will be eligible to compete in tournaments conducted by both the Kansas Golf Association and the Kansas City Golf Association as well as the USGA.
• For current KWGA members, handicap fees will be paid through your club staff or handicap chairperson if you are a club/facility member or through eClubhouse; no more women’s club dues or individual membership dues – one-stop shopping.
• No need to have separate handicap chairs for men and women – one committee for each club or facility will oversee handicaps for men, women, and junior golfers.
• Your newsletter will now have news, information, championship registration, and tournament results for all of Kansas and the KC Metro.

What does this mean for my golf club?

• Billing will be consolidated so that each facility receives only one bill for men, women, and juniors.
• All service for handicaps and other related items will be handled in one office – no need for them to call someone different for men’s handicaps and women’s handicaps.
• Course rating will be consolidated so that teams rate golf courses for men and women at the same time – changes are easier to present to members/patrons and keep current on scorecards and other printed materials.

What does this mean for the KGA/KWGA?

You have probably received communication regarding the recently approved KGA/KWGA merger to be effective on January 1, 2018.  The newly-merged Kansas Golf Association will continue to provide excellent championships, junior golf programs, and other services for all golfers in the state of Kansas.  If your club had been receiving handicap services from the KGA or KWGA previously, your handicap fees will still support the Kansas Golf Association in the same manner as in prior years.

 

The staffs of both the Kansas Golf Association and the Kansas City Golf Association look forward to working together to serve golfers and promote golf in Kansas and Kansas City going forward.

Please contact Jacque Madison at the Kansas City Golf Association with any questions you may have regarding handicap service. (913)649-5242, x2 or jacque@kcgolf.org

The Kansas City Cup Championship was held October 27, 2017 at The Golf Club of Creekmoor. Stone Canyon and Lawrence CC faced off in brutal weather conditions. Temperatures were in the mid 40’s and high winds made it a challenge for both teams. Here are the results:

Match

Chapman Alternate Shot—Stone Canyon def. LCC 3&1

Senior Handicap Single—LCC def. Stone Canyon 7&5

Senior Singles—LCC def. Stone Canyon 1-up

Open Singles—Stone Canyon def. LCC 5&3

Open Net Singles—Stone Canyon def. LCC 2&1

Handicap Four-Ball #1—Stone Canyon def. LCC 6&5

Professional/Amateur Four-Ball—Stone Canyon def. LCC 1-up

Four-Ball—LCC def. Stone Canyon 4&3

Handicap Four-Ball #2—Stone Canyon def. LCC 3&1

Mid-Am/Senior Four-Ball—HALVED

 

Congratulations to our 2017 Kansas City Cup Champions – Stone Canyon Golf Club!

 

The Kansas City Masters was held Wednesday and Thursday, October 25-26, 2017 at Blue Hills Country Club. Park Ulrich fired a two-day total of six-under par, to win the invitational by four shots. His first round 68, included six birdies and was the low round of the tournament. Ulrich played very steady golf both days, making nine birdies in total with only three bogies. Doug Albers finished in second place with two consecutive rounds of one-under, 71. Travis Mays took third place after firing rounds of 73 and 74, respectively. Steve Groom took home low senior honors with scores of 73, 75.

The Mid-America Junior Cup was held this year at Shadow Glen Golf Club, October 21-22, 2017. The two-day team competition was between the Kansas City Golf Association and the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association of St. Louis (MAGA). This was the 18^th year the Mid-America Junior Cup was played between the two associations.

The first day consisted of Four-Ball matches and the KCGA jumped out to a 3-1 lead! Rosie Klausner & Lauren Wood won the first Four-Ball match 7&6 over Shannon Gould & Lacey Snell of the MAGA. Julia Misemer & Megan Propeck won their match 3&2 for the KCGA. The team of Liam Coughlin & Michael Winslow earned the third and last point of the day by winning 2&1 in their match.

Several inches of rain made the golf course play softer and longer on day two. MAGA came out strong and won the first match of the final day. Max Kreikemeier & Shannon Gould took down Ryan Bender & Lauren Wood 6&5. The KCGA team of Garrett Clark & Rosie Klausner won 6&4. MAGA won the final two matches 5&3 and 4&2 to end the Mid-America Junior Cup in a 4-4 tie.

The KCGA won the cup in 2016, and with a tie this year, the KCGA retains the cup! Great playing by both teams. Thanks again to Shadow Glen for hosting this year’s tournament and to all volunteers and staff. We look forward to heading to St. Louis next year!

The Junior and Senior Match Play Championships were held at Swope Memorial Golf Course, October 13-15. Stroke play qualifying as well as the first round of matches in the Senior bracket took place on Friday.

Fourteen players competed for eight spots in the Junior Match Play qualifying round which was nine holes that started on Friday afternoon. One-over par, 37, was the qualifying score to advance to match play. Garrett Clark was the one-seed after shooting one-under, 35.

In the senior qualifying round, Bob Bezek defeated Mark Worthey in a playoff for the last spot in the Senior Championship. In the first round of the Senior Match Play, Jay Gregory defeated Bob Bezek 3&2. Ed Brown defeated Pete Robbins in 19 holes. Ritch Nigh, Charlie Schorgl, Steve Groom, Mark Addington, & Jim Doyle were all victorious in their first-round matches as well.

Saturday morning rounds were quarterfinal matches for both the Junior and Senior Match Play Championships. Justin Wingerter took down Garrett Clark, winning the match one-up in the junior bracket. Will Harding defeated Liam Coughlin and Jackson Likes took down Thomas Luger to move on to the semifinals on Saturday afternoon. The quarterfinal match between the two-seed, Joe Bultman and the seven-seed, Ryan Bender provided lots of excitement Saturday morning. Bultman was five-under par through thirteen holes and Bender was four-under through fourteen holes. Bender won the 18^th hole with a par to send the match into extra holes. Bender defeated Bultman in 19 holes to advance.

In the Senior bracket, Ed Brown took down the one-seeded, Jay Gregory, Saturday morning, by a score of 5&3. Also advancing to the afternoon semifinal was Ritch Nigh, Steve Groom, and Mark Addington.

Will Harding defeated Justin Wingerter in the Junior Match Play semifinal two-up. Ryan Bender also won his semifinal match 3&1 against Jackson Likes.

Ed Brown won his match against Ritch Nigh in the first Senior semifinal. Steve Groom defeated Mark Addington 3&2.

The Championship matches were set for Sunday morning. Ryan Bender and Will Harding faced off against each other for the Junior Match Play Championship. Steve Groom and Ed Brown matched up for the Senior Match Play Championship.

Bender and Harding were AS after the front nine. Bender birdied holes 12 and 13, taking a two-up lead on Harding heading into the closing holes. Harding cut the deficit to only one-down after making birdie on hole sixteen. Bender closed the match with a birdie on the 17^th hole.

Steve Groom made the turn three-under par against Ed Brown and found himself five-up. After making double bogey on hole ten, Groom played the next three holes in two under par to defeat Ed Brown 6&5.

Congratulations to our champions, Ryan Bender and Steve Groom on their outstanding play! We would also like to thank the staff at Swope Memorial Golf Course, our volunteers at the KCGA, and all players who participated in the event.

 

 

 

Thirty-nine teams competed for two spots on Tuesday, October 10 at Loch Lloyd Country Club  for the 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Players faced tough conditions with temperatures in the mid 40’s. The Championship will be at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, FL, May 19-23, 2018.

Sidney McKnight (Prairie Village, KS) & Alan Stearns (Tustin, CA) didn’t let the weather affect their play. They fired a six-under par, 66, to claim medalist honors. Jason Debuhr (Charlotte, NC) & Jim Gates (Overland Park, KS) tied with Hank Simpson (Prairie Village, KS) & Park Ulrich (Stilwell, KS) with scores of five-under, 67. On the first playoff hole, Jason Debuhr chipped in, giving his team the final spot in the Championship come next May. Simpson & Ulrich clinched first alternate & Drew Lethem (Olathe, KS) & Ryan Scott (Prairie Village, KS) claimed second alternate.

Eighty-six players competed in the Stateline Amateur Tour Championship on Thursday, October 5. Jason Cross made birdies on 10, 15, and 18 on route to a one-over par, 73, to claim first place in the open division. Jason Adkins finished in second place with a two-over, 74. Rounding out the open division in third place was Logan Truninger, who shot 75.

Dave Cunningham took first place in the senior division with a score of one-under, 71. Steve Groom finished a stroke back at even par, good enough for second place. There was a two-way tie for third place between Alan Thornton & David Hamilton who both shot rounds of three-over, 75.

In the players gross division, Carter Likes had a very steady round and finished at the top with a one-over, 73. His round included four bogeys, three birdies, and eleven pars. Chris Meyer finished in second with a 74. Rounding out the players gross division in a tie for third place was Hunter Petermann & Michael Buckhouse who fired six over, 78.

In the players net division, Chris Meyer won with a score of two-under, 70. Mittal Patel & Carter Likes tied for second with scores of one-under, 71. Trenton Mein & Hunter Petermann finished in third place with even par, 72.

David Hornaday took the legends gross division by two shots over Bob Bezek and Jim Seward with a round of even par, 72. Jettie Bezek finished in third place with a score of three-over 75.

In the legends net division, John Pawsat won with a score of seven-under, 65. Jettie Bezek and David Hornaday finished in a two-way tie for second place with six-under, 66. Steve Frisbie fired a four-under, 68, to come in third.

Throughout the season players earned points based on their finishes in Stateline Amateur Tour competitions throughout the season. The Player of the Year champions in each division are listed below:

Division

Open–Jason Cross

Senior–John Scarsella

Players (Gross)–Ritch Nigh

Players (Net)–Mittal Patel

Legends (Gross)–Ron Brewer

Legends (Net)–David Hornaday

Thank you to all of our volunteers and players who were a part of the Stateline Amateur Tour this year! We had a great season and look forward to next year!

 

The Stateline Amateur Tour at Canyon Farms Golf Club was held Monday, October 2. This event was different than other Stateline Tour events in that this was a Stableford format, where players earned points for the scores they made on each hole. The goal of Stableford is to accumulate as many points as possible.  (Scoring breakdown: Eagles—8 points, Birdies—4 points, Par—2 points, Bogey—1 point, and Double Bogey or worse received zero points.) Double bogey was the maximum score that a player could take on any hole.

In the Legends division, Brad Robinson took first place with 39 total points. His round included two birdies and an eagle. Doug Wilson and Ron Brewer both tied for second place with 34 points.

Ritch Nigh took home the victory in the Players division scoring 35 points on the day. Nigh birdied three consecutive holes in a row (8,9,10) and eagled the par five, 14^th. Greg Hillman finished in second with 32 points and Matt Helm rounded out third with 31 points.

In the Senior division, Raymond Vaglia and John Scarsella both tied for first place with 34 points. David Hamilton finished in third place with 30 points.

Jeff Mason barely escaped with the victory in the Open division. Mason’s round was very steady, scoring at least one point on every hole. He made 13 pars, one birdie, and four bogeys, on route to a three-over, 74. Craig Broswick finished in second place with 33 points. Billy Mandina secured third place with 32 points.

The Stateline Amateur Tour Championship is scheduled for Thursday, October 5, at The Golf Club at Shadow Glen.

The Stateline Amateur Tour was at The Golf Club at Creekmoor on Thursday, September 7, 2017. Sixty-two players competed in the event.

In the open division, Guglielmo Mandina fired a round of two-over par, 74, to win by one shot. Luke Lutgen came in second place with a score of three-over, 75. Craig Broswick and Jimmy Saporito both tied for third place after shooting 76.

John Scarsella claimed the victory in the senior division with a score of one-over, 73. Greg Loteckie finished in second with a 77 and Mark Worthey rounded out third place firing a seven-over, 79.

Pete Robbins fired a two-over, 74, to take the legends division title. Jim Lodes, David Hornaday, and Sam Vanlandingham all tied for second place with rounds of 75.

In the players division, Carter Likes, Michael Buckhouse, and Michael Armentrout all tied with rounds of six-over par, 78, to claim medalist honors.

The next Stateline Amateur Tour event is at Canyon Farms Golf Club on September 18 and will be a stableford format!