As the Stateline Amateur season winds down, 60 players competed out at the tough Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood. On a day when summer was still making its presence known, players battled the humidity as well as the abundant presence of hazards.

In the Open division, Gregory Diederich took home the win with an impressive one-under, 71 with four birdies and three bogeys. Our Senior division winner was Steve Groom with a two-over, 73 which featured five birdies.

In the Legends Gross division, Ron Brewer and David Hamilton tied for first with a two-under, 70. Brewer’s round was highlighted by four birdies on the day and Hamilton’s bogey-free round featured two birdies.

In the Net division, Ron Brewer again took first with a net score of 64 with Dennis Ortman in a close second with a net score of 65.

Bill Grosdidier and Chris Meyer tied for first in the Players Gross division with two-over rounds of 74. Gary Gatten took home first in the Players Net division with a score of 69.

For a full field of results, see here.

On September 10, 2018, golf lovers from the Kansas City Golf Association will take the formidable challenge to play 100 holes of golf in one day to raise money and awareness for Youth on Course. Now in its 12th year, Youth on Course is expanding nationally and currently operates in 25 states, serves over 40,000 youth members, and provides access to affordable golf at 900+ facilities nation-wide.

To support Kansas City Golf Association Youth on Course, you can pledge any amount towards any golfer below for each hole of golf they play. For example, if you pledge $1 per hole and the golfer completes 100 holes, that’s $100 towards Youth on Course. Golfers will be playing from sunup to sundown, walking 20+ miles, and taking hundreds of swings. It will be a fun, but challenging day and your backing will help keep participants going!

To see the KCGA leaderboard and more information, click here.

August 18, 2018 – Manhattan CC, Manhattan, KS

The 2018 Kansas Partner Tournament had the strongest field in recent history compete for the championship at Manhattan CC.  Perfect weather and soft conditions from recent much-needed rains led to low scores throughout the field.  Teams played nine holes of four ball stroke play and nine holes of scramble in the annual state-wide competition.  Prizes are awarded for both gross and net scoring in flights and over the entire field.

Corey Novascone and Hannah Perkins of Wichita captured the Overall Gross title with a 63 (-7), leading a group of very strong teams.  The pair carded six birdies between them on the four ball nine on their way to a front-nine 32 (-4).  Three more birdies on the back nine sealed the victory over Bob and Jettie Bezek of Ottawa, Baile and Tony Winslow of Overland Park, and defending champions Taylor and Jerol DeBoer of Hays.

Kristen and Scott Longenecker of Wichita claimed the Overall Net title with a 59 (-11) thanks in part to a net 1 on the very difficult par-3 seventh hole.  Rose Schuh and Scott Workman had a very strong round of 63 (-7), but mistakes by both players on the fourth hole led to a double bogey.  A strong back nine 28 was not enough to overcome the lead the Longeneckers had at the turn.

The 2018 Heart of America Fourball Championship was one to remember. Held at The National Golf Club of Kansas City, 16 teams competed in a bracket style match play format with eight qualifying from the Kansas Golf Association and the other eight qualifying from the Kansas City Golf Association.

The round of 16 took place Wednesday morning, August 8th. In the KGA bracket, it would be David Rismiller/Jason Seeman, Jack Lee/Nick Kagy, Bradley Lane/William Gantz and Josh Williams/Kit Grove who would advance to the afternoon quarterfinal round. Rismiller/Seeman would take down Lee/Kagy in the quarterfinals with a 4 and 3 victory. Williams/Grove advanced to the semi-finals with a 5 and 3 win over Lane/Gantz.

On the KCGA side, Andy Kelley/Matt Kelley, Jeff Mason/Sam Parrott, Gregory Diederich/Kevin Rome, and Elliot Soyez/Jeff Bell would all advance to the quarterfinal matches. Mason/Parrott would take down top seed Matt/Andy Kelley in a close 3 and 1 win. Defending champions Soyez/Bell would handle Diederich/Rome 4 and 3.

In what would be a great set of semi-final matches, Williams/Grove competed against Rismiller/Seeman while Soyez/Bell went up against Parrott/Mason on Thursday morning, August 9th. Parrott/Mason got out to an early lead over the defending champions after a birdie on their first hole. Their lead would extend to 2 up after a win on the Par-4, 3rd hole. Soyez/Bell wouldn’t go lightly and with a birdie by Bell on the Par-4, 7th, the deficit would cut to 1.

The next six holes would be halved, but after another birdie by Bell on #14, Mason/Parrott would see their lead diminish completely as the match stood all square heading into #15. Parrott would put the team back in front with a birdie and keep the 1 up lead going into the Par-5, 18th hole. The hole would come down to Parrott and Soyez as both Mason and Bell would pick up after errant shots. After Soyez made a ten-footer for birdie, the match would be all square after the regulation 18 holes and head to extras.

Bell/Soyez would clinch a spot in the Heart of America Four-Ball finals and complete their comeback with a birdie on the 19th hole of competition.

In the second semi-final of the HOA Four-Ball Championship, Seeman/Rismiller lead their match over Grove/Williams 3 up heading into the Par-3, 16th after controlling their match all morning. Kit Grove would be the only player in the foursome to make par to decrease the deficit to 2 up with two holes to play. Grove would go on to birdie the last two holes of competition to miraculously make the match all square after 18 holes for perhaps the biggest comeback in Heart of America history.

The match would last another six holes until Seeman/Rismiller both bogeyed the Par-3, 6th. Grove/Williams parred the 24th hole of competition to complete their amazing comeback and move on to the Heart of America Four-Ball finals against Soyez/Bell.

To add drama to the mix, after going 6 extra holes in the semifinal match, the finals would not start until 3:45 PM, nearly two and half hours after originally scheduled. With sunset scheduled at 8:30 PM, the two teams were not only competing against each other, but against Mother Nature.

Looking to defend their title, Soyez/Bell found themselves out to an early lead and were 2 up heading into the Par-4, 11th. With a birdie from Williams on 11 and a birdie from Grove on 12, the match was unexpectedly all square going in to 13. The match would complete a 180 as Williams again birdied 13 and Grove followed suit with another birdie on 14 and found themselves 2 up after 4 consecutive birdies. Some poor tee shots from Williams/Grove in the last few holes left the door open for Soyez/Bell who would capitalize and get back to all square heading into 18.

Both Williams and Soyez would make clutch par putts on the 18th green to send the HOA Finals into extra holes, the second time of the day for both teams. Mother Nature was catching up after the third extra hole of the championship and darkness would only allow time for one final hole: the short Par-4, 13th. Standing on the 13th green in near darkness, Williams would pitch in onto the green and a foot from the hole for an easy par. Bell, about ten feet away and putting for par, would pull off his greatest putt of the day to extend the match.

A scheduled two-day championship would extend into its third day as a winner was still undecided. After 46 holes of competition for Williams/Grove and 41 for Soyez/Bell, both would return to The National on Friday, August 10th to finish their match and capture the Heart of America Champion trophy.

Both teams teed off #1 for the 6th time in three days at 7:45 AM on Friday morning. With four pars on the 23rd hole of competition, both teams would continue on to the Par-5, 2nd. With Bell/Soyez both in with pars, Kit Grove would find himself on the 2nd green with a chance at birdie and a win. Ten feet stood between Grove/Williams and their amazing story at the 2018 Heart of America Four-Ball Championship. Williams watched on the side of the green as his partner would make his ten-foot birdie and finally claim victory after such an amazing comeback in their semifinals as well as their final match.

The tenacity and heart displayed by the entire field, especially by Kit Grove and Josh Williams was something you never forget. The 2018 Heart of America Four-Ball will be a special one that people remember for a long time. Congratulations to Elliot Soyez and Jeff Bell on a hard fought championship as well. Both men played great golf and even when they were down, never thought they were done. Congratulations to Kit and Josh on a great display of golf throughout the entire tournament and congratulations on one of the greatest comebacks we have seen here at the KCGA.

We hope Grove and Williams will be back next to defend their title and that we have just as much great competition as we did this year. What a display of golf.

For a full field of results, see here.

 

By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern

Topeka CC, Topeka, KS – Denise Desilet and Patricia Sherwood extended their lead with strong play in the Chapman Alternate Shot format on the second day of competition to claim the Overall Gross championship by a ten shot margin.  They got off to a hot start in the difficult format carding three birdies in their first nine and turned at -1 to par.  Second place finishers Beth Kuckelman and Kim Wright had a very strong performance in the Chapman format with a score of 74 (+1), but could not close the gap with Desilet and Sherwood.  This is Desilet’s third victory of three Association events played this year, and she takes a lead in the Senior Women’s Player of the Year standings into the fall with only a few events remaining.

Christy Kleweno and Jillayne Tillman claimed the Overall Net championship by a single stroke in a closely contested division with a 66-69=135 (-11).  Kuckelman and Wright came up one shot short in the Net Division along with Joyce Anderson/Judy Baltuska, Cindy MacDonald/Renee Montoya, and Michele Falley/Jaena Greenwood.

Almost 70 players took to Oakwood CC on Monday August 6th for a chance to qualify for a USGA Championship. US Mid-Am qualifying took place in conjuction with US Women’s Mid-Am Qualifying with the ladies teeing off first.

Six women fought for two qualifying spots for the 2018 US Women’s Mid Amateur Championship held September 22-27 at Norwood Hills Country Club in St Louis. Martha Linscott, from Mission Hills, Kansas, got off to a great start on her front nine. Linscott would birdie three out of her first eight holes followed by six pars. Linscott would have a few hiccups on her last few holes, but her great start would give her medalist honors and the top qualifying spot with a two-over, 74.

Pam Simpson claimed runner-up and the final qualifying spot with a round of 81, highlighted by a birdie on the Par-3, 5th. Carmen Titus is the first alternate from this field with an 82 (+10).

Over sixty men competed in the US Mid-Am qualifying portion that allowed only three qualifying spots for the Championship on September 22-27 at Charlotte Country Club and Carolina Golf Club. In a two-way tie for first place, Brad Nurski and Mathew Murray would each card an incredible round of five-under, 67. Nurski, from St. Joseph, Missouri, only carded one bogey on his round with four birdies and an eagle on the Par-5, 17th. Murray, from Bolivar, Missouri, carded only one bogey as well, but had six birdies with four in a row on Holes 11-14. Both players grabbed the top two qualifying spots for the USGA Championship with only one remaining.

Solo third place by one stroke and the final qualifying spot would go to Kory Bowman, from Springfield, Missouri, with a four-under, 68. Bowman carded four birdies and an eagle on the Par-5, 6th, but his two lone bogeys would keep up out off the top of the leaderboard by one. First alternate for this field is Park Ulrich, who shot a three-under, 69, highlighted by four birdies on the day.

Congratulations to all of our qualifiers moving on to the Mid-Am Championships at the end of September. For more information about these championships, see the USGA website.

For a full field of results, see here.

 

 

The 2018 Tee-Fore-Two Championship kicked off today at Topeka Country Club in what would be a full field of 40 partner teams on a cool, cloudy Monday.

Coming off a win at the Kansas Senior Women’s Amateur, Denise Desilet and her partner Patricia Sherwood got off to a hot start on day one of the championship. Between the pair of them, five birdies were carded and counted in the four-ball style tournament format. With only two bogeys counted, Desilet and Sherwood were able to sign for a great score of 7o (-3) to become the leaders in the clubhouse by five strokes.

In a close second place in overall gross, Jayne Clarke and Jordan Patterson shot a consistent round with 14 pars counted on their score card and a birdie on the Par-4, 16th. The pair carded a 39 front nine and 36 on the back nine to post a two-over, 75 round.

Rounding up the top three is a two way tie between Beth Kuckelman/Kim Wright and Renee Montoya/Cindy MacDonald, both shooting five-over, 78 rounds.

In the overall net race, Desilet/Sherwood are tied for first place with a nine-under, 64’s. Tied for third place in the overall net is Cindy MacDonald/Renee Montoya and Joyce Andersen/Judy Baltuska with eight-under, 65’s.

Anything is possible in Round 2 of the Tee-Fore-Two Championship as we change from fourball format to chapman alternate shot in which both golfers on each side (team) hit drives. After their drive, each player plays their team mate’s ball and the best of the second shot is played, alternating until holed.

Despite a five shot lead, Desilet/Sherwood have tough competition at their heels, and it should be an exciting finish at Topeka Country Club tomorrow morning. Good luck to all 40 our teams.

Live scoring will be available during the round through Golf Genius with the code: TEEFORETWO18.

What a great summer of junior golf we had this year at the KCGA. So many great kids and some great talent showed up week in and week out for the past three months and we could not be more grateful for all the kids who choose to play on the KC Junior Tour.

Finishing off a great season, 100 kids played in the KCJT Championship at Lake Quivira CC August 2nd. All five division squared for a chance to win the KCJT Champion and Runner-up trophy, as well as our 2018 Player of the Year award. All summer long throughout the junior season, points are accumulated for each player based on how many events they play and how well they place in each event. The player with the most points in each division wins the big honor.

The 16+ Boys division went off first at 7:30 AM and had almost 40 players trying to win one of the three awards. Coming in to the championship, the Player of the Year looked to be between Michael Garcia and Griffin Brassell. As we know in golf, the unexpected can always happen. Daniel Duffin sat in third in Player of the Year rankings as he teed off in the second to last pairing in the 16+ Boys division. He would go on to shoot a 73 (+2), which would win him KCJT Runner-Up and secure him enough points in the POY race to jump in front of both Garcia and Brassell in a surprise Player of the Year win.

After the round, Duffin credited staying in the fairway and actually leaving his driver at home as to what helped him win runner-up and POY. It was a great scene after the round as everyone looked on nervously to see how things would shake out.

Zach Molzer, would shoot a great round of even par 71 to claim the KCJT Champion trophy. Molzer had four bogeys and four birdies on his round to beat out the field by two and get to hoist his KCJT Champion trophy at Lake Quivira.

Jack Dwyer and Michael Bessenbacher tied for third place with a round of 75 (+4). Michael Garcia won solo fifth with a 78 and Brooks Baldwin and Griffin Brassell tied for sixth with rounds of 79.

Next was the Girls 16+ division, which had 20 girls battling it out. Player of the Year had narrowed itself down to Maggie King and Vera Bohning, both great talents that had performed consistently well throughout almost all our KCJT events this summer. It would be Vera Bohning that would come out on top after edging out Maggie King by five strokes with an 83. Bohning face was filled with excitement as she realized her tied for third place finish in the championship would be enough to win her POY.

She says that after winning her first KCJT event at St. Andrew’s GC earlier in the summer is when she realized she had a real shot to take him POY. Her hard work certainly paid off and it was great to see such a happy, grateful reaction from Bohning.

Our 16+ Girls KCJT Champion was Abby Howard after turning in a round of 79. Coming off a disappointing performance in the Prairie Invitational, Howard was looking to bounce back and in a big way. Howard’s three birdies would help propel her to the top of the leaderboard, edging out Sarah Lawson by one stroke. Lawson secured her KCJT Runner-Up with a great round of 80 and four birdies on her round.

Vera Bohning, Martha Saferstein and Brianne Arello tied for third place with an 83. Leah McFee won solo sixth place with an 85. Jaclyn Koziol would take home seventh place with an 87.

Another tight race for both Player of the Year and KCJT Champion was in the Boys 13-15 division. Player of the Year had come down to Patrick Neal and Benjamin Bessette and the two squared off in the final pairing of their division to determine the winner. It would be Benjamin Bessette to win not only Player of the Year honors, but also KCJT Champion with a great round of 78. Bessette and Neal have battled it out all summer and it was an honor to watch both compete.

Bessette would narrowly beat out both Christian Rischer and Jack Cobb, who would tie for KCJT Runner-Up with rounds of 79. Drake Krumme took home fourth place with an 80. In a three way tie for fith, Dominic Matteoni, Jeret Handley and Nate Saporito would all shoot rounds of 83.

In a division where Player of the Year was a little more up for grabs, the Girls 13-15 division brought a lot of excitement to the leaderboard. Lia Johnson would hold up the KCJT Champion trophy after shooting 81 on her round. Her two birdies on the day helped claim medalist honors over Elizabeth Grant, our KCJT Runner-Up with an 82.

Our 13-15 Player of the Year was between Tess Roman and the Gentry sisters: Madeline and Savannah. Roman was unable to attend the KCJT Championship which gave both Gentry sisters an opportunity to take home the award. Savannah Gentry’s face light up like a christmas tree after realizing she won our 2018 Player of the Year. Savannah would edge out Madeline by one stroke in the stroke play Championship to secure enough points to also win Player of the Year.

Savannah, in her favorite Stanford golf shirt, held her Player of the Year trophy with pride as her sister congratulated her. Her excitement as well as Johnson and Grant is why we love doing what we do here at the KCGA.

Our last division of the day was our Prep division. In our Prep division, players are aged between 10-12 and only compete in a nine-hole round format. Over the summer we have had a great turnout of around eight or nine boys compete against each other. Drew Krystyn would take home the KCJT Champion trophy after shooting an impressive nine-hole round of 40 on the difficult Lake Quivira front nine. Wylie Curtis would take home KCJT Runner-Up after carding a nine-hole score of 44.

Our 2018 Prep Player of the Year is Jacob Fratzel. Fratzel was unable to attend the KCJT Championship due to conflicting obligations, but after winning four of the seven KCJT events he played in Fratzel secured Player of the Year without playing. Fratzel was a consistent force to be reckoned with in the Prep division and has a great future ahead of him in golf.

It was a great day out at Lake Quivira CC as we were able to celebrate all of our juniors for a great season. Thank you to everyone who choose the KCJT to be a part of this summer. Junior golf is so important to both the KCGA and the game of golf and we hope the junior program continues to grow next year.

Also a big thank you to our awesome volunteers who without we couldn’t do what we do. For all the rules officiating and course set-up, thank you for all your time and effort.

For pictures of our champions and interviews of the Boys 16+ and Girls 16+ POY, see our Facebook and Twitter page.

For full tournament results, see here.

For final Player of the Year standings, see here.

 

The Kansas Women’s Four State team has been announced and is scheduled to compete at Muskogee Country Club (Muskogee, OK) on July 31 and August 1.  Four State is an annual Ryder Cup-style competition with teams from Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas competing.  Each team is comprised of six amateur golfers under age 40 and six amateur golfers over age 40.  Tuesday’s competition will feature four ball matches in the morning followed by alternate shot matches in the afternoon.  Wednesday’s competition is singles matches.

Kansas Team:

• Laine Evans – Wichita
• Bella Hadden – Shawnee
• Rosie Klausner – Olathe
• Audrey Meisch – Wichita
• Molly Saporito – Overland Park
• Jaci Weber – Wichita
• Jettie Bezek – Ottawa
• Denise Desilet – Wichita
• Barbara Cusick – Leawood
• Susan DeVoe – Overland Park
• Martha Linscott – Mission Hills
• Paula Routon – Wichita

Three rounds of golf and 54 holes later and the KC Amateur has six new champions. The Golf Club of Creekmoor hosted this year’s Kansas City Amateur Championship and despite threats of rain all weekend, what a great finish it was.

After day one of competition, three players tied at the top of the leaderboard in the Open Division with rounds of three-under 69: Blake Allen, Nick Kagy and Garrett Allen. Only five players carded red figures on their first round, including Shaun Campbell (70) and Christian Ghilardi (71).

In the Seniors Division, Mark Addington had three birdies on his round to claim an early lead with an even par 72 round, leading John Samples and Kevin Handlan by one stroke.  David Hamilton and Robert Nelson battled for the top spots in the Legends division while Michael Buckhouse and Carter Likes tied for the top spots in the Players Division.

Day two of competition saw even less red scores than the first. In the Open division, only three players carded under par rounds on day two: Carter Tumminia (70), Kris Casburn (69) and Jacob Hinck (71). Day one leaders struggled a bit on day two and all shot rounds over par. Blake Allen came in with a two-over 74, despite having six birdies on his day to battle back from a double bogey but still remained one under overall and atop the leaderboard heading into day three.

Mark Addington continued to distance himself from the field in his division by shooting a one-under 71 which was highlighted by his three birdies to lead second place Gregory Goode by two strokes. Michael Buckhouse and Carter Likes were separated by one stroke heading in to the final day of competition for the Players division. David Hamilton shot an even par 72 on his second round to lead second place Robert Nelson by six strokes.

Our final pairing for Championship Sunday for the Open division belonged to Blake Allen (-1), Nick Kagy (E) and Shaun Campbell (+1). Allen began his round with ten pars in a row followed by three birdies on his next four holes. A late charge by James Henderson, who began his round at +2 would have two birdies and two eagles to surge up the leaderboard. Heading in to the final stretch, Blake Allen would finish par-par-bogey-birdie to capture his first KC Amateur title with a clutch tap-in birdie on the Par-5, 18th. The birdie to win would mark his 15th birdie in the tournament.

Despite a great round of golf played by James Henderson, Allen’s mental toughness and clutch shot making would capture the championship by two strokes. Allen finished with a total score of 212 (69-74-69) with Henderson claiming runner-up with a 214 (72-74-68).

Addington shot his best round of the tournament on Championship Sunday with a three-under 69 after seven birdies on the day to claim the 2018 KC Amateur Senior title. Gregory Goode would shoot a two-under 70 to claim runner-up.

David Hamilton would run away with the Legends Gross Divison title with a one-under final round to make a total tournament score of 217 (74-72-71). Robert Nelson was the Legends Net Champion with a 70-72-69 (211).

The battle between Michael Buckhouse and Carter Likes was finally settled on Championship Sunday in the Players Gross Division with Buckhouse edging out Likes by two strokes. Buckhouse used his five birdies throughout the tournament to beat out Likes with a 73-76-73 (222). Carter Likes would be the Players Net Division champion with a 70-74-71 (215).

The Kansas City Amateur Championship was a great showing of all the great golf talent in Kansas City. We are so grateful to have the kind of competition we do in our regional championships. Thank you to the Golf Club of Creekmoor for hosting us this year as well as next! The 2019 KC Amateur Championship will return to Creekmoor next year and we hope it’s even better than this year’s. As always, thank you to all of our great volunteers and staff that do such a great job day in and day out.

Check out our social media outlets for pictures of the champions and an interview with Open Champion, Blake Allen.

For a full field of results, see here.

 

By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern