A Win at Home: Nicklaus Golf Club Head Pro Wins at Watson Challenge

Round 3 Results >>

The final round of the Watson Challenge concluded on Saturday afternoon at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. Robert Russell, Head Golf Professional at the Nicklaus Golf Club, won the event by two shots over Davis Cooper and Joseph Winslow.

Russell started his day one shot back from the lead and stayed steady shooting even-par on his front nine. After making the turn, Russell turned up the heat. He birdied four holes in a row and made a fifth birdie on the 15th hole. He shot 68-71-68 (-9) for the event. His Challenge win also earns him an exemption into next year’s AdventHealth Championship Korn Ferry Tour event.

Joseph Winslow made a run for the leaderboard after starting his day in eighth place. Winslow made early strides on the front nine, making birdies on holes four through seven and nine. He fired an impressive round of 67 on the day, finishing seven-under-par along with Davis Cooper. Cooper, 2022 Challenge defending Champion and a member at the Nicklaus Golf Club, shot 71 during his round today.

Michael Letzig finished in fourth place shooting rounds of 70-69-71-210 (-6). Sean Dougherty finished fifth shooting rounds of 70-70-72-212 (-4). Rounding out the top ten were Ty Lasley and Jackson Foth in sixth place at three-under-par. Ben Hadden, Julian Taylor, Will King, and Michael Winslow were tied for eighth-place at two-under-par.

Julia Misemer, the only woman to play in the event, shot rounds of 75-76-72-223 (+7) to tie for 26th.

Pairings, Live Scoring, and Results can be found here >>

Media Contact:
Baile Stephenson
baile@clgolf.org
(913)-558-3663

Cooper & Jarchow Lead After Round Two at the Watson Challenge

Round 2 Results >>

The second round of the Watson Challenge began Friday morning at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. Leading the pack of golfers for the second day in a row was Davis Cooper, a Senior of the University of Kansas Men’s Golf Team and 2022 Watson Challenge Champion. Cooper shot 70 (-2) on his round which included making an 8-foot putt on hole 10 for eagle.

New to the leaderboard is Austin Jarchow, PGA Professional, who shot 67 (-5) on his round after shooting 71 (-1) on Thursday. Jarchow carded seven birdies on his scorecard today, “I executed the small things better [today], I really hit it well enough yesterday to go low and made some dumb mistakes,” he said.

Michael Letzig and Robert Russell are tied for third at five-under-par going into the final round on Saturday. Sean Dougherty and Michael Winslow are tied for fifth at four-under-par. Ben Pearson finds himself in solo-seventh at three-under. Rounding out the top ten are Jackson Foth, Joseph Winslow, and Will King at two-under.

Julia Misemer, the only female in the field, sits T26 after shooting 75-76 (+7).

The Final Round of the Challenge will begin at 7:30 AM Saturday morning. Tom Watson will be present at the awards ceremony following play.

Pairings, Live Scoring, and Results can be found here >>

Media Contact:
Baile Stephenson
baile@clgolf.org
(913)-558-3663

Three Lead During Round One at the Watson Challenge

Round 1 Results >>

The Watson Challenge began Thursday morning at the Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate. The field comprised of 47 men and one woman, are competing to determine the best golfer in Kansas City.

Leading the field at four-under-par are Davis Cooper, Michael Winslow, and Robert Russell.

Cooper won the Challenge in 2022 and holds a home course advantage as a member at Lionsgate. Cooper carded an early double bogey in his round but wasn’t concerned “I knew I still had four par fives left on the day so I wasn’t too stressed about it”, he said after going on to make eight birdies during the round.

Russell, who also holds a home course advantage as the Head Golf Professional at Lionsgate, had an impressive round today. After an unfortunate bogey on the par-three-eighth hole, Russell holed out for an eagle on nine; “I knew it was going to be good, but I never dreamed it would be in the hole,” Russell said.

M. Winslow, a Junior on the Wichita State University Golf Team, also shot 68 today. Winslow carded five birdies on the front nine this morning on holes two, four, five, six, and seven. The key to his success? “I putted the ball really well today and my wedges were really good,” Winslow said.

Players to watch going into Friday’s round include David Jenkins who shot 69 (-3). Will King, Sean Dougherty, Michael Letzig, and Julian Taylor all are tied for fifth after shooting 70 (-2). Joseph Winslow and Austin Jarchow shot 71 (-1) to round out the top 10.

Round two begins at 7:30 AM Friday morning.

Pairings, Live Scoring, and Results can be found here >>

Media Contact:
Baile Stephenson
baile@clgolf.org
(913)-558-3663

Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate Set to Host Watson Challenge

For Immediate Release

Overland Park, Kansas – The Watson Challenge, hosted by namesake Tom Watson, is set to take place Thursday, June 1 through Saturday, June 3 at The Nicklaus Golf Club at Lionsgate. The Watson Challenge offers the strongest field of amateur and professional golfers in the Kansas City area.

The Watson Challenge is an annual 54-hole golf championship held “To Determine the Best Golfer in the Greater Kansas City Golf Community.” The event has a 50-golfer field, consisting of the top PGA Club Professionals from the Midwest Section PGA, and the top amateurs living in the greater Kansas City golf community.

Players to watch:

  • 2022 champion, Davis Cooper, a Senior on the University of Kansas Golf Team
  • Past champion, Alex Springer, won the Challenge when it was last hosted at the Nicklaus Golf Club in 2019
  • Three-time past champion, Andy Spencer
  • Brothers Joseph and Michael Winslow are paired together in Thursday’s round
  • Nicklaus Golf Club Head Golf Professional, Robert Russell
  • One woman will compete in the field, Julia Misemer, an incoming sophomore at the University of Arizona

Tom Watson will be unable to compete due to an injury.

The event will raise funds for the First Tee of Kansas City.

Spectator Information

Tickets to the 2023 Watson Challenge are free, but we strongly encourage a donation of $25 to the First Tee of Greater Kansas City. Tickets are available at the Nicklaus Golf Club.

Parking Information

Only players, sponsors, staff, and rules officials are allowed into the clubhouse parking lot. Public parking for the event will be at the Blue Valley campus of Legacy Christian Church at 14301 Metcalf Avenue. There will be a shuttle running from the church to the clubhouse during the event. Do not park on roads in the Lionsgate neighborhood.

Schedule of Events

Tee times will run from 7:30 am until 10:00 am each day, June 1st through 3rd. The leaders will tee off at 10:00 am for rounds two and three. There will be a trophy presentation at approximately 3:00 pm on Saturday, June 3rd.

For tournament information, pairings, and players click here >>

Round 1 Pairings>>

Media Contact:
Baile Stephenson
(913) 558-3663
baile@clgolf.org

Watson Challenge

Recording Breaking Day at the Watson Challenge

Cooper sets three new Watson Challenge records

“We found out who the best player in Kansas City was,” Tom Watson said as he congratulated Davis Cooper on his Watson Challenge victory on Saturday afternoon at Indian Hills Country Club.

Cooper broke Challenge records for the lowest total score, score in relation to par, and margin-of-victory, after he shot 65-64-68-197 (-13), to win the Challenge by 8 strokes.

“That’s what you work for, you don’t know when your time is going to come and these last three days I have put three pretty good rounds together, so that was special” Cooper said, “to have all my friends and family here made it even better.”

Cooper’s victory also earned him an exemption into the 2023 AdventHealth Korn Ferry Tour event at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City.

The Price is Right for Letzig

Davis Cooper wasn’t the only one leaving Indian Hills on Saturday with a smile. Michael Letzig also won big. Going into the final hole, Letzig was two shots back from taking solo-second. On the par-five 18th hole, Letzig his third shot perfectly, hopping right into the cup to make eagle. Because of Cooper’s amateur status, Letzig went home with the $10,000 Watson Challenge purse.

Wade Binfield, Korn Ferry Tour player, finished in third place after shooting 71-67-68-206 (-4).

Tom Watson shot even par on Saturday putting him T15 for the event.

Full Results >>

Past and Present Jayhawks Shine During the Second Round of the Watson Challenge

Davis Cooper holds a strong lead going into the final round tomorrow.

Davis Cooper, entering his Junior year at the University of Kansas, holds a six-shot lead going into the final round of the Watson Challenge on Saturday. Cooper shot an impressive six-under-par, 64 during the second round on Friday.

“I stayed patient out there and waited for my birdies to come,” Cooper said, and they definitely came. He made five birdies before making his first and only bogey of the tournament on hole 13, then quickly recovered by making a birdie on 14. He finished his round with yet another birdie on 18 to card 7 birdies on his round.

Charlie Hillier, a professional on the PGA Tour Latin America and former University of Kansas golfer, shot 68 (-2) today to put him at five-under-par for the tournament, six shots back of Cooper.

Thursday’s leader, Zach VanDolah shot 73 (+3) today, putting him tied for third place with Michael Letzig who shot 70 (E) today.

Tom Watson bounced back after his day yesterday, carding 71 (+1) on his round today. Watson will tee off at 10:00 AM on Saturday.

With an improved forecast, the “best golfer in Kansas City” will be determined tomorrow.

Results from Round 2 >>

Pictures & Video from today >>

VanDolah Leads After the First Round at the Watson Challenge

The first round of the 2022 Watson Challenge began today as 50 men and 1 woman, took on Indian Hills Country Club, to see who will be crowned “the best golfer in Kansas City”.

Coming off his Kansas City Match Play Victory, Zach VanDolah leads the first round of the Watson Challenge after shooting 64 (-6) in his opening round. His round consisted of seven birdies, ten pars, and one bogey. When asked what the key to his success was he said “I made everything I looked at.”

Not far behind VanDolah is Davis Cooper, the current Kansas University Golfer, who shot a bogey-free 65 (-5), as he relied on his wedges to gain success around the greens today.

Justin Wingerter holds solo third after shooting 66 (-4).

Tom Watson, tournament namesake, shot 74 (+4) during his opening round this morning. Watson tees off at 9:50 AM Friday morning.

Gianna Augustine, the first female to play in the Challenge, shot 76 (+6).

Although not in the field, Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett could be found on the bag, as he caddied for Prairie Village’s Kevin Ward who shot 74 (+4).

Round Two will begin Friday morning at 8:30 AM.

Pairings & Results >>

Media Dropbox Kit >>

Friday’s Pairings:

Watson Challenge Postponed to 2021

LENEXA, KS (July 9, 2020) – Representatives of the Watson Challenge Committee and the host committee from the National Golf Club met today and decided to postpone the Watson Challenge until spring of 2021.

“The decision to not play the event in 2020 was a difficult one for all involved.”, said Watson Challenge director Doug Habel, “The staff and members of the National have made every effort to try and play the event, but ultimately decided that the safety of the club’s members and tournament players was more important. The committee supports that decision and we are thankful that they will host the event next year.”

While the date for next year’s Watson Challenge has not yet been set, the National has committed to hosting the event.

For any questions regarding the Watson Challenge, please reach out to Doug Habel at doug@clgolf.org.