Lawrence Country Club Head Professional Kristen Samp fired a stress-free 72 on Wednesday to win The Prairie Invitational by seven shots. Playing alongside eventual runner-up Audrey Judd and defending champion Kayla Eckelkamp, Samp stretched her lead in the third round with steady play. Judd rebounded from some bogeys early in the back nine to hold off a charge from Taryn Torgerson to claim the Kansas Women’s Amateur Title, which was contested alongside The Prairie Invitational for the first time in the history of the event. Rosie Klausner led a group of fine junior players to claim both The Prairie Invitational Low Junior title and the KWGA Low Junior title with 76-77-74=227.
The event began on Monday at Milburn Country Club, which had been battered by a storm on Saturday evening. The field of 87 players included the Open Division of elite amateur players competing in a 54-hole all gross competition and the Players Division competing in a 36-hole gross and net competition. The Players Division concluded on Tuesday afternoon, and the Open Division was cut to the low 18 players and ties continuing play on Wednesday.
Barbara Cusick, the 2014 Players Division Gross Champion, reclaimed her title with consistent play in both rounds (80-81=161). Victoria Klausner, Julia Stopperan, Alane Studley, and Sarah Brookfield rounded out the top five. First-time competitor Sarah Lawson won the Players Division Net Championship by seven shots over defending champion Julie Young. Milburn CC’s Lia Johnson, Jessalyn Shipp, and Robbin Wasson completed the top five net competitors.
The 2018 Prairie Invitational will be held at Indian Hills Country Club on July 23-25.