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Blue Hills Uses Home Course Advantage

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Kansas City, Mo. – Blue Hills goes back-to-back as they take the third Junior KC Cup event of the 2015 season.

Blue Hills Country Club hosted the third Junior KC Cup event of the 2015 season on Monday, July 13. The 90-junior golfers arrived early to defeat the heat from the 15 golf clubs from around the Kansas City. As the temperature came close to 100 degrees, the juniors kept pushing themselves to keep playing.

Blue Hills dominated the field as they posted a team score of 204, 32-strokes ahead of the runner-up Mission Hills. Jake Propeck helped lead Blue Hills to victory as he fired 78 (+6) to win the 15 and under division.

Megan Propeck of Blue Hills tied for first in the 13 and under division as she helped the team with their second consecutive victory shooting an 83 (+11).

Ben Slicker of Blue Hills won the 11 and under division as he edged JP Hepler of Milburn by one stroke posting a 43 (+7).

The next Junior KC Cup will be on July 30th at Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kansas.

Click here for full results.

2015 Junior KC Cup Standings

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Letzig and Hanna Lead at Mission Hills

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Mission Hills, KS — On what turned out to be a great day for golf at Mission Hills Country Club, 48 players teed it up in the hopes of adding their name to the list of Watson Challenge champions.

Michael Letzig and Chase Hanna teed off early with and set the bar high for the rest of the field by posting 67’s. Letzig, a former PGA Tour player, got off to a hot start, with birdies on #2, #3, #8 and #9 to get to four under. Hanna, on the other hand, got off to a slow start, with bogeys at #1 and #3. From #4 in, however, Hanna played great golf. He played the last 15 holes at 5-under to get to 67.

Just behind Letzig and Hanna are Zac Gavlak at -2 and Curtis Yonke at -1.

The group at even par includes the events namesake and 5-time Watson Challenge champion Tom Watson. Watson struggled with his ball-striking at times, but holed enough putts to stay in contention.

Complete results and starting times can be found by clicking here…

Field set for the 2015 Watson Challenge

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LENEXA, Kan. – The 48-golfer field is set for the 2015 Watson Challenge at Mission Hills Country Club on June 12-14. Annually, Tom Watson gathers the best golfers in the Kansas City area for the three day event to determine who can truly claim the title ‘Best Golfer in the Greater Kansas City Golf Community.’

CLICK HERE for Round 1 Pairings.

CLICK HERE for ticket information.

Here is the field for this year’s Watson Challenge:

Doug Albers is making his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Albers finished 25th in 2014. Albers played in the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the inaugural U.S. Four-Ball Championship.

Matt Barry is competing in his second Watson Challenge appearance. Barry teamed up with Colby Yates as they were crowned the 2014 Heart of America Champions.

Mike Boring is competing in his sixth Watson Challenge appearance. Boring competed in 2009,10,11,12 Watson Challenges. Boring is the PGA Teaching Pro at Shadow Glen. Boring tied for first in the Callaway 36-hole Stroke Play Championship.

Ryan Buerk is competing in his second straight Watson Challenge appearance. Buerk finished tied for 25th in 2014. Buerk qualified for the 2015 Watson Challenge at Prairie Highlands on May 28th.

Ryan Burchett is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Burchett is the PGA Golf Professional at Tiffany Greens Golf Club.

Brian Coe is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Coe is a PGA Professional at Kansas City Country Club.

Clay Devers is competing in his sixth Watson Challenge. Devers finished runner-up at the Watson Challenge in 2010. Devers competed on the PGA Tour in 1991 and 1996 and the Web.com Tour in 1993, 2002 and 2009.

Zac Dittmer is competing in his fourth consecutive Watson Challenge. Dittmer finished tied for sixth in 2014. Dittmer is also a back-to-back champion of the K.C. Amateur.

Alex Downing is making his first Watson Challenge appearance. Downing qualified for the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Tyler Dunn is making his sixth Watson Challenge appearance. Dunn is the 2014 Midwest Section Player of the Year.

Clay Ederer is making his fourth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Ederer tied for 10th in 2013.

Travis Elliott is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Elliot placed third in the 2015 Watson Challenge Qualifier at Prairie Highlands Golf Course on May 28th.

Ryne Fisher is making his first Watson Challenge appearance. Fisher won the 2015 Kansas City Match Play Championship.

Preston Fleenor is making his second straight Watson Challenge appearance. Fleenor tied for ninth in 2014. Fleenor also won the 2012 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Lockton KC Junior.

Zac Gavlak is making his fifth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Gavlak finished tied for second with Tom Watson in 2014.

Michael Greene is making his fifth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Greene tied for 13th in 2014. Greene qualified for the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and is the KCGA Amateur Player of the Year for 2014.

Steve Groom is competing in his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge. He finished tied for sixth in 2014. Groom also won the 2012 Kansas City Match Play Championship.

Larry Hadden is competing in his fourth Watson Challenge. Hadden finished tied for 26th in 2007. Hadden is a PGA Professional at Shawnee Golf and Country Club

Chase Hanna is competing in his second straight Watson Challenge. Hanna finished tied for ninth in 2014. He also won the 2013 Kansas Amateur Championship.

Chris Happ is competing in his fifth consecutive Watson Challenge. Happ finished tied for 11th in 2011. Happ is an Assistant Golf Professional at Mission Hills Country Club.

Joe Ida is competing in his fourth consecutive Watson Challenge. Ida is one of the four winners of the Watson Challenge as he won in 2012.

Connor Knabe is making his second Watson Challenge appearance. Knabe won the 2013 Kansas City Junior Championship.

Korbin Kuehn is making his second Watson Challenge appearance. Kuehn’s best finish is tied for 18th at the Watson Challenge.

Michael Letzig is making his second straight Watson Challenge appearance. Letzig won the 2002 Missouri Amateur, the 2003 New Mexico Open and spent three years on the PGA Tour.

Chris Mabry is making his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Mabry tied for 11th in 2011. Mabry won the Kansas City Amateur in 2003.

Gary McClure is making his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. McClure finished tied for 16th in 2008. He also qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in 2010.

Brent Mertz is making his third Watson Challenge appearance. Mertz finished tied for 29th in 2014. Mertz won the 2013 Stateline Amateur Tour Championship at Stone Canyon.

Matt Murdoch is making his seventh Watson Challenge appearance. Murdoch finished tied for eighth place in 2010. Murdoch is a PGA Professional in Mission Hills.

Bryan Norton is making his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Norton finished tied for third in 2013. Norton is a three time Kansas Amateur Champion and has played in numerous USGA Championships including a runner-up finishes at the U.S. Mid-Am and the U.S. Senior Am.

Eric Pahls is making his second consecutive Watson Challenge appearance. Pahls is a back-to-back Kansas City Junior Championship winner, giving him the exemption into the Watson Challenge.

Robert Russell is making his first appearance at the Watson Challenge. Russell is a certified professional at Shamrock Hills Golf Club and a UMKC Hall of Famer

Evan Scobie is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Scobie is a teaching professional at Kansas City Country Club.

Jeff Sedorcek is competing in his seventh consecutive Watson Challenge. Sedorcek tied for fourth in 2013. Sedorcek is PGA Professional at Fred Arbanas Golf Course.

Jeff Sheppard is competing in his eighth consecutive Watson Challenge. Sheppard tied for 24th in 2012. Sheppard is a PGA Professional at the Golf Club of Creekmor.

Kyle Smell is making his sixth Watson Challenge appearance. Smell is the 2012 Kansas Amateur Champion. Smell finished in fourth place in 2012.

Andrew Spencer is making his first Watson Challenge appearance. Spencer won the 2015 Kansas individual 6A state title.

Mike Tanner is competing in his sixth Watson Challenge appearance. Tanner tied for second in 2008. Tanner is a PGA Professional at the Overland Park Golf Course.

Mark Terranova is competing in his fourth Watson Challenge. Terranova finished tied for 32nd in 2014 and is the reigning KCGA Kansas City Masters champion.

Jon Troutman is making his sixth Watson Challenge appearance. Troutman finished tied for second with Gavlac and Watson in 2014.

Kevin Ward is making his second Watson Challenge appearance. Ward, who had an excellent career at the University of Kansas, qualified for the 2015 Watson Challenge on May 28th, shooting a 74 (+2) at Prairie Highlands.

Tom Watson is one of the greatest to ever play the game. His Hall of Fame career included five British Opens wins, two Masters titles, and one U.S. Open victory. Watson has won the Watson Challenge five times.

Josh Weems is making his second straight Watson Challenge appearance. Weems finished tied for ninth in 2014.

Rob Wilkin is competing in his ninth consecutive Watson Challenge. Wilkin tied for fourth place in 2011. Wilkins is the head golf professional at Heritage Park Golf Course. He played in numerous PGA Championships and PGA Tour events.

Cameron Wiltse is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Wiltse finished third in the 2014 Kansas Amateur.

Joseph Winslow is competing in his fifth Watson Challenge. Winslow finished in third place in 2012.

Colby Yates is competing in his first Watson Challenge. Barry and Yates were crowned the 2014 Heart of America Champions.

Curtis Yonke is making his fifth Watson Challenge appearance. Yonke finished tied for 16th in 2014.

Ryan Zech is making his fifth Watson Challenge appearance. Zech finished runner-up at the Watson Challenge in 2012.

Four Advance to Sectionals

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On a day that saw extremely difficult condition at Blue Hills Country Club, where the stroke average was 81.3, four players advanced to sectional qualifying for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

The medalist, Zechariah Potter was the only player that managed an even par score, carding a 72. Korbin Kuehn finished second with a 73, and Josh Weems and Curtis Yonke finished tied for third with 74’s.

Potter, Kuehn, Weems and Yonke will now go on to play in a 36 hole qualifier for the rite to play in the 2015 United States Open Championship.

For full results, click here….

Fisher wins the Kansas City Match Play

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The semifinals of the 100th Kansas City Match Play Championship action had a quick start as Ryne Fisher got off to an early lead over Steve Groom, going one up on the second hole.  Fisher maintained that through the front nine as he finished two up heading towards the back nine.  Steve Groom cut the lead to one up until Fisher caught fire, winning the 14th and 15th holes to defeat Groom 3 and 2 and advance to the finals.

The second match of the semifinals was Alex Springer vs. Hank Simpson.  Simpson got off to an early lead as he finished the front nine 4 up.  As the back nine started, Simpson extended his lead to 5 up on the 10th hole, but Springer made the match exciting as he won four holes heading into the 17th with Simpson two up.  Simpson and Springer halved the 17th hole, allowing Simpson to advance to the finals winning 2 and 1.

The final match of the 100th Kansas City Match Play Championship was between Ryne Fisher and Hank Simpson.  Fisher and Simpson were battling back and forth through the first six holes as Fisher was one up, before the two competitors had to wait an hour and a half for the storm to pass.  Fisher maintained a one hole lead through the back nine and they went to the 18th with the match still in the balance.  Both players found the left rough on 18, but Fisher was able to find the green with his approach.  Fisher’s par was good enough to lock up the championship, 2-up.

Thank you to all the participants and spectators for a great week!

The Kansas City Match Play Championship – Day 1

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The 100th Kansas City Match Play Championship began Friday, May 8, at Swope Park Memorial Golf Course.

The tournament consisted of one 18-hole stroke play competition to determine the top-32 out the 78-golfer field that will advance to match play.  Day one of the event began battling rainy conditions as the golfers began stroke play.  The players dodged the weather as it cleared up to be a nice day at Swope Memorial.

The lowest score of the day was 66 (-6) shot by Nick Arman, followed by Jon Platz 67 (-5). Arman and Platz both shot a front-nine 31 (-5) as Arman carded nine birdies and Platz posted six birdies in stroke play. Charlie Schorgl aced the 16th hole allowing him to make the cut and advance to match play. The cut was placed at 74 (+2) as 32-golfers advanced into matched play Friday afternoon.

The seedings and pairings of the first round of the match play competition were

  1. Nick Arman vs. 32. Dale Bowne
  2. Steve Groom vs. 17. Alex Downing
  3. Craig Broswick vs. 25. Jeff Mason
  4. Patrick Roth vs. 24. Mark Addington
  5. Ryne Fisher vs. 29. Colby Yates
  6. Chris Reinert vs. Scott Richey
  7. Russell Holzbaur vs. 28. Cy Moritz
  8. Michael Greene vs. 21. Joseph Winslow
  9. Jon Platz vs. Richard Hairgrove
  10. Ed Brown vs. 18. Dan Schaller
  11. Alex Springer vs. 26. Tyler Norris
  12. Travis Holt vs. 23. Matt Kelley
  13. Hank Simpson vs. 30. Charlie Schorgl
  14. Dave Cunningham vs. 19. Jon Scarsella
  15. Matt Barry vs. 27. Aaron Uzelac
  16. Mark Terranova vs. 22. Josh Weems

 

Arman went on to defeat Bowne 5 and 4, Groom beat Downing 3 and 2, Mason Beat Broswick 3 and 1, Roth won one up against Addington, Fisher beat Yates 2 and 1, Reinert beat Richey 4 and 3, Moritz beat Holzbaur one up, Winslow beat Greene 3 and 2, Platz beat Hairgrove 2 and 1, Brown beat Schaller 2 and 1, Kelley defeated Holt 8 and 6, Cunningham defeated Scarsella one up, Barry beat Uzelac 3 and 2 and Weems won one up against Terranova.  Two matches went into extra holes. Springer wins one up on the 19th over Norris and Simpson won on the 20th hole over Schorgl.

 

The second round and quarterfinals of the Kansas City Match Play Championship will continue at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Friday, May 8. Results of the stroke play and first round of match play, as well as pairings for day two can be found at http://www.ghintpp.com/kcga/TPPOnlineScoring/Default.aspx?id=530

Back-to-Back for Taylor Black

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Swope Memorial Golf Course–

Taylor Black came out firing Sunday morning in the finals of the 2015 Kansas City Girls Match Play Championship. Black played the front nine at 2 under par 34 and made the turn with a 7-up lead over Skyler Brunk.

Black, the 2014 Girls Match Play Champion would go on the win to 8&6 to pick up her second straight title.

Brunk, who battled through two 18-hole matches yesterday, was playing in her first Match Play final.

Thank you to Swope Memorial and all the players that competed in this year’s championship.

Complete results can be found by clicking here.

Black and Brunk Set to Play for the Title

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Taylor Black and Skyler Brunk are set to meet Sunday morning in the championship match of the Kansas City Girls Match Play Championship.

Black cruised to victory in the quarterfinals, with a 7 & 6 win over Riley Ricket. In the afternoon, however, things got a little tighter. Megan Propeck kept it close for most of the match, but ultimately Black pulled away for a 2&1 victory.

On the other side of the bracket, Brunk trailed most of her morning match against Teagan Noblit before playing some great golf down the stretch, including a birdie at the 18th to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal, Brunk would win another close match against Caroline Klemp, by a score of 1-up, again by making birdie on the 18th.

The finals will be played at 7:30am tomorrow, May 3rd at Swope Memorial.

For live results, click here!

The Second Stateline Tour Event a Success at Blue Hills Country Club

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The second Stateline Tour event was held at Blue Hills Country Club, Monday, April 27.  There was a solid turnout of 104 golfers that competed in today’s event.

In the Senior division, Frank Booth, Kurt Lorenzen and Charlie Schorgl shot a 74 (+2).  Booth and Schorgl both carded one birdie as Lorenzen carded two on the day.  Don Kuehn and Steve Groom finished runner-up shooting 75 (+3).

In the Legends division, Jerry Reid won the event firing 73 (+1), defeating the runner-up Matt Miller who shot 76 (+4).  Brad Losson finished third shooting 77 (+5).  Reid carded three birdies on the day.  In the net competition, Matt Miller won with 67 (-5), followed by Mike Findley with 70 (-2) and Jerry Reid with 71 (-1).

In the Open Division, Michael Greene took the win with a 76 (+4), edging the runner-up Jon Platz and Mark Terranova who both shot 77 (+5).  Greene carded two birdies on the day, but struggled as he bogeyed three holes on the front and three holes on the back nine.

In the Players Division, Chris Meyer took home first place with a 78 (+6), including two birdies. Mike Berlin finished runner-up posting 80 (+8), followed by Doug Flint and Ryan Murdock. Flint and Murdock tied for third shooting 81 (+9).  In the net competition, Mike Berlin won shooting 72 (E). Christian Guild finished second with net 73 (+1).

Final results can be found at http://www.ghintpp.com/kcga/TPPOnlineScoring/Default.aspx?id=537

The next Stateline Tour event is May 14th at Adams Pointe Golf Course.  Entry deadline is May 7th.