2027 WCH – The Season Kickoff at Sand Creek

The Wichita Amateur Players Tour opened its 2027 season on Saturday, October 17th at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas, and the first of the season’s Wichita amateur golf tournaments was a day stacked with firsts. A field of 39 players competed across five divisions, with two net games running alongside them. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.

Sand Creek Station, open since 2006, is always a tough track to play. Tight fairways, thick rough, difficult bunkering, wind and a handful of genuinely challenging holes will test anyone’s patience, and the numbers backed it up. The par-5 10th, one of the course’s two signature holes, gave up not a single birdie all day and played more than two shots over par. Its sibling, the par-5 16th, was the most generous hole on the property, surrendering four birdies and a dozen pars.

The day started with a 15-minute frost delay, putting greens closed and players and spectators bundled up. After the first hole the cart path restriction lifted, the temperature climbed, and the day turned out fantastic. Great competition and camaraderie were at an all-time high for The Season Kickoff at Sand Creek Station.

In Division 1, Kelly Sellers of Solomon, Kansas won his first tournament in the division, and he did it with the low round of the day, a 4-over 76. He was level with Zach Eck after six holes and had been caught by Conner Penney by the turn through twelve, but Sellers went out in 2-over 38, came home in 2-over 38, and put an exclamation point on it with back-to-back birdies at the par-4 15th and the par-5 16th to play his last six in 1-under. Penney took second at 7-over 79 with birdies at the par-4 8th and the par-4 11th, finishing two back. Eck was third, three off the lead after twelve and five after fifteen, as Sellers closed out a three-shot win.

Division 2 belonged to a debutant. Brian Brauer of Valley Center, Kansas played his first-ever Amateur Players Tour event and won the flight, posting 13-over 85. Brauer led after six, had the division by five at the twelve-hole mark, and then kept the pressure on all the way to the finish as Jason Dodd of Wichita cut the gap to two over the closing stretch. Dodd signed for 14-over 86, a single stroke adrift. William Duncan, in from the Tulsa chapter by way of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was third at 18-over 90.

Division 3 produced another first-timer’s win. Chris Crocker of Newton, Kansas, also playing his first Amateur Players Tour event, took the flight with an 11-over 83, grinding out nine pars and splitting his round 6-over 42 going out and 5-over 41 coming home. He led after six, twelve and fifteen, though Tracy Hanback of Abilene closed to within one through twelve before Crocker steadied for a three-shot win. Hanback and Matt Jensen of Wichita tied for second at 14-over 86 to round out the money positions, in a division where five players finished within five of the lead.

Division 4 came down to the wire. Jeff Rader, visiting from the Kansas City chapter and playing out of Beloit, Kansas, went out in 7-over 43 and home in 9-over 45 for a 16-over 88. Rod Hartshorn of Wichita, who had been four behind after six, drew dead level after fifteen holes, but Rader played the last three in 1-over to win by two. Hartshorn took second at 18-over 90 with a birdie at the par-4 9th, and William Spicer of the Kansas City chapter was third at 19-over 91.

The firsts kept coming in Division 5, where Tanner Hurt of Wichita won his very first event on the APT. Hurt shot 21-over 93, led from the sixth hole on and never gave the lead back, winning by eight. Willie Thornton of the Oklahoma City chapter finished second, with Laura Cervin, also of the Oklahoma City chapter, third.

Sellers made it a double. He added the Mid-Am Net title with a net 1-under 71, two clear of Nicholas Crouse of the Iowa chapter at net 1-over 73. Matt Jensen and William Spicer shared third at net 2-over 74, with four players inside five shots of the top.

Hanback backed up his Division 3 runner-up finish by winning Senior Net at net 3-over 75. Rex Robinson of Sawyer, Kansas actually led him by one after six holes before Hanback pulled clear, and Robinson shared second at net 6-over 78 with Willie Thornton, three back.

On the par 3s, Rodney Michael stuck the challenging 3rd to 6′ 1″, and Eric Rinehart played the 7th — the hardest handicap hole on the card and the $2,500 HIO Club hole — to 8′ 11″. Newcomer Steven Wyatt took the 13th to 9′ 10″, and Aaron Scholz had the tightest shot of the day into the 17th at 4′ 4″. All four won a $50 gift card to the Pro Shop at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

Thank you to the entire team at Sand Creek Station Golf Course for hosting the kickoff. Next up in the Wichita chapter — The Quail Ridge Open on Saturday, October 24th; space is limited and registration closes October 21st. The Gobbler at Turkey Creek follows on Saturday, November 7th, with registration closing November 4th.

By the Players, For the Players.