The Kansas City Country Club hosted the Missouri Mid-Amateur Championship on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.  The course that honed the skills of tour players Tom Watson and Matt Gogel tested the best amateur golfers age 25 and older.  Compared to the other venues for the MGA Major Championship in 2008 (Missouri Amateur - WingHaven, Stroke Play - Meadowlake Acres, Senior Amateur - Old Warson), Kansas City Country Club provided the toughest test off the tee with nearly evey hole heavily tree lined on both sides of the fairways.

Three players who handled the conditions particularly well also happened to all be from St. Joseph, Missouri.  Harry Roberts finished in third place while Brian Haskell and Brad Nurski finished tied for the lead precipitating a sudden death playoff.  Haskell was two shots back of the leaders after the first round, but fired a 1-over par 71 to post a leading score of 143.  A disappointing bogey on the 18th hole on Wednesday, opened the door for Nurski, playing in the group behind Haskell, to win the title outright with a birdie on the final hole.  Nurski, one of the longest hitters in the field, hit is tee shot just 30 yards short of the green in the rough on the 370 yard 18th hole and hit is approach to inside 7 feet, but just above the hole.  The putt broke more than expected and Nurski tapped in for par, resulting in a playoff with Haskell.

Both Nurski and Haskell were coming off impressive showings in the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Milwaukee Country Club in which both players advanced to the match play portion of the championship before losing their first round matches.

Haskell led off the playoff with a conservative play by hitting three wood down the middle of the fairway on the short par-4 first hole.  Nurski followed with another booming drive, again about 30 yards short and right of the green, but this time the pin was tucked short and right just over a bunker.  Haskell continued his solid, but conservative play by hitting his short approach to the back middle of the green, leaving about 30 feet for birdie.  When Nurski hit his approach in the bunker and took two attempts to get out of the bunker, Haskell's strategy paid off and he easily two-putted for par and his first Missouri Golf Association Major Championship.

By virtue of their finishes at the Mid-Amateur, all three St. Joseph's natives locked up spots on the West Squad for the Missouri Cup Team Matches being conducted this weekend at Dalhoussie Golf Club.

For full field results of the Mid-Amateur Championship, Go Here