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The atmosphere was electric as the morning mist lifted ahead of the 8:00 AM tee time. Despite cart path only conditions from the recent rain, we did allow to play the ball up, which helped the scoring and the day turned into a perfect, sun-filled setting for golf. A big thank you to Fred Arbanas Golf Course and its staff for consistently hosting a first-class event year after year. And of course, we appreciate our tournament sponsor, Jennifer Gordon of Capital Tax & Consulting, for her continued support!
Champ Flight, the opening stretch was a grind, but Aaron Mickelson set the tone early with a steady, “boring is beautiful” approach—parring his way through while others scrambled. Zach Driver-Heiland provided an early spark with a birdie on hole 3, but holes 5 and 6 quickly became a scorecard nightmare, for Clark Boatner and Driver-Heiland, Mickelson took advantage, closing the front nine with a clutch birdie on 8 to turn at even-par 36. From there, he stayed composed. Despite a 40 on the back, Mickelson finished at 76 (+4) to claim the trophy and his first Kansas Tour victory. Thorman and Boatner battled to the end, finishing tied for second at 82.
A Flight, the middle of the front nine is where things unraveled. Holes 8 and 9 proved brutal, with Scott Rutherford, Sean McClain, and Chad Cassidy all finishing the side with back-to-back double bogeys. Cassidy took the hardest hit, turning at 47. Meanwhile, Brandon Gilpin stayed in control—despite a hiccup on 6—making the turn at 38 with a comfortable lead. Even late, Gilpin wasn’t immune to mistakes, dropping a double on 17, but his early cushion held strong. He closed with an 80 to secure a dominant 8-shot victory. Rutherford battled through for second at 88, with McClain just behind at 89. Cassidy and Bullock endured a tough finish, tying at 95 after a punishing final stretch.
B Flight, Steve Kowalski caught fire early, stunning the field with back-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5, then adding another on 8 to make the turn at an impressive even-par 36. Troy Bailey added to the excitement with a brilliant birdie on hole 7, but momentum quickly flipped as he carded a triple on 8. On the back nine, Kowalski began to feel the pressure with a stretch of bogeys, giving Eric Brown and Christopher Roark a window. Bailey battled back with another birdie, but it wasn’t enough. Kowalski’s strong front nine proved the difference—despite a double on 17, he finished at 77 to secure a 6-shot victory. Brown’s steady play earned him solo second at 83, just ahead of Roark at 84.
The C Flight leaderboard was a battle all day, shifting with nearly every hole. Early on, Bob Murphy and David King set the pace with solid 41s, but Dillon Meals made the biggest statement on the front with a bold birdie on hole 3. The back nine brought chaos. King, along with Branden Love and Chris Matson, all carded costly 8s that shook up the standings. But King recovered when it mattered, steadying himself late to post an 83 and secure a one-shot victory. Rodrigo Vargas finished just behind at 84, while Jeff Rader’s consistency earned him solo third with an 85.
The D Flight featured a stacked 17-player field and plenty of early excitement, with Jesse Barton and Mark Fuqua going shot-for-shot in a strong display of consistency. Both handled the money hole impressively with birdies, setting the tone for the round. On the back nine, Sean Davenport from the California Tour made a late push with a birdie, briefly jumping into contention. In the end, Barton held steady to claim the win with an 86. Fuqua finished just two shots back at 88 for second, while Davenport’s surge secured him third at 89.
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