TOPEKA — The next championship of the spring season will begin Monday with the state golf tournament featuring the best swings from the high school ranks. Many Topeka-area golfers have qualified for the two-day tournament played at various sites.
Here are the storylines and locations for state golf this week.
Four decades of state golf for Washburn Rural
There was little stress in the air for Washburn Rural during practice on Wednesday. The team walked with a hop down the fairway of Forbes Golf Course, sharing a laugh while head coach Jared Goehring smiled often.
Life is good for the Junior Blues.
The team qualified for the state championship after finishing second at the regional tournament last week. According to Goehring, this is at least the 39th straight season Washburn Rural has qualified for the state tournament.
“It has got to be one of the longest streaks,” he said. “The tradition that Washburn Rural has had even when I was a student here. You just bought into the program and you did a lot of work in the summer and the junior golf programs are really strong.”
On Monday, the Junior Blues will tee it up at Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in Garden City for the Class 6A State Championship. The goal for Washburn Rural is simple: Qualify for day two.
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The top six team scores advance to Tuesday’s round. Senior Hayden Glynn is relying on last year’s experience to help this week.
Glynn was the lone Washburn Rural golfer to make day two action. The top 54 golfers on the leaderboard, including the players who are a part of team qualification, will advance. Glynn was one of those who played well enough to move on, and his game is in the right spot. He's confident he can play well again.
“We all have the capability to play well and we work well as a team,” he said. “We have a bond as a team together more than what other teams have. We have playful competition between each other, we also know when to be serious.”
Competition breeds success, especially for Washburn Rural. The team has not had a true No. 1 golfer this season; instead, the top player has come from across the board. Camden Zimlich paced them in regionals with a 10-over round of 82. The senior has enjoyed the team's consistency this spring.
“Every practice has been competitive because we don’t have someone that is standing out,” Zimlich said. “Right now, it is all about consistency. Heading into the end of the season, we need someone to go low.”
Zimlich is a candidate to play well in the state tournament. So is junior Tadd Armstrong, a lefty who has been striping the ball over the past month. He played two tournaments where he shot under 80 and one of his best performances came in the Centennial League Championship at Firekeeper Golf Course.
“We have had a consistent top six this year,” Armstrong said. “ I have played one bag this year and it does add pressure. I have learned that it is just golf. There is no reason to add pressure.”
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Topeka West's Myles Alonzo ready to stamp his place in history
The Class 5A State Tournament will feature one of the best golfers from the capital city. Topeka West’s Myles Alonzo broke the school record, previously held by his brother, in last week’s regional championship.
He fired a 4-under round of 66 to win the tournament and solidify himself as one of the top contenders for the state tournament hosted by Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton.
“Putting was really good. I missed some birdie putts, but oh well.. I still had a great round and I can’t complain,” Alonzo said. “If I just keep it up and play like I did today, I should be fine.”
Alonzo’s accession as the best golfer in the Topeka area started not during summer golf or winter workouts, but rather early this spring.
“Probably at the beginning of the season, I was telling myself that I really want to do good and have colleges look at me,” Alonzo said. “I’ve got to do something this golf season. I have got to win as many golf tournaments as I can. I just got to keep grinding.”
He won the City and Regional Championships, two major filled with pressure shots. For example, Alonzo hit a double bogey during his school record-breaking round. He never wavered, taking the next shots in stride, including his eagle on the last hole.
“It’s a little nerve-racking. Everyone is watching you, you’ve got cameras,” he said. “You just block that out and stick to your shot.”
He learned to play through pressure and difficulties from his dad and brother, Addison. They would play competitive rounds with each other with the occasional distraction in a backswing. These moments have built him into a stone-cold golfer.
Alonzo has yet to decide where he will play collegiately. His only focus is on the state tournament this week, and his confidence is sky-high.
“If I just keep doing what I’ve been doing, I should have no problem,” Alonzo said. “I like Sand Creek, it’s a great course. I should be fine.”
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Kansas state golf championship locations
Class 6A: Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City
Class 5A: Sand Creek Station Golf Course, Newton
Class 4A: Turkey Creek Golf Course, McPherson
Class 3A: Emporia Municipal Golf Course, Emporia
Class 2A: Mariah Hills Golf Course, Dodge City
Class 1A: Hesston Golf Course, Hesston
Liam Keating covers high school sports for The Topeka Capital-Journal. You can reach him at Lkeating@gannett.com.
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