Brothers from Owensboro claim first KGA state championship of 2022.

FRANKFORT, KY (May 9, 2022) – The Warren brothers of Hayden and Stephen have a lot in common, but today at Frankfort Country Club they shared two of the most spectacular golf games around en route to winning the Kentucky Team Championship together.

On a day where the format was four-ball and the Open Division played 36 holes, the Owensboro boys recorded rounds of 66 (-6) and 64 (-8) for a total score of 130 (-14). That would end up being good enough for a four-shot margin of victory with the teams of Bradley Sutherland/Justin Tereshko, Gerald Price/Cameron Carrico and last year’s winners Andy Roberts/Matt Epperson all tying for second place.

The Warrens started the second round of the day trailing Price/Carrico by a stroke but did not need much time to jump in front and take control. With four birdies in their first seven holes, Hayden and Stephen set a pace that could not be matched. Four more birdies on the back nine put the competition out of reach and clinched each player one of their biggest victories to date.

“We just team up really well,” Stephen said after the tournament. “When one of us is down, the other one picks up the slack. Any time one of us drove it out of position, we always got the next drive in play. That kept the momentum going which is so important in this format because a bogey can be extra costly in four-ball.”

“It feels good to finally get a win,” Hayden remarked. “And to do it with my brother is especially cool. We just had fun out there and I’m glad we were able to get it done.”

The Warrens also produced the best net score of the Open Division, but the net title shifts to the next team in line which goes to Tom Francis/Guy Clark. They tallied 132 (-10) in that department which won by one shot over three teams.

While everyone in the Open Division completed 36 holes, there were also senior competitions taking place that featured just 18 holes of play. Rick Moore and Tracy Poston won the Senior Division’s gross trophies with a round of 68 (-4), bettering the next best team by three strokes.

Greg Engle and David Rudder, who won the 2021 Kentucky Senior Team Championship, are trending well in advance of their title defense later this month. They were the best team in the Masters Division with a score of 69 (-3).

The Legends Division finished with a tie at the top as the teams of Rick Cain/Jim Orr and Bruce Walters/Doug Aaron all shot 73 (+1). Walters/Aaron conceded what would have resulted in a playoff, however, giving Cain/Orr the first-place honors.

Tim Larsen/Bill Higgins (Senior), Tim Roberts/Charles Verrette (Masters) and Bruce Walters/Doug Aaron won each of the other net titles.

NOTES & STATS

• The first albatross in Golf House Kentucky sanctioned competition this year occurred today on the par-five 18^th. Garth Waterfield holed out from 245 yards to record one of the signature moments of the early season.
• Factoring in scores from both divisions in each round, the day’s easiest hole was the par-five 3^rd with a stroke-to-par average of -0.37. Twelve birdies were made on it, the most of any hole.
• The hardest hole was the par-four 14^th at +0.18. Seven bogeys or worse were made on that hole which was not topped by any other hole.
• The front nine and back nine played nearly identical in terms of difficulty. Holes 1-9 averaged 35.61 strokes, a tad easier than the 35.73 strokes averaged on holes 10-18. Combined, that made the course average 71.34.

Click here to view the final results

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The Kentucky Golf Association extends its thanks to Clay Hamrick, PGA General Manager and Bruce Brown, PGA Head Golf Professional plus the entire staff at Frankfort Country Club for their assistance in conducting today’s event. Additionally, the KGA lends its appreciation to each player who competed in today’s event.

This championship marked the beginning of a busy stretch for KGA competition. On Wednesday, the first USGA qualifier of the year in Kentucky takes place at Kearney Hill Golf Links when some of the best players in the state compete in the Commonwealth’s U.S. Open Local Qualifier. Then next week, qualifiers for the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Amateur begin throughout the state while the Kentucky Match Play Championships are staged at Griffin Gate Golf Club on May 17-19. Registration for that event will close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 10.

About the Kentucky Golf Association:
The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is one of the three organizations encompassed under Golf House Kentucky, in addition to the Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF) and Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA). The Kentucky Golf Association represents the amateur body of Kentucky’s golfers working in assistance with the United States Golf Association (USGA). The KGA provides a wide range of services, including handicapping, USGA course and slope ratings, and tournament management software to its Member Clubs. The KGA also operates the state’s premier amateur tournaments along with USGA National Championship qualifiers. Alongside the KGF and KPGA, the KGA strives to promote the benefits and enjoyment of golf while continuing to grow the sport across the Commonwealth.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703