Category: Junior Golf

Introducing the 2019 Junior Ambassadors Team

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The New Junior Ambassadors Program

This year we are excited to announce a new program within the Kansas City Junior Tour: the KC Junior Ambassadors. The mission of the Junior Ambassador program is to not only promote the game of golf to everyone in the Kansas City area, but also to encourage players who have never played before to join. Junior Ambassadors were invited based on their friendly and positive attitude as well as their dedication to helping and encouraging players of all talent levels on the Kansas City Junior Tour this summer.

Junior Ambassadors will be tasked with inviting new players to join the Kansas City Junior Tour as well as being a point of contact for those who have questions or are unsure of what to do at a Kansas City Junior Tour event. We are excited about the great group of kids that have accepted their invitation to be a part of the Inaugural Junior Ambassador Program. We hope to keep young players involved in golf no matter their playing level. Whether you shoot in the 70’s and 80’s or you are just picking up a golf club, there is always a spot for you on the Kansas City Junior Tour.

Meet the 2019 KC Junior Ambassador Team

Name – Age – School – Tournament Excited About Playing This Summer – Favorite Part of Playing Golf

Maggie King – 17 – St Thomas Aquinas HS – Prairie Invitational – Playing in tournaments and playing a variety of courses

Kobe Jenkins – 17 – The Barstow School – Kansas City Junior Championship – Stuffing a long iron to a tight pin

Libby Green – 15 – Mill Valley HS – Kansas City Junior Championship and the Prairie Invitational – Winning the first Girls State Championship at Mill Valley HS

Evan Highfill – 17 – Rockhurst High School – KCJT tournaments at St Andrew’s and Lake Quivira CC – Being able to play with my friends and studying golf courses

Tess Roman – 15 – Shawnee Mission East HS – Prairie Invitational – Getting to meet a lot of new people and make good friends

EJ Atkins – 16 – Grandview High School – KCJT tournaments – Meeting new people and challenging himself

Savannah Gentry – 15 – St Theresa’s Academy – KCJT tournament at St Andrew’s GC – Overall experience of the game and building character while having fun

Drew Krystyn – 10 – Overland Trail Elementary – Lake Quivira Championship – Playing golf with friends

Madeline Gentry – 16 – St Theresa’s Academy – KCJT tournament at St Andrew’s – Feeling you get when you hit a good shot

Jacob Fratzel – 12 – Hope Lutheran School – KCJT tournament at CC of Leawood – Improving his score at a course he’s played before and making new golf friends

Nick Nickloy – 13 – Mission Trail Middle School – Kansas City Junior Championship – Improving his score and getting to travel and play new courses

 

If you are interested in being a part of the Junior Ambassadors team in the future or learning more information, reach out to Taylor Albritton, Junior Golf Manager, at taylor@kcgolf.org.

 

2018 Junior Golf Highlights

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2018 Junior Golf Highlights

Match the Junior Golfer with his or her accomplishments. Answers are below.

Choices: Joe Bultman, Justin Wingerter, Sion Audrain, Julia Misemer, Hanna Hawks, Megan Propeck, Nicklaus Mason

#1: She was the 2018 Girls Player of the Year, Champion of KC Junior and Kansas Junior Amateur, Qualified for 2019 US Women’s Four-Ball

#2: He was the 2018 KCGA Boys Player of the Year, Champion of KC Junior and KC Masters, Qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge and US Junior Amateur Championship, Participant on Mid-America Junior Cup Team

#3: He was the KGA Boys Player of the Year, Champion of the KS Railer and KS Junior Match Play, Champion of Parent/Child Championship, Runner-Up of High Plains Amateur, Semifinalist in KC Boys Junior Match Play

#4: She was the Champion of KC Girls Match Play, Third Place Finish in KC Junior Championship and KS Junior Amateur, Top 15 finish at 2018 Prairie Invitational, Participant on Mid-America Junior Cup Team

#5: He was the KC Boys Junior Match Play Champion, Medalist at US Junior Amateur Qualifying, Third Place finish at KC Masters, Qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge, Mid-America Junior Cup Participant, Committed to Wichita State for 2019

#6: She managed a second place finish at KS Junior Amateur, Second place finish at KS Girls Kick-Off, Third place finish at Optimist Qualifier

#7: He was the Kansas Amateur and High Plains Amateur Champion, Third place finish at KS Boys Junior Amateur, Committed to Kansas University for 2019

Answers: Megan Propeck, Justin Wingerter, Nicklaus Mason, Julia Misemer, Joe Bultman, Hanna Hawks, Sion Audrain

These seven candidates are just the tip of the iceberg the KCGA and KGA have in terms of junior golf talent. Our junior golfers are competing at every level, including performing in our regional championships.

Below are a few other accomplishments our junior golfers made in 2018
3 Juniors qualified for 2018 Watson Challenge
9 – 7  KCGA beats MAGA in Mid-America Junior Cup
24 Juniors qualified for the 2018 KS Amateur
30 Juniors played in the 2018 Prairie Invitational

Are you reading this and thinking, “How do I get my name on this list”?

  • Get involved. Get a GHIN Handicap if you don’t already have one.
  • Practice. Commit to working on your short-game or taking lessons with a PGA/LPGA Professional this year.
  • Compete. Register for tournaments across the state and at different levels of competition. Don’t be afraid to fail a few times before you get better.

We’d love to see different names at the top of this list this time next year. Make 2019 your year!

Want to be featured in the Junior Golf Newsletter? Reach out to Taylor Albritton, Junior Golf Manager, at taylor@kcgolf.org with your story.

Sign up for our new Junior Golf Newsletter sent out the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

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Wingerter, Propeck Win Kansas City Junior Champion Title

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This year’s Kansas City Junior Championship was held at Brookridge Golf and Fitness May 30-31st. 89 of the top junior talent took their shot at the KC Junior title and a chance to play in either the Watson Challenge or the Prairie Invitational.

In the girl’s division, 29 girls vied for the top spot. Over the course of the two-day competition, Megan Propeck distinguished herself atop the leaderboard. With a first round score of 69, (-2), Propeck etched her name over the field by 7 strokes over Julia Misemer. In her first round, Propeck carded two bogeys and four birdies.

Despite a big lead, Propeck had a few mistakes in her second round with a handful of bogeys on the day. She battled back with two birdies to card 75, (+4). Her great play secured her the 2018 KC Junior Girl’s Champion title by an amazing 9 strokes. Molly Saporito secured second place shooting a 79, 74 (153). Julia Misemer rounded out the top three with a 76, 81 (157).

As a result of her win, Megan Propeck also secured an invitation to the Prairie Invitational at the end of July. We look forward to seeing Megan bring more great golf to the Prairie Invitational field.

In the boy’s division, 60 players battled for medalist and an invitation to play in the Watson Challenge June 8-10th. Competition was tight throughout the two-day competition. Some notable names in the field included Michael Winslow, recent State Champion, Garrett Clark, defending champion Ryan Bender, and many more. After round one, Justin Wingerter earned the leader spot after shooting a bogey-free round of 69, (-2), by two strokes over Daniel Gutgesell.

On the final day of competition, the leading group included Justin Wingerter, 69, Daniel Gutgesell, 71, and Calvin Dillon, 72, but the last few groups all had a shot at the victory being within two or three strokes of the lead. Wingerter’s biggest competition came from Joe Bultman, who started the second round 4 strokes behind. With a birdie and an eagle on the Par-5, 11th, Bultman found himself in contention heading to the final few holes.

Wingerter’s final round featured a few hiccups on the front nine that saw him fall back to +1 for the tournament at one point. Unaware of other player’s standings, Wingerter had to battle through his mistakes to make up some ground. Bultman finished his round with a 69, (-2), and a 142 overall score for the tournament. Heading into the 16th hole, Wingerter was down by one stroke. With an incredible bogey save on the 15th, Wingerter went on to birdie 16, 17, and 18 to beat out Bultman by one stroke.

It was an incredible two days of golf and an even better finish. Wingerter and Bultman both secured their Champion and Runner-Up titles as well as invitations to the Watson Challenge next week. We wish both of them the best of luck and hope their great play continues into the Watson.

For a full field of results, click here.

Visit our Facebook page for in-depth interviews with both Megan Propeck and Justin Wingerter.

 

By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern

Milburn CC Raises nearly $5,000 for Youth on Course

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By Taylor Albritton, KCGA Intern

Saturday, April 28th, Milburn Country Club held their opening day tournament for the benefit of their members and to kick off the summer season. One member in particular, Dave Jackson, took the opportunity upon himself to raise awareness and money for the local Youth on Course program.

During the duration of the opening day tournament, Jackson perched himself on the #1 tee and passed out information packets as well as advocated for the importance of the Youth on Course program in Kansas City to Milburn members as they passed through. His persuasiveness paid off in a big way. In one day, Jackson and Milburn CC were able to raise nearly $5,00o from its members specifically for the Youth on Course program. On top of a successful donation of nearly $2,000 earlier in the year, Milburn CC has managed to raise almost $7,000 for Youth on Course in 2018 alone.

Despite being a private club and not being able to personally benefit from Youth on Course services, Milburn CC has done a great thing for its Kansas City community.

“It’s great to see private clubs embracing Youth on Course,” said Doug Habel, Executive Director of the Kansas City Golf Association.

“The success of Youth on Course will ensure the success and future of these private clubs for years to come. I hope the rest of the private clubs around Kansas City will also take opportunities such as this to help such an important program.”

Youth on Course is great program that supports local kids’ desire to play golf at an affordable and less competitive environment. In order to keep the game of golf relevant and important for many years to come, the youth movement must continue to grow. Please join us and the many other golf associations in supporting your local Youth on Course program.

A big thank you to Milburn Country Club for their amazing contribution!

2018 KCGA Season is Officially Open!

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The 2018 KCGA Season has officially begun!

As of 10 AM today, players are now eligible to register for any KCGA event, as well as post scores. Registration for KCGA events will be through Tournament Pairing Program (TPP), the same system used last year.

Click here to register!

To be eligible to register, players must have an active GHIN number. For StateLine Amateur Tour and Kansas City Junior Tour, players must also be a registered member of the league before signing up for individual events.

If you have any questions or issues feel free to email the KCGA staff or give us a call at (913)-649-5242 ext 0.

KWGA Memorial Scholarship Applications Now Open

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The Kansas Women’s Golf Association Memorial Scholarship was established January 1, 2018 to commemorate and continue the KWGA Scholarship. This scholarship awarded college/university scholarships from 1991 through 2017. The KWGA Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to one or more Kansas high school seniors or graduates of a Kansas high school who are enrolled as a full-time student of an accredited college or university.

Applications for the KWGA Memorial Scholarship are now open! All applications/supporting materials become the property of the KWGA Memorial Scholarship Committee and MUST BE postmarked on or before March 30, 2018 and mailed by U.S. Mail to:

Karen Exon, Committee Chair, KWGA Memorial Scholarship
2310 SW Mayfair Place
Topeka, KS 66611
Phone – 785.633.2723
Email – karenexon01@gmail.com

Please see the following link for more detailed information such as eligibility and requirements for applications:

KWGA Memorial Scholarship

Volunteer, Coach with The First Tee of Greater Kansas City

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first teeLooking for ways to grow the game and impact the lives of junior golfers across Kansas City?

Visit the First Tee of Greater Kansas City and see how you can volunteer your time, knowledge and resources to benefit the next generation of golfers.

The First Tee is currently searching for volunteers and volunteer coaches to assist in their mission of teaching life lessons through golf.

Visit their website or facebook page to find out more information.

Youth On Course Partners with KCGA, Brings $5 Youth Golf To KC

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The Kansas City Golf Association and Youth On Course announced its partnership Thursday, bringing $5 rounds of golf to youth and junior golfers across the Kansas City Metro. Below is the complete press release, posted on the Youth On Course webpage. The KCGA will post a complete list of participating golf courses in the Kansas City area at a later date.

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PEBBLE BEACH, California — Youth on Course — the non-profit organization providing rounds of golf for $5 or less, college scholarships and caddie programs – will implement programming in the greater Kansas City area following an agreement with the Kansas City Golf Association (KCGA), and the initiative will be reinforced by the Golf Foundation of Kansas City and the Tom S. Watson Supporting Foundation.

Kansas City Golf Association Logo

Born in Northern California, Youth on Course now has a new easternmost region of courses and members. Other states actively incorporating YOC initiatives include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Nationwide, nearly 15,000 YOC members ages 6-18 have affordable access to unlimited golf at hundreds of courses.

“Youth on Course provides an inexpensive opportunity for young Kansas City Golfers to play a multitude of courses,” says 39-time PGA TOUR winner and World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson. “This will open the door for kids to play new courses and to connect with other junior golfers outside of tournament settings.”

Through the subsidizing of greens fees by organizations like Tom Watson’s, Youth on Course eliminates the financial barrier that might prohibit young golfers from enjoying the game. No YOC member ever pays more than $5 for a round at a partner course, and paid intern and caddie programs are available at select locations. Additionally, $282,000 in college scholarships were awarded to 50 deserving members in the past year – part of an ongoing mission to provide educational support.

“Tom Watson, the KCGA and the Golf Foundation of Kansas City realize the benefits for both young golfers and courses embracing financial accessibility through YOC,” says Youth on Course Executive Director Adam Heieck. “With junior golfers come parents, friends and family to the course, helping these properties develop lasting relationships with new guests.”

For additional information, as well as a full list of Youth on Course partners, visit www.youthoncourse.org, or call 831.625.4653.

About Youth on Course

Headquartered in Pebble Beach, Youth on Course is a non-profit organization serving as the charitable arm of the Northern California Golf Association. The core purpose of Youth on Course is to provide youth with life changing opportunities through golf. This is achieved through initiatives that include subsidized rounds at partner courses, mentorship opportunities through caddie programs and paid internships, and scholarship grants for qualifying members. Currently, Youth on Course serves California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, with plans to expand nationwide.

About the Kansas City Golf Association

The Kansas City Golf Association (KCGA) is a full service regional golf association dedicated to the betterment of the amateur golf community of greater Kansas City. Founded in 1912, the Association is volunteer-based and governed as a non-profit 501 (c) 4 Missouri corporation. More than 60 volunteers (course raters and tournament committeemen) assist in course ratings, competitions and communications. For more information, visit www.kansascitygolfer.org.

Keywords: Kansas City, Kansas City Golf Association, Youth on Course, Tom Watson

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The Kansas City Junior Tour Traveled North To St. Joseph Country Club

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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Kansas City Junior Tour traveled north to play at the St. Joseph Country Club on Wednesday, July 29.

While Kansas City was covered in a morning thunder storm, it was nice and clear up north in St. Joseph. It turned out to be a perfect day for a round of golf as it was 85 degrees and sunny. St. Joseph is known or its rolling hills and tree-line fairways with fast and firm greens.

The boys 16 and up division played from the blue tees, a 6,331-yard, par-71 golf course on Wednesday at St. Joseph Country Club. Trystan Tovkach led the way as he goes back-to-back to win the division two tournaments in a row. Tovkach fired 77 (+6), including one birdie on the day. One-stroke behind Tovkach was a two-way tie for second between Eric Larson and Zack Toussaint at 78 (+7).

The boys 13 to 15 division played the white tees, a 5,992-yard course as Will Harding posted the low-score of the boys with 76 (+5). Two-strokes behind Harding was Joe Bultman at 78 (+7) and Garrett Clark in third at 79 (+8).

Both of the girls divisions played from the red tees, a 5,188-yard course. Brianna Walker controlled the girls 16 and up division as she posted an 89 (+18). Maggie King edged Emma Linscott to win the girls 13 to 15 division firing a 113.

The prep division played the front nine, a 2,591-yard course. William Rau led the way as he posted 42 (+7) to edge Ben Slicker by one stroke at 43 (+8).

Click here for final results.

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Cunningham Shines at Lawrence Country Club

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – The seventh event of the 2015 Kansas City Junior Tour was hosted at Lawrence Country Club on Monday, July 27. There were 69 total junior golfers that competed against one another as they were split into five different divisions.

Lawrence Country Club is known for its rolling hills with tree-lined fairways as well as the five lakes across the course to enhance the difficulty of play. The boys 16 and up division played the bronze tees, a 6,062-yard, par 70 course as the boys 13 to 15 played the silver tees, a 5,621-yard course. All of the girls and the prep division played from the gold tees, a 4,858-yard course.

The boys 16 and up division consisted of a 25-golfer field that was led by Trystan Tovkach who fired 73 (+3). Tovkach had three birdies on the day to finish three-strokes ahead of the runners-up Mott Griffin and Ben Hadden at 76 (+6).

The boys 13 to 15 division consisted of 23-golfers and led by Andrew Cunningham who posted an impressive 70 (E) that included three birdies. Three strokes behind Cunningham, who posted the lowest score of any boys, was the runner-up Garrett Clark at 73 (+3). Owen Hill finished third with a 75 (+5).

Nikki McCurdy dominated the girls 16 and up division as she led the way as she fired 76 (+6). Behind McCurdy was Meg Green at 85 (+15). Isabella Hadden managed the girls 13 to 15 division as she fired 92 to win the division. Five-strokes behind Hadden, was Rosalyn Klaussner as she posted 97.

On his home course, Will Hedges won the prep division as he fired 37 (+2) on the front nine. Hedges had two birdies on the day to finish three strokes ahead of the runner-up William Rau. Rau posted 40 (+5), including one birdie.

The Kansas City Junior Tour only has two more events before the championship at Shadow Glen Golf Club. All competitors on the KCJT at invited to compete in the championship on August 10.

Click here for KCJT standings.

Click here for full results at Lawrence CC.

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