The 100th Kansas Amateur at Prairie Dunes

[Tony_Chapman]

The 100th playing of the Kansas Amateur gets underway tomorrow at Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS. 156 players have qualified and will play 36 holes of stroke play to determine the 64 players into the match play bracket.

The Kansas Golf Association website: www.kansasgolf.org

The Amateur Championship website: http://207.57.20.54/Championships/2010Results/KSam/KSam.htm

A preview in today's Hutchinson News: http://www.hutchnews.com/Sports/bestamateur

Ran's 2008 profile of the Perry/Press Maxwell gem: http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/prairie-dunes

They'll play the course at just under 6,800 yards to a tight par of 70. Forecast for hot and humid conditions with highs in the upper-90s all week. Certainly a deserving champion will be crowned.

[RJ_Daley]

Tony, are you going to attend a session or two?  These state golf association events, when held at otherwise very exclusive clubs, are wonderful ways for the average Joe to afford to get to see the architecture and see how very good players negotiate the designs of some great golf courses.   Usually they are free and hardly any galleries, so you can pretty much go anywhere on the course.  I was thrilled to get to enjoy such at the US mid Am at Milwaukee CC a few years ago.  I know if I were within a few hours drive, I'd go see that one at Prairie Dunes, for sure.

[Phil McDade]

Here here! Both RJ and I took advantage of the US Mid-Am championship to see Milwaukee CC -- a club that intentionally stays well below the radar, rarely hosting tournaments, and thus a course few people get to see. I recently revisted Ozaukee CC in suburban Milwaukee when it hosted US Open qualifying play. Looking over schedules of tournaments recently in various states, I was struck by how many tournaments are held, and open to the public, at top-tier courses. A great way to see some great courses.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

[RJ_Daley]

I see where PD is also hosting the Nebraska-Kansas jr cup matches, Aug 8-10 and the Prairie Club now open in Valentine is hosting a club team tournament aug 28-29.  Happy Hollow has the NE am July 26-29.  I don't know if spectators are welcome at Prairie Club, but I'd bet they would be if not for merely promotional purposes of the new club.

[Tony_Chapman]

RJ -- I am probably not going down to Hutchinson (I've played there once and was a volunteer for the 2006 Senior Open, so I've seen the course), however, if by chance this young lad (http://207.57.20.54/Championships/2010Results/KSam/StrokePlayScoreboard.htm) were to have a good run, I may start driving south.  

Edit: Sorry, I thought that was a direct link to my brother's card. He'll be off at 9:30 am tomorrow and 2:00 (in the furnace) on Wednesday.

[Sean Leary]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

Kyle,

What do you think the qualifying medalist will shoot? Might be some long rounds out there, especially if the wind blows...

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

Kyle,

What do you think the qualifying medalist will shoot? Might be some long rounds out there, especially if the wind blows...

It all depends on if there is wind - obviously.  Thinking that there won't be I'll guess somewhere around 142.

[Sean Leary]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

Kyle,

What do you think the qualifying medalist will shoot? Might be some long rounds out there, especially if the wind blows...

It all depends on if there is wind - obviously.  Thinking that there won't be I'll guess somewhere around 142.

How soft were the greens this weekend?  Stan usually keeps em pretty wet in the summer. Drives the local members crazy....

It is just a brutal course for tournament strokeplay. Just brutal.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

Kyle,

What do you think the qualifying medalist will shoot? Might be some long rounds out there, especially if the wind blows...

It all depends on if there is wind - obviously.  Thinking that there won't be I'll guess somewhere around 142.

How soft were the greens this weekend?  Stan usually keeps em pretty wet in the summer. Drives the local members crazy....

It is just a brutal course for tournament strokeplay. Just brutal.

They've had a LOT of rain.  The greens were soft enough that a low score on a calm day could definitely be out there if you can keep it out of the gunch.

[Tony_Chapman]

I played in Hutchinson over the weekend and the heat/humidity was staggering (and that is coming from someone who lives in Houston).  There was no wind and if that continues I'd expect the scores will reflect it.  One of our caddies (KS Jr Am Champ) was playing in the event this week and there are quite a few other members playing as well.  I'd imagine the home course advantage to be large on those greens.

Kyle,

What do you think the qualifying medalist will shoot? Might be some long rounds out there, especially if the wind blows...

Sean -- I'm on the phone with my brother right now. He's 0 handicap and played this morning. He said it's playing very difficult and was blowing about 20mph from the south today. He feels like their are very few birdies on the golf course (3, 6 and 7 is all he feels) and said 145 is going to be a hell of a score. He thinks about 10 players could match that score and he thinks the high side of the qualifying scores with be 158-159.

[Mark Arata]

D. Kelly and I were out there from the 9th to 11th, they had a lake in front of 2 and the fairway of 6, said they had 9 inches of rain on the monday and tuesday before we got there. Greens were soft but still running fast...... The Gunch was impossible.....you couldnt find anything that went into it anywhere......

If the greens are still that soft, even with the wind, someone will shoot a good score..... if you can keep it in play......it is very visually intimidating with the rough that high and thick and the gunch head high......

[Tony_Chapman]

Temperatures in the low 100s greeted the players today with Wichita State's Hunter Sparks leading the way on 3-under par, 67. Only one other competitor broke 70; with the average score in Hutchinson being just under 80 and 79.80.

64 players will advance to match play (currently a score of 78) after play tomorrow.

http://207.57.20.54/Championships/2010Results/KSam/StrokePlayScoreboard.htm

[Adam Clayman]

Wow, Tony, Tyler sure had an up and down day.
 7 on 17 and the birdied 18.

The birdie on 9 must've lifted his spirits only to go on the bogie train until 15.

Hope he rights the ship.

Wish him luck from all of his fans.

[Tony_Chapman]

Adam -- He wasn't overly disappointed, to be honest. There are 39 players between 76-78 so one shot here or there will really effect his seeding. We think 152 will be in the top-half of the bracket.

Couple of quick stories from his day. He hit in the gunch way left on 17 and didn't even look for it; second ball par. Hit the flag with a 5-iron on nine and made one of five birdies on the hole for the day. Got a bad break on 13 and couldn't get a stance in the second bunker down the left; had to putt it down into the bunker and made double. Made bogey with an unplayable tee ball on 11. Said he made four bad swings all day. Some really good players put up some big numbers.

Locals saying it's way harder than during the Senior Open because the rough is thicker and not cut down so patrons can walk. Looks like 158 to, even 160 may have a shot at a playoff.

[Sean Leary]

Tony,

Any wind?

If they are playing it back, then that is another reason than it is playing harder than the Senior Open.

[Tony_Chapman]

Sean -- Yes! Temps near 100 and steady wind in the 15-20 range from the southwest.

[Tony_Chapman]

Two players broke par in the qualifier with match play starting this morning at 7:30. In the 8-for-6 playoff (at 155) that started on the 10th, one competitor promptly earned his way into match play by scoring an ace. Now, that's a memory.

Still hot and windy conditions expected to last through the championship.

[RJ_Daley]

Any heat prostration casualties?