by Alan Hoskins
Over the years brothers Ritch and Reece Nigh have played a lot of golf together.
Two years ago, they won both the two-man best ball and two-man scramble events at Sunflower Hills and this year tied for first in both events.
But it was nothing like this year’s 39th annual Wyandotte County Open when they finished first and second in a torrid duel that went right down to the final putt – Ritch’s 3-footer for par for a final round 75 and 36-hole total of 148. Reece ‘s 74-75-149 was three shots better than Tom Bachelor and Brad Ansley.
“It was exciting,” said Ritch, who was willing to settle for first place in the A flight after 12 holes. A double bogey on the tough par 4 12th hole when he hit into trees to the right of the green had dropped him three shots back.
“I was in A flight and I said, ‘Maybe you can win the championship and I can win the A flight,’” Ritch said.
But he got two shots back on No. 14 with a 15-foot birdie putt while Reece missed a 2½ footer after coming up short in the front bunker. Ritch then got even on the difficult 15th with a par from 195 yards while Reece had to settle for bogey from a bunker right of the green.
“I thought he had shot 34 on the front nine and I was one down but he said no, that he had shot a 35,” Ritch said. “I said that makes it a whole different story.”
Deadlocked heading into the par 4 18th, Ritch yanked his drive across the cart path on the left side of the fairway and had to punch a 6-iron about 10 yards short of the green before chipping to within three feet.
Reece, however, had his second shot go over the green and came up some 12-15 feet short on his third shot.
“The ball didn’t release. Another foot and it would have been close,” said Ritch, who knocked in the three-footer for the win after Reece’s par attempt rolled past.
Trailing by two shots after an opening 74, Reece pulled even with two birdies on the first four holes on the final day.
“I missed the first three greens and had to get up and down for pars,” Ritch said. “My short game and my putting are probably the best parts of my game. The last six holes was what did it. I was one under par.”
A lifelong Wyandotte County resident in his 24th year with the KCK Fire Department, Ritch Nigh’s 72-76-148 was only a shot better than the 149 he shot two years ago in winning the A flight in the Wyco Open.
Last year, he caddied for his son, Easton, in the annual event. A Piper graduate, Nigh was a member of Piper’s state qualifying team that included two other Wyco champions, Eric Lashbrook and Chip DeMoss.
Seber-Bradley wins 8th women’s championship
Pat Seber-Bradley shot an opening round 84 and won the women’s championship going away with a 177 total that was nine strokes better than runnerup Chris Baird.
The championship was Seber-Bradley’s eighth, a tournament record.
While the men’s tournament was a duel between two brothers, it was also a good day for the Reid family. Jerry Reid won the men’s A flight while his wife, Donna, won the women’s A flight.
Other men’s flight winners were Joe Yoakum, Gary Burgess, Kyle Norris and Phil Hoffman. Leslie Taylor won Kansas City’s Longest Putt contest while Kevin Rome had the longest drive on both days, a tourney first.
2015 Wyandotte County Open
Men
Championship – 1. Ritch Nigh, 148; 2. Reece Nigh, 149; 3. (tie) Tom Bachelor, Brad Ansley, 152; 5. (tie) Aaron Uzelac, Brian Perdieu, 153.
A Flight – 1. Jerry Reid, 152; 2. Tim Skorija, 153; 3. Kevin Rome, 157; 4. Dan Crabtree, 162; 5. Chris Mathia, 163; 6. Brett Ricky, 169.,
B – 1.Joe Yoakum*, 158; 2. Rick Egnatic, 158; 3. Rick Richardson, 160; 4. (tie) Danny Goodwin, Bob Chatterton, 161; 6. Easton Nigh, 162.
C- 1. Gary Burgess, 164; 2. Dave Hunt, 166; 3. Paul Palmer, 167; 4. Tony Reed, 169; 5. Jim Long, 171; 6. Jerry Verbeck, 173.
D – 1. Kyle Norris*, 170; 2. Dave Klein, 190; 3. Dan Brooks, 173; 4. Bob McNellis, 174; 5. (tie) Dough Winkelbauer, Len Zimmerman, 176.
E – 1. Phil Hoffman*, 180; 2. Bob Potter, 180; 3. Chad Cowher, 183; 4. John Hooser, 188; 5. Ralph Gianakon, 191; 6. Roger Miller, 193.
• -Won scorecard playoff.
Women
Championship – 1. Pat Seber-Bardley, 177; 2. Chris Bair, 186; 3. Billie Easterberg, 194.
A Flight – 1. Donna Reid, 196; 2. Leslie Taylor, 201; 3. Jane Lamb, 208.
Proximity Prizes
Saturday – Kansas City’s longest putt, Leslie Taylor. Closest to pin – Billie Easterberg, No. 4; Mark Browne, No. 8; Stan Wiehe, No. 13; Dennis McWilliams II, No. 16. Longest putt – Norton Jizbalm, No. 9. Longest drive – Kevin Rome, No. 10.
Sunday – Closest to pin – Jerry Reid, No. 4; Rick Egnatic, No. 8; Easton Nigh, No. 13; Bob Chatterton, No. 16. Longest putt – Dave Klein, No. 9. Longest drive – Kevin Rome, No. 10.