Wichita Open

Wichita Golf fans, the week you've been waiting for is almost here. The playing field for the Air Capital Classic, formerly the Wichita Open, has been announced for next week. The newly renamed tournament kicks off on Monday with the Scholfield Shootout. Click here to see the entire field scheduled to play. The field for the shootout was announced as well, with the following touring pro's scheduled to play: Josh Broadaway Michael Sims Woody Austin Ryan Spears Andres Gonzales Jeff Klauk Jason Gore The touring pros will be paired with a local pro. Wichita area golfers who are playing include Keith Gunter, Dave Hansen, Lee Johnson, Rod Nuckells, Jim Elliot, Carey Cosby and Greg Bray.

First round action of the Wichita Open has wrapped up at Crestview Country Club for Thursday. Play was suspended around 10:40 Thursday morning as a line of thunderstorms moved through the Wichita metro area, forcing golfers off the course until shortly before 3 o'clock. Roger Tambellini sank birdies on his first four holes of the day, and finished with eight in the round to take a one-shot lead into the clubhouse at the end of the round with a score of 7-under par. Golfers who were set to tee off in the afternoon session at noon began teeing off nearly four hours later.

The official start to the Wichita Open begins with the Monday Shootout at Crestview Country Club. Reflection Ridge pro Kurt Gibson and Nationwide Touring pro Andrew Buckle took home $800, beating Woody Austin and Willowbend Country Club pro Rod Nuckolls. The Wichita Open has always kept a laid back atmosphere to the tournament and it's that attitude that keeps the players coming back every year. "It's just a great event - the club gets behind it, the town gets behind it," said Josh Broadaway, Nationwide player who is 72nd on the money list.

A nice break in the heat made for a beautiful first round of the Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club.  Matt Davidson played a bogey-free round and is the leader after day one at 8 under par. There is a log-jam after that with 4 players tied for second place.  Dan Buchner, Steve Gutschewski, Steven Bowditch and Robert Castro all finished the day at 7 under par. Former Independent School star Dodge Kemmer finished with a one over 72 and is tied for 120th place. 12 eagles were recorded on the 18th hole.

Professional golf is staying in Wichita, but it has a new name. The Wichita Open will now be called the Air Capital Classic and will run from June 13-16 on the web.com Tour, formerly the Nationwide Tour. Tournament director Roy Turner made the announcement this morning in a press release, and then at a press conference at Crestview Country Club following. The purse will be $650,000. Preferred Health Systems was the title sponsor for many years but will no longer be the main sponsor, instead joining a whole host of sponsors for the tournament.  Read more in the press release below: A new 501(c)

Australia's Mathew Goggin won the Wichita Open on Sunday for his second Nationwide Tour title of the year and fourth overall, birdieing the final hole for a 2-under 69 and a one-stroke victory over Kyle Thompson. Goggin, also the winner of the season-opening Panama Championship, finished at 18-under 266 on the Crestview Country Club's North Course. He earned $108,000 to push his season total to $303,898, guaranteeing a top 25 finish for the season and a 2012 PGA Tour card. He also moved within a win of an in-season PGA Tour promotion.

"Playing close to home is great. The people of Wichita should be ecstatic because the golf course is in phenomenal shape. I just wish I would have played. " Woody Austin will always wear his heart on his sleeve, and when you ask him about his play this week at the Wichita Open, he will tell you. "Disgustingly pathetic," Austin said following the round. "It's the best I can come up with, just pathetic. I hit a lot of good shots and there are some good things but you can't make that many mistakes, especially on a golf course that it playing this easy.

On a day when Casey Wittenberg had to be his best, he left no doubt. "You just gotta hang in there and keep trying to make birdies and fortunately the back nine was good to me all week," Wittenberg said after his round. He was solid on Sunday, firing a bogey free back nine for a 66, winning the 2012 Wichita Open at 18-under par. "It's got some scoreable holes out there and you just have to take advantage of them and I was able to do so," Wittenberg said. "It's hard to win any golf tournament and you're fortunate to do that at any point in time.

For golf nerds in Wichita - this is Christmas. The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open gets underway this week at Crestview Country Club and it sets up to be one of the best Opens ever. The field is completely stacked. 24 of the Top 25 Money Leaders are in the field and 64 of the top 70 are here too. Woody Austin (24th) is in the field too and so is two time US Open champ Lee Janzen is in town, also. Sam Saunders is playing, also. Name doesn't ring a bell? He's Arnold Palmer's grandson.

Roy Turner worries more than my mother during the week of the Air Capital Classic. It is, after all, his baby. The tournament director for the past 20 odd years always tries to outdue himself from year to year and with the changeover from the from the Wichita Open to the Air Capital Classic. I believe it did survive, and thrived. The purse was increased to $650K and the winner's share up to $116K. Attendance seemed up, attention to the tournament was off the charts and much had to do with the change in name.

The Air Capital Classic has cycled through three different leaders in the past three days. Alex Prugh was the first-round leader and Nathan Tyler took the second round with a six-under 65 for a two day total of 10-under 132. On Saturday another America took first, Scott Parel finished as the third-round leader with a four-under 67 for a day three total of 11-under 202. On Saturday Bhavik Patel took the lead at 11-under par but slipped into second...

Day one at the Air Capital Classic ended with American Alex Prugh atop the leaderboard at 8-under par. In fact, nine of the top ten golfers were United States natives. Former Shocker Dustin Garza was among the top finishers for the day tied for third with a 66. Click here to view a photo gallery from Thursday. Day two teed off early this morning. Prugh completed his day at even par and was the overall leader at 8-under. That was until American Nathan Tyler took the lead by two strokes this afternoon.

In the morning group, Mike Lavery from the United States led the Air Capital Classic at 6-under par. In the back nine of the second wave of golfers, American Alex Prugh went ahead and eventually finished with an 8-under to seal the top spot. Prugh leads with a 63. Click here to view a photo gallery from Thursday. The afternoon is complete. American Kyle Reifers finished at 4-under after maintaining a 5-under into the 17th hole. After day one, nine of the top ten contenders are from the United States.

Jeff Klauk was a shooting star in 2003 after he won the Wichita Open. He went on to earn his PGA Tour card and compete on the big stage for a couple seasons. Then he suffered a seizure and his golf game took a turn. "A lot of people have a seizure in their life, so when I had two of them I got on some medication and everything was fine," Klauk said. "Then I was driving to church on Christmas Eve, 2010 things changed for sure. " Klauk suffered what's called a Grand Mal seizure, losing consciousness and had some violent muscle spasms.

Wichita Golf fans, the week you've been waiting for is almost here. The playing field for the Air Capital Classic, formerly the Wichita Open, has been announced for next week. The newly renamed tournament kicks off on Monday with the Scholfield Shootout. Click here to see the entire field scheduled to play. The field for the shootout was announced as well, with the following touring pro's scheduled to play: Josh Broadaway Michael Sims Woody Austin Ryan Spears Andres Gonzales Jeff Klauk Jason Gore The touring pros will be paired with a local pro. Wichita area golfers who are playing include Keith Gunter, Dave Hansen, Lee Johnson, Rod Nuckells, Jim Elliot, Carey Cosby and Greg Bray.

If Matt Kuchar is ever doing something good on the PGA Tour, a reign of what sounds like boos will come from the gallery around him. They aren't booing, it's the call of "KUUUUUUCCCCCH!" Matt Kuchar has a pretty dedicated following on the PGA Tour, and after his second victory of 2013 it could grow. Kuchar birdied the 72nd hole at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Sunday to win at Jacks' place for the first time in his career. Chris Chappell was trailing him, needing an eagle on 18 and Kuch to duff one and bogey to force a playoff but one of the straightest and surest hitters on Tour didn't let that happen.

Professional golf is staying in Wichita, but it has a new name. The Wichita Open will now be called the Air Capital Classic and will run from June 13-16 on the web.com Tour, formerly the Nationwide Tour. Tournament director Roy Turner made the announcement this morning in a press release, and then at a press conference at Crestview Country Club following. The purse will be $650,000. Preferred Health Systems was the title sponsor for many years but will no longer be the main sponsor, instead joining a whole host of sponsors for the tournament.  Read more in the press release below: A new 501(c)

Roy Turner puts on one of the best parties of the year, every summer. It just so happens to go down on a golf course, during a very competitive golf tournament. He lives and breathes the Wichita Open and his efforts have made the best party on a golf course known around the region and the web.com Tour. Tuesday marked a new chapter in the history of the Wichita Open, now known as the Air Capital Classic. The name change was part of a complete change for the tournament. Preferred Health Systems is no longer the title sponsor but is still a sponsor.