Ex-Jayhawk Johnsen leads Mid-Am

By Robert Sinclair     May 22, 2001

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
Lawrence's Chris Hutchens putts. Hutchens competed in the KGA Mid-Amateur on Monday at LCC.

Len Johnsen admittedly didn’t do anything spectacular during Monday’s opening round of the Kansas Golf Assn. Mid-Amateur Championship.

He didn’t have any monster drives, didn’t sink any long-range putts, didn’t even have an eagle.

But Johnsen’s 6-under-par 68 proved to be plenty, spotting him a five-stroke lead over Wichita’s Ben York after 18 holes heading into today’s final round at Lawrence Country Club. Tom Bachelor, of Olathe, resides in third at 74.

“I didn’t really make anything long,” said Johnsen, a former Kansas University golfer and current Overland Park resident. “I hit a lot of greens, kept it in play and really did what I needed to do. I hit it pretty solid today.”

The fact that Johnsen is leading after the first round really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering he’s an impressive plus-6 handicap. Unlike most golfers competing in the Mid-Am a stroke-play competition with both gross and net age-division competitions Johnsen’s net score of 74 actually was worse than his gross tally.

To put this in perspective, Stacy Kramer of Topeka shot a 77, but has the lowest net score at 66 because of his handicap of 11.

Although Johnsen played for Kansas from 1986-91, he said Monday was the first competitive round he’d ever played at LCC. He is by no means a stranger to the Lawrence links, though.

“Going to KU we came over occasionally,” Johnsen said. “We played out here not a bunch, but enough to know where you can miss it a little bit and how the greens are.”

Johnsen, whose longest putt made was from about 12 feet away, had six birdies against just two bogeys Monday. In fact, he started fast, bolting to 4-under with birdies on Nos. 3, 5, 7 and 9.

“I played real well, played real solid,” Johnsen said. “I missed one green on the front, got it up and down. I hit eight greens on the front, real solid all the way around. I hit it in there (within) 10, 12, 15 feet and got to make a few putts.”

Things took a turn for the worse after making the turn, though, as Johnsen suffered back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11. But he settled down to earn birdies on Nos. 12 and 15 before closing with three straight pars.

Many of the golfers in the afternoon session would have killed for pars, after having to endure the already wet and windy conditions and then dealing with intermittent rain showers.

In fact, of the top eight scores Monday, just one was turned in during the later session Mitch Seals, of Wichita, fired a 75 and is in a five-way tie for fourth.

“I feel good about it, especially the way I’ve been shooting,” said Seals, who shot two rounds of 81 during last week’s Senior Amateur Championship in Wichita. “I’m striking the ball good, I just haven’t been scoring. Finally it started coming together today.”

After making a birdie on No. 2, Seals almost was sunk by a double-bogey on No. 8 before salvaging a birdie on No. 9.

Hal Taylor of Caney, which is about 10 miles west of Coffeyville is three strokes back of Kramer for net scores after shooting a 77 with a handicap of 8. Taylor, who chipped in for par from just off the green on No. 13, had a birdie on No. 12 to go with four bogeys and a double-bogey.

“It’s playing tough,” Taylor said of the course. “If you aren’t on the fairway it’s very difficult. But the greens are in great shape, the course is in great shape. The rough is just tough.”

The leaders will play in the last threesome during today’s final round, teeing off at 2:20 p.m.


KGA Mid Amateur Championship

Monday at LCC

FIRST ROUND

Len Johnsen, Overland Park 68

Ben York, Wichita 73

Tom Bachelor, Olathe 74

Mark Lambertz, Lake Quivira 75

Gary Roles, Overland Park 75

Bobby Vickers, Leawood 75

Berwyn Sasek, Lenexa 75

Mitch Seals, Wichita 75

Matt Murray, Overland Park 76

Joe Gorene, Leawood 76

Steve Newman, Wichita 76

Dan Bock, Olathe 76

Andrew Emerson, Overland Park 76

Kurt Lorenzen, Olathe 76

Michael Cutshall, Olathe 77

Chuck Christenson, Kansas City 77

Gary Lucas, Topeka 77

Michael Rack, Lawrence 77

Tim Kelley, Paola 77

Thomas Schmitt, Hutchinson 77

Dan Mullen, Overland Park 77

Tim Tyner, Council Grove 77

Chris Swyers, Wichita 77

Lou Rapalino, Parsons 77

Hal Taylor, Caney 77

Stacy Kramer, Topeka 77

Bob Boring, Overland Park 78

Mike Steiert, Fairway 78

Jim Clement, Olathe 78

Steve Perry, Kansas City 78

Bill Maness, Wichita 78

William Toalson, Mission Hills 78

Greg Sharp, Lawrence 78

Dave Harris, Overland Park 78

John Aykroyd, Overland Park 78

Chandler McCray, Fairway 78

Robert Gleissner, Overland Park 78

Chris Hutchens, Lawrence 79

Marty Sallaz, Leawood 79

Mark Addington, Olathe 79

Benn Sledge, Overland Park 79

Robert Nelson, Lenexa 79

Kendall Chance, Wichita 79

Brad Waggoner, Osawatomie 79

Charlie Schorgl, Prairie Village 80

Mark Ferris, Louisburg 80

Jim Sauntry, Overland Park 80

Scott Day, Oklahoma City 80

Robert Hartmann, Wichita 80

Van Reichert, Lawrence 80

Patrick Foreman, La Cygne 80

Todd Hale, Columbus 80

Ron Brewer, Leawood 81

Calvin Clough, Wichita 81

Michael Casement, Wichita 81

Bary Martin, Salina 81

Tim Foreman, Belton 81

Brent Dewitz, Olathe 81

David Pawlus, Parsons 82

Robert Bezek, Baldwin 82

Steve Groom, Raytown, Mo. 82

Randy Vautravers, Wichita 82

Shannon Brooks, Kansas City 82

Robert Merritt, Roeland Park 82

Gary Olson, Lawrence 82

Joel Kaczor, Lawrence 82

Michael Mitchell, Ozawkie 82

Scott Flickinger, Overland Park 83

David Rismiller, Prairie Village 83

David Sanders, Overland Park 83

Jeff Hamilton, Wichita 83

Trey Hayes, Coffeyville 83

Jim Hagan, Topeka 83

Mike Everett, Baldwin 83

Greg Emas, Overland Park 84

Tim Saracini, Kansas City 84

Ron Wooden, Council Grove 84

Ed Wheat, Wichita 84

Brian Cole, Topeka 84

Michael Ingram, Shawnee 84

Dave Christensen, Shawnee 84

David Conderman, Olathe 85

Trenton Brown, Arkansas City 85

Thomas Zacharias, Overland Park 85

Bill Mosimann, Topeka 85

Paul Olson, Garden City 85

Jay Edwards, Leawood 85

Bob Hackney, Wichita 86

Steven Kaup, Manhattan 86

Ron Ragland, Independence 86

Kenny Maples, Coffeyville 86

Peter Shriver, Olathe 86

Kent Reynolds, Overland Park 87

Shawn Boat, Kansas City 87

Mike Windisch, Overland Park 87

Rick Clark, Emporia 87

Randy Schuetz, Wichita 87

Dick Kendrick, Overland Park 87

Max Pinney, Shawnee 88

Joe Castaneda, Kinsley 88

Guy Cannon, Gladstone 88

Jack Song, Junction City 88

Butch Earnhart, Olathe 88

Bart Stuckey, Olathe 88

Joe Krestine, Leawood 88

Mark Terranova, Lenexa 89

Thomas Rainbolt, Lawrence 89

Stewart Platz, Lawrence 89

Brad Woley, Wichita 89

Bill Kell, Topeka 89

Robert Abell, Wichita 89

David Thomas, Olathe 89

Dan Malaun, Overland Park 89

Kevin Morrison, Shawnee 90

Tim Sweemer, Ogden 90

Trevor Boggs, Kinsley 90

Nick Hahn, Manhattan 91

Grant Blaylcok, Halstead 91

Randy Kolman, Shawnee 91

Rea Laflin, Atchison 91

Randy Heilman, Council Grove 91

Don Darnell, Overland Park 91

Travis Mullins, Lawrence 91

Tom Pickert, Overland Park 92

Clark Watkins, Leawood 92

Ed Plopa, Wichita 92

Jeff Brooks, Lawrence 93

Max Merrill, Lenexa 93

David Tai, Overland Park 94

Mark Carrillo, Parsons 94

Randy Weigel, Overland Park 96

Robert Norris, Tonganoxie 97

Steve Embry, Kansas City 97

Gary Krueger, Lee’s Summit 98

Steve Modrein, Overland Park 100

Paul Buehler, Mission 104

Jim Nowell, Overland Park 110

PREV POST

KU hopes to land additional pilot

NEXT POST

1490Ex-Jayhawk Johnsen leads Mid-Am