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.’
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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.