The Girls Match Play Championship was held this past weekend (April 28-30) at Swope Memorial Golf Course.

There were ten girls for eight spots in Friday’s 9-hole qualifying round. Julia Misemer took the top spot firing a two-under par, 34. Julia Stopperan shot a six-over, 42, to take the final spot in the match play bracket.

Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds were originally planned for Saturday, April 29, but play was canceled due to heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Players battled difficult conditions most of the day Sunday with cold temps and rain. The weather sure didn’t stop Julia Misemer, however. Misemer won her quarterfinal match against eight-seed, Julia Stopperan 4&3. Two players who had advanced to the match play portion from the qualifying round, withdrew, and that advanced number four-seed, Layke Graybill, and number seven-seed, Molly Saporito. The last quarterfinal match was between the three-seed, Samantha Paulak and the sixth-seed, Megan Propeck. Propeck was 1-up going into the last and she ended up winning the 18^th hole to defeat Paulak 2-up.

In the first semifinal match, Julia Misemer never trailed against Layke Graybill and ended up winning 6&4. Misemer was 3-up making the turn and then went on to win holes ten, twelve, and fourteen to close out the match.

In the second semifinal match, Molly Saporito faced off against Megan Propeck. This was a very entertaining match, one that went back and forth between both players. Saporito was 1-up making the turn. Propeck then won holes ten through thirteen to take a 3-up lead. Saporito responded, winning three out of the last four holes including hole eighteen to tie the match and send it into extra holes. The match ended on the twenty-first hole with Saporito defeating Propeck.

Julia Misemer will play Molly Saporito in the championship of the Girls Match Play. Due to Saturday being canceled, the final match of the Girls Match Play Championship will be held on Friday, May 19^th at Swope Memorial Golf Course.

For the second StateLine Amateur Tour event of the season, cold temperatures, wind, and rainy conditions made Blue Hills Country Club play very difficult.

In the senior division, Steve Groom and Tom Leonard took home medalist honors with a score of one-over, 73. Groom got off to a rough start, finding himself three-over par through his first two holes. He rebounded nicely with birdies on four, twelve, and thirteen. Leonard had a steady round that included thirteen pars, three bogies, and two birdies. John Scarsella and Scott Richey tied for third with scores of four-over, 76.

David Hornaday took the Legends division title shooting a five-over, 77. Ron Brewer posted a six-over, 78, good enough for second place. There was a two-way tie for third place. Robert O’Neil and Mitch Bowen both turned in scores of nine-over, 81.

2016 KC Match Play Champion, Craig Broswick, won the Open division with a score of three-over, 75. T.J. Pennington improved on his third-place finish at Lawrence CC with a second-place finish Monday firing seven-over, 79. Jason Cross rounded out the Open division in third place with a score of eight-over, 80.

Finally, Ryan Murdock took home the players division title with a five-over, 77. Chris Meyer and Andrew Makowske finished second and third respectively, posting six-over 78 and eight-over 80.

 

The next StateLine Amateur Tour event is May 30th at Nicklaus Club at Lionsgate.

The end of the 2016 season brings the crowning of the new Players of the Year.

This year’s Senior Amateur Player of the Year goes to Steve Groom, who claimed the honor in a landslide of points.

Groom captured the title by nearly 1000 points.

His list of accomplishments in 2016 includes the StateLine Amateur Tour Senior Player of the Year and the StateLine Tour Championship Senior title. Groom added a Kansas City Senior Four-ball title, alongside his partner Mark Addington, and recently claimed the KC Master’s Senior title.

In addition, Groom added three StateLine Tour stop victories or ties for first.

Joe Ida earned the Amateur Player of the Year after winning the Kansas City Masters, successfully qualifying for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and earning the Low Amateur title at the Watson Challenge, finishing in third place.

Finally, Jean Tyrell took home the Women’s Amateur Player of the Year.

Tyrell posted a T4 at the Prairie Invitational and a T7 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Sectional qualifying tournament at Lawrence CC.

 

 

Thursday’s USGA Four-Ball qualifier at The National served as the bookend for the Kansas City Golf Association’s competition schedule.

Doug Albers and Ryne Fisher put the exclamation point on the season, firing a combined seven-under, 65.

The duo, who began their day on the back-nine, closed out the first half of their round with four consecutive birdies after knocking in an eagle on No. 13.

The pair added an additional birdie on the front nine and claimed a one stroke victory over the field.

The second qualifying spot needed an additional playoff hole to be decided.

Joe Ida and Spencer Alefs combined for a 66, while Scott Harvey and Todd Mitchell did so, as well.

When both teams looked in position to halve the hole, a long putt from the middle tier of the 18th green sealed the second qualifying spot for Harvey and Mitchell.

Ida and Alefs claimed the first alternate position, while William Gantz and Andrew King locked down the second alternate position in a three-way playoff.

Next year’s Four-Ball is May 27-31 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.

For complete results from the qualifier, click here.

Despite sitting three strokes off the lead entering the final round of the Kansas City Masters, Joe Ida played his way into a playoff hole, and eventually, the KC Masters title.

Ida entered the day at one-over, 73, sitting in a tie for third with Alex Springer.

Both Ida and Springer shot matching scores during each round, 73 and 72, respectively, which helped catapult them past round one leaders, Jeff Bell and Mark Terranova, and into a playoff hole.

Ida went on to defeat Springer on the first playoff hole, adding the KC Master’s title to his 2012 Watson Challenge title

The 2015 champion Ryne Fisher, finished three-over, 147, en route to a fourth place finish.

Steve Groom claimed the low-senior title, combining for a 14-over, 158.

For complete results from the Kansas City Masters, click here.

 

Contrary to recent history, golfers at the Kansas City Masters were met with sunshine and favorable temperatures for a late October event at Wolf Creek Golf Club.

Mother Nature, however, was not the only one generating some heat.

Both Jeff Bell and Mark Terranova posted rounds of two-under, 70, and claimed a share of the lead entering Tuesday’s second and final round of the final regional championship of the year.

Bell tallied five birdies on the day, including back-to-back birdies on both No. 7 and 8, as well as, No. 16 and 17.

Terranova, a familiar face at Wolf Creek, picked up two birdies and slammed home an eagle on No. 16.

Joining Terranova and Bell in the final pairing is Alex Springer, who signed a one-over, 73 scorecard.

Last year’s champion, Ryne Fisher, finished day one T5 with his two-over, 74 round one effort.

For full results from round one, round two pairings and live scoring for the final round, click here.

Blue Hills displayed a dominating effort in the women’s KC Cup final, winning all three of the four-ball matches against Sunflower Hills at Tiffany Greens.

Blue Hills earned the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs and lived up to that title. The team knocked off No. 8 Hillcrest in the quarterfinals before beating No. 5 Canyon Farms in the semifinals.

Sunflower Hills, the No. 2 seed, defeated the Deuce and Staley Farms en route to a finals appearance.

The title was the fourth KC Cup title for the Blue Hills’ women’s team.

 

The entire season came down to the last group on the course, on the final hole of the Kansas City Cup.

Both Shadow Glen and Shamrock Hills teams crowded around the 18th green at Tiffany Greens, awaiting the outcome of the final match.

Shadow Glen held a 5-2 match lead at one point, leaving no room for error by Shamrock Hills.

However, after all the match points were settled, Shamrock Hills managed to pull off four consecutive victories to retain the KC Cup with a 6-5 victory.

Shamrock Hills entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed and knocked off Fred Arbanas in the Round of 16, No. 5 Stone Canyon in the quarterfinals and No. 8 Mission Hills in the semifinals.

Shadow Glen, the No. 3 seed, defeated Shawnee Golf and Country Club in the Round of 16, No. 6 Hillcrest in the quarterfinals and No. 7 Canyon Farms in the semifinals.