Mike Needleman reports:
A cool 55 degree day found 28 golfers, eager and ready to play in the 4th annual Kansas Sunflower Hickory Match-Play event held Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Falcon Lakes Golf Course in Basehor, Kan. The two-person teams were comprised of participants from seven states including Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, and Kansas. At the end of play the victors were awarded gold medals, with the others receiving silver for their efforts. The day was topped off with that world famous Kansas City style bar-b-que for all to enjoy.
The annual Sunflower Hickory Two-Person Team Match-Play golfing event is hosted by the Kansas City Area Hickory Golfers, founded in 2020. Co-founder Mike Needleman, of Overland Park, Kan., is excited about the future of this regional play group, stating…”with the success of our 4th annual event here we are now well on the way in our goal to introduce and re-birth the hickory game both locally and throughout the region. We’re growing and it’s great to see the newbies coming in each year.”
2024 Winners
The team low gross, 68, was achieved by Kirk Watson (Ames, Iowa) & Dave Hanson (Ft. Dodge, Iowa).
Other winners included:
Chris Harriman & Chris Billnger both from Overland Park, Kan.
Mike Needleman & Dale Hallock Overland Park, Kan. and Omaha, Neb.
Tracy Joneson & Landon Joneson both from Gravette, Ark.
Walter Johnson & Barry Herbert Sioux City, Iowa and Kansas City, Kan.
Bob Bjerke and Brandi Bjerke both from Austin, Texas
Chris Palar and John McKenzie Ankeny, Iowa and West Des Moines, Iowa
The photos below were taken by Alan Hoskins, a reporter with the Kansas City golf magazine Tee-Time. Needleman says he will share a link to Hoskins’ story when it appears later this season.
2024 Sunflower Hickory participants Dale Hallock, left, president of the Nebraska Hickory Golfers Association, and Chris Conklin, a member of the KC Area Hickory Golfers.
First to display their new SoHG banner and regional logo, the KC Area Hickory Golfers and friends gather for a group photo at the 2024 KC Sunflower Team Match-Play event.
Mike Needleman, co-founder of the Kansas City Area Hickory Golfers and organizer of the annual Sunflower Match-Play event.