Andover native, K-State golfer Cooper Schultz takes medalist honors at Kansas Amateur

It’s been nearly three decades since the last time a golfer repeated as champion of the Kansas Amateur Match Play championship.

Cooper Schultz, a 20-year-old Andover native and Kansas State sophomore, is looking to change that.

The defending champion looked every bit capable on Wednesday when he took medalist honors in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying with an 8-under par 136 at Sand Creek Station.

With back-to-back rounds of 68, Schultz earned the No. 1 seed in the 64-player match play bracket that began at 7:30 a.m. Thursday. He is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back titles since Matt Gogel claimed the Kansas Am titles in 1992 and 1993.

Other notable names near the top of qualifying include Sion Audrain, a KU junior who was the 2018 champion; Joe Bultman, a sophomore at Wichita State; Craig Howell, a Wichita native; Asher Whitaker, a junior in high school at Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Zach Sokolosky, an Andover graduate who is a junior at KU; Pete Krsnich, a veteran on the Wichita golf scene; Sean Thayer, a Garden City native who won the 1999 title; and Corey Novascone, a Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach who won the title in 1996.

While the top of the field has plenty of intrigue, it was actually the bottom of the field that stole the show on Wednesday.

Nearly every cart available at Sand Creek Station was out at hole No. 10 at 6:30 p.m. when a 15-player-for-13-spots playoff began on the 600-yard par 5 into the wind.

A total of 10 players made par on No. 10 to advance, while four golfers made bogey to continue the playoff for the final three spots on No. 11. Wichita native Eric Johnsen, Wellington grad Blake Saffell and Andover native Austin Goodrum were among the 13 golfers who made it through to qualifying.

The second and third rounds of match play will continue on Friday, while the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played on Saturday with a 36-hole final taking place on Sunday. Live results of the 2022 Kansas Amateur Match Play championship can be found at Central Links Golf.