Steve Groom

2016 Missouri Golf Association Player of the Year

This award is based on the accumulative performance points accumulated throughout the golf season in your respective category.

Steve Groom MGA Senior Player of the Year

Steve Groom, Raytown, MO member of Fred Arbanas Golf Club

Payne Stewart Champion
MGA Senior Four Ball Champion – Steve Groom and Mark Addington
Ozark Invitational Finished 8th
Porto Cima Four Ball Senior Champion Steve Groom and Mark Addington
MGA State Amateur Championship Round of 64
MGA Stroke Play Championship low Senior with Tom Barry
Jefferson City CC Memorial tied for 3rd
US Senior Amateur – Qualified

Chad Niezing

Chad Niezing MGA Player of the Year

Chad Niezing, Manchester, MO member of The Legends Country Club

Porto Cima Four Ball Champions – Chad Niezing and Chris Dale
Richard Poe Invitational Finished tied for 2nd
MGA State Amateur Championship Round of 64
MGA Stroke Play Championship Finished 18th
MGA Four Ball Championship tied for 4th  – Chad Niezing and Chris Dale
MGA Mid-Amateur Championship Champion
US Mid-Amateur – Qualified, Made Match Play, Won match in Round of 64

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Geoff Vartelas is the individual leader after the second round (photo/USGA Chris Keane)

Geoff Vartelas fired his second consecutive under-par round on Thursday, putting him at the top of the individual leader board. More importantly, Vartelas’ fine play lifted Connecticut into sole possession of the lead heading into the final round of the 12th USGA Men’s State Team Championship at the 7,162-yard West Course at the Country Club of Birmingham.

Missouri was tied with Connecticut and two other states for the top spot after the first day. Missouri is one of seven teams within five shots of the lead.

Richard Berkmeyer from Wildwood shot four over after a first round a 2-under 69. Brad Nurski of St. Joe even par-71 both rounds. Sam Migdal from Ballwin 12 over after two rounds.

A total of 23 teams made the 36-hole cut, which reduced the field to the low 21 teams and ties. Among the notable teams to miss were host state Alabama and New York, which featured reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad.

The United States Golf Association conducts the USGA Men’s State Team Championship on a biennial basis. It features teams of three players from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Eighteen holes of stroke play are conducted over three days, with the two lowest scores of the three individuals counting as the team’s score for the round.

12th USGA MEN’S STATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 
Connecticut – 281; Geoff Vartelas, Cromwell – 68-70–138; John Flaherty, Glastonbury – 72-71–143; Chet Hrostek, New Milford – 81-80–161
Pennsylvania – 283; Christopher Crawford, Bensalem – 69-70–139; Chip Lutz, Reading – 74-71–145; Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh – 73-74–147
Arizona – 284; Ken Tanigawa, Paradise Valley – 71-70–141; Cory Bacon, Cave Creek – 73-70–143; Bryan Hoops, Chandler – 77-76–153
North Carolina – 285; Justin Tereshko, Greensboro – 71-68–139; Scott Harvey, Kernersville – 75-71–146; David Gies II, Charlotte – 76-77–153
Minnesota – 285; Trent Peterson, Eagan – 72-68–140; Jesse Bull, Hopkins – 71-75–146; Andrew McCain, Minneapolis – 75-74–149
Michigan – 285; Tom Werkmeister, Grandville – 71-70–141; Evan Bowser, Dearborn – 73-71–144; Anthony Sorentino, Shelby Township – 83-78–161
Missouri – 286; Brad Nurski, St. Joseph – 71-71–142; Richard Berkmeyer, Wildwood – 69-75–144; Sam Migdal, Ballwin – 75-79–154
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Country Club of Birmingham; West Course, Hole. No. 18 (USGA/Russell Kirk)

At the USGA men’s state team golf championships, Missouri is in a four-way tie with Ohio, Connecticut and Texas for the lead after the first round from the West Course at the Country Club of Birmingham. Richard Berkmeyer from Wildwood shot a 2-under 69. Brad Nurski of St. Joe par-71 and Sam Migdal from Ballwin a 75.  The tournament is being held at the West Course at the Country Club of Birmingham.

The United States Golf Association conducts the USGA Men’s State Team Championship on a biennial basis. It features teams of three players from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Eighteen holes of stroke play are conducted over three days, with the two lowest scores of the three individuals counting as the team’s score for the round. Following Thursday’s second round, the field will be cut to the low 21 teams and ties.

Missouri’s Richard Berkmeyer shot a 2-under 69. The 42-year-old from Wildwood has also competed on the Donald Ross layout in several other competitions, and used the experience to card four birdies.

12th USGA MEN’S STATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 1 
Missouri – 140; Richard Berkmeyer, Wildwood – 34-35–69; Brad Nurski, St. Joseph – 35-36–71; Sam Migdal, Ballwin – 37-38–75
Connecticut – 140; Geoff Vartelas, Cromwell – 35-33–68; John Flaherty, Glastonbury – 36-36–72; Chet Hrostek, New Milford – 39-42–81
Ohio – 140; Bill Williamson, Cincinnati – 34-35–69; Jeffrey Scohy, Bellbrook – 33-38–71; Brandon Pluchinsky, North Lima – 37-37–74
Texas – 140; Joshua Irving, Dallas – 33-35–68; Zach Atkinson, Colleyville – 37-35–72; Scott Abbott, Dallas – 39-40–79
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A select group of young aspiring players will represent the state of Missouri in the fifth annual Southern States Junior Cup Matches.  The 2016 Cup Matches will be held at the Country Club of Little Rock, August 3-5.  The four states that will compete are Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma. The Junior Cup Match team is comprised of six male and six female junior players.  The event will be a Ryder Cup format with Four ball, Foursome and Individual Match play.  The Four ball and Foursome matches will consist of a 2-person team comprised of 1 male and 1 female.  The Individual Match play will be boys competing against boys and girls against girls.  Each match will be awarded one point for each win.  The selection of the team will be based on the point standings with the top four females and males being selected for inclusion on the Missouri Team.  The remaining four spots will be Captains picks (2 female and 2 male).

2016 Missouri Team

Meet the Girls:

Samantha Cornelius will be a Sophomore this coming school year at Penney High School in Hamilton, Missouri.  Sam participated in 4 Hieronymus Junior Events, the Junior Match Play and Junior Amateur this summer season.  She was the medalist in 3 of the 4 Hieronymus Events and also fought hard in the Junior Match and came in second behind another Missouri teammate, Olivia Sobaski.  This past year, Samantha made it to the MSHSAA State Golf Tournament as a freshman.  This will be Samantha’s first time playing in the Southern States Cup Matches.

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Emily Goldenstein, a golfer for Memphis University and star from Parkway West High School, shot a final round 69 to win the Missouri Women’s Golf Association’s Amateur Championship by six shots at Twin Oaks Country Club in Springfield.  Goldenstein finished with a three-day total of -8, 214 to finish six shots ahead of runner-up Chandler Gallagher of Kansas City,

Gallagher, who just wrapped up her college career at UMKC after transferring from Kansas State, led by one of Goldenstein after the second round.  She finished at 220.

Just behind Gallagher with a pair of 221 scores were first round leader Logan Otter of St. Peters and Elizabeth Heath of Chesterfield.

1 Goldenstein, Emily Chesterfield, Mo. -5 F -8 72 73 69 214
2 Gallagher, Chandler Kansas City, Mo. +2 F -2 72 72 76 220
T3 Leath, Elizabeth Chesterfield, Mo. +1 F -1 72 74 75 221
T3 Otter, Logan Saint Peters, Mo. +2 F -1 70 75 76 221
5 Childers, Ashley Mt. Vernon, Mo. -3 F Even 76 75 71 222
6 Cusumano, Brooke St. Louis, Mo. Even F +2 75 75 74 224
T7 Bell, Sarah Jackson, Mo. +1 F +3 77 73 75 225
T7 Furnish, Megan Springfield, Mo. +3 F +3 74 74 77 225
T9 Eckelkamp, Kayla Washington, Mo. Even F +5 78 75 74 227
T9 Thompson, Brooke Jefferson City, Mo. +1 F +5 77 75 75 227
T9 Sobaski, Olivia Rose Sedalia, Mo. +1 F +5 76 76 75 227