by Alan Hoskins
It was eight years in coming but Parker Miller finally has a Wyandotte County Open Golf Championship.
Just 14 years old when he took the first round lead in the annual tournament at Sunflower Hills, Miller went on record then of having a goal of winning the WyCo championship.
“I wanted to win this since I was a little kid and I’m 22 now,” said Miller, a Piper grad who finished four shots ahead of the field in winning the 40th annual championship with a record-tying 4-under par 140.
Miller took control of the tourney from the start Saturday with birdies on two of the first three holes and thee of the first six on the way to an opening round 3-under 69 and a one-shot lead over Alex Forristal and Tristan Abts. But neither could stay close as Miller surged to a five-shot lead on the front nine Sunday with a 2-under 34 and no one got closer than three the rest of the way despite his only bogeys of the day at Nos. 14 and 15
“He opened the door just a little but I couldn’t make a putt,” said Forrestal, a former KCKCC player who was even the final five holes and finished runnerup at 144, a score that would have gained at least a tie for the championship in every other year but 2013 when Kyle Ritchie set the tourney record at 140.
Miller, who rolled in a 6-foot par-saving putt on the last hole, had no idea the putt was to tie the record.
“Not a clue,” said Miller, who had to clear a tree on the final hole and came up short on his second shot on the 361-yard finishing hole.
However, he was very much aware of his success on the par 5 holes.
“I parred seven of the eight par 5’s; I’ll take that any day,” said Miller, whose only par on the par 5’s came at No. 17 Sunday when he hit a miraculous shot around a tree to the edge of the green and easily two-putted. His three birdies came on the 499-yard second hole, where he two-putted; the 551-yard sixth hole where he rolled in a 30-footer after being in the trees in the left on his tee shot; and the 505-yard No. 11 where he almost made double eagle.
Not bad for a young man who underwent three surgeries in a five-hour ordeal while a freshman at Eastern Arizona.
“We were at the national tournament in Lubbock, Texas, and I got sick,” Miller said. “I was in the hospital seven days and they took out half of my stomach.”
Winning is nothing new to Miller. As a sophomore, he finished fourth in helping St. James Academy win the state tournament and then as a senior, he finished runnerup in leading Piper to a state championship. After a year at Eastern Arizona, he played a year at Johnson County Community College and then ended his college play.
“I just don’t want to play anymore, not college golf anyway,” said Miller, who is now in his second year with Atmos Energy.
“This is the biggest tournament I’ve played since college,” said Miller, who is by no means giving up the game. He’s added length to his game while taking lessons from veteran professional Clay Devers and will continue to compete as an amateur. “This is the most fun I’ve had playing golf.”
Tim Skorija won a scorecard playoff over Jerry Reid to win the A flight while other flight winners were Brian Taylor, Terry Maskil, Jason Cash and Chris Sardou.
Seber-Bradley wins record fifth straight Women’s WyCo title
Pat Seber-Bradley continued to re-write the Wyandotte County Women’s Open record book Sunday.
Firing a career best 86-84-170, Seber-Bradley won for a record fifth straight time and her seventh championship in the last eight years and now has nine WyCo championships, also a record. Her first title came in just her fourth year of golf in 1991 when her winning total was 183. “I guess I’m improving; what do they say? You get better with age?”
The win, however, was not without a challenge from Marisa Long, a 17-year-old senior at Paola High School who finished six shots back with rounds 87 and 89.
“She’s going to be a good little star,” Seber-Bradley predicted.
Ahead by just three shots after Saturday’s opening round, Seber-Bradley was a picture of consistency Saturday with 11 pars.
“I couldn’t miss a putt,” said Seber-Bradley, who ran in a couple of 30-footers. “My chipping and putting were real good and I never had a bad hole.”
Donna Reid captured the B flight with Jody DeLong runnerup.
40TH Wyandotte County Open
CHAMPIONSHIP – 1. Parker Miller, 140; 2. Alex Forristal, 144; 3. (tie) Tristan Abts, Stan Wiehe, 147; 5. J.R. Munson, 148; 6. Reece Nigh, 150.
A FLIGHT – 1. Tim Skorija*, 152; 2. Jerry Reid, 152; 3. Brian Perdieu, 153; 4. Steve Pope, 155; 5. Chuck Vallejo, 158; 6. Brian Shatto, 160.
B – 1. Brian Tayler, 150; 2. Rick Richardson, 157; 3. Dennis McWilliams II, 159; 4. Stuart Hunt, 160; 5. Bob Chatterton, 161; 7. (tie) Dale Nash, Todd Milberger, 162.
C – 1. Terry Maskil, 157; 2. Bob Norris, 159; 3. (tie) Ton Reed, Jerry Verbeck, 163; 5. Gary Burgess, 164; 6. Roger DeLong, 160.
D – 1. Jason Cash, 163; 2. Bob McNellis, 166; 3. Jim Long, 171; 4. Dan Maskil, 172; 5. Todd Pfieffer, 174; 6. William Lara, 175.
E – 1. Chris Sardou, 180; 2. Phil Hoffman*, 184; 3. Dan Ksiazek, 184; 4. Dave Gonzales, 188; 5. Chad Cowher, 189; 6. Mike Super, 192.
Women
A – 1. Pat Seber-Bradley, 170; 2. Marisa Loya, 176; 3. Chris Bair.
B – 1. Donna Reid, 195; 2. Jody DeLong, 201; 3. Donna Nelson, 203
• – Won scorecard playoff
Proximity prizes
Kansas City’s longest putt – Todd Milberger
SATIRDAY – Closest to pin: Tom Bachelor, No. 4; Micah Morris, No. 8; Steve Pope, No. 13; Tom Bachelor, No. 16; Long drive No. 10, Mark Kessler; Longest putt No. 9, Chris Sardou.
SUNDAY – Closest to pin: Donna Reid, No. 4; Terry Maskil, 8; Jerry Verbeck, 13; Mark Browne, 16d. Long drive No. 10, Micah Morris; Longest putt No. 9, Bob Norris.