KC Golf News
Shoal Creek First Public Course to Host
The Watson Challenge
Plus, Tom Watson’ s reflections on his 43 years at The Masters.
by Alan Hoskins, feature writer
Shoal Creek will be the first public golf course to hold the Watson Challenge. It will also be the next-to-last to hold the three-day tournament on June 24-26.
Central Links Golf has announced that the 2027 Challenge to be held at Milburn Country Club will be the last, ending 20 years of Kansas City’ s best amateurs and professionals seeking to be the city’ s No. 1.
“ It comes at a tough time for courses, right in the sweet spot for golf,” says Tom Watson, who founded the event in 2007.“ It’ s more difficult to find courses,” agrees Central Links Executive Director Doug Habel.“ The tournament comes right in the busiest times, and with memberships full, many courses have other events that conflict. Also, with Tom no longer playing, interest is not as great as it once was. So, it was decided that the 20th Challenge at Milburn next year will be the last.”
“ We were flattered and shocked a little when Doug Habel called in January,” says Shoal Creek General Manager Chris Bussell.“ Being the first public course is significant to us.” A Wednesday-thru-Friday event as opposed to past Thursday-Saturday, the course will be played at about 7,100 yards. It will be open to public play in the afternoons.
“ It’ s a layout that will be challenging enough for the field,” says Bussell.“ Shot creativity is a must. With an option to move tee boxes, you’ ll need to plot out every shot. With only three par 5s, it’ s a par 71 with a 74.1 slope rating, so it’ s a good test.”“ Great finishing holes,” adds Habel.“ No. 17 over a creek is a great par 3.”
England-born George Clarke accepts the 2025 Watson Challenge Championship cup from event founder Tom Watson.( Photo by Alan Hoskins)
Winner of eight major PGA titles, Watson dominated the 13 Challenges in which he competed, winning five of the first seven events and finishing second six times. While he has attended every event, he has not competed in the Challenges since 2019.
Shoal Creek’ s par-3 17th hole is known as one of KC’ s best par 3s.( Photo by Bill Cromwell)
In selecting Shoal Creek to host this year’ s Challenge, Central Links Golf chose a course that has hosted several Kansas City amateur championships and is considered by many to be Kansas City’ s best public course. Rankings include the No. 2 public course in Missouri by Golf Week’ s“ America’ s Best You Can Play,” the No. 1 public course in Missouri by Golf Card Traveler, and a 4-star rating by Golf Digest.
20 JUNE 2026 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE
Watson Looks Back at The Masters
At 76, Tom Watson’ s only competitive golf is now played in the par 3 tournament that kicks off The Masters each year. He won the event in 1982 and again in 2018, but this year wasn’ t as good.“ I hit four balls in the water on four different holes,” he laughs.
Q & A of Tom Watson’ s reflections of 43 years at The Masters.
Were you nervous about hitting the ceremonial first ball?“ Not really, I really flushed it this year.” It was Watson’ s fourth year joining Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.“ Gene Sarazen was the first when I played as an amateur in 1970. It’ s still exciting. I still think it should just be Jack and Gary.”