Upping Its Game

A new tournament director isn’t all that’s new about this year’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open at Crestview Country Club to benefit KU Wichita Pediatrics.

“Coming to the tournament, you’re going to notice a distinct difference basically everywhere you turn,” said Dusty Buell, who replaced Roy Turner at the tournament's helm.

The Wichita Open, one of the longest running events on the Korn Ferry Tour going into its 33rd year, is a PGA-sanctioned event featuring 156 players from around the world battling for a total purse of $1 million. The actual tournament runs from Thursday, June 15 through Championship Sunday on June 18, although preliminary events start June 8 with the Credit Union of America's annual Children’s Miracle Network Golf Classic.

Buell has nothing but praise for his predecessor, Turner, calling him a “giant.” But he’s eager to keep the event moving forward with the help of corporate sponsors, volunteers, fans, players, and Turner himself, who’s sticking around until the end of June to help with the transition.

One new feature is the Wichita Open Fan Zone, presented by IWP Foundation Repair, featuring complimentary soda, water and Anheuser Busch products, a bar and shaded upper deck to watch the tournament from and more. The Fan Zone pass can be purchased for $30 and includes access to the rest of the course except for hospitality chalets. As the Fan Zone’s beer selection indicates, the tournament has also changed its premier beer sponsor, from Coors Light and Miller Light to Michelob Ultra being the official beer of the tournament, distributed by the House of Schwann.

The tournament has added additional VIP parking with a lot at Life Church, south of Crestview at 338 N. 127th St. E. Hatchett Automotive will provide shuttles to and from the course from all VIP parking lots. VIP parking can be purchased online for $35 per day or 3 days for $90 by visiting wichitaopen.com. General parking for the Beechcraft parking lot can be purchased online for $6 per day in advance, or the day of for $10. 

Another noticeable change is the new Scheels Event Center, which will not only hold events prior to the tournament, but also house the volunteers. The tent will be relocated to just outside the Crestview clubhouse and next to the Fan Zone, and volunteers will be happy to hear that air conditioning is being added to the space. The tent is capable of seating 300 people and will be the central hub for all events starting June 4 with the volunteer appreciation event. 

Attendees will notice a new Hatchett Devlin Auto Group Welcome Center at the entrance. All tickets will be scanned, and wristbands will be issued there, instead of at different venues as in the past. This is a major change in having a centralized point for entry, and every guest must now start at the Welcome Center before proceeding to their hospitality areas. 

In what Buell calls a “monster change,” the hospitality chalets will be housed in structures new to Wichita. The tournament is now contracting with the same company that supplies the structures to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a PGA tour event that — like the Wichita Open — has a reputation for a relaxed, fun-loving atmosphere that’s earned it the nickname “The Greatest Show on Grass.”

“We’re just kind of a smaller version of that,” Buell said. “You’re going to have the same experience here in Wichita as you would in Phoenix, in terms of these identical structures.”

The Open’s double-decker hospitality chalets sold out in December. Some individual tickets were still being sold in May for $100 a day, although Friday and Saturday are already nearing a sell-out. 

The tournament’s final piece — its players — won’t be known until closer to the event. The Wichita Open takes place a week after Korn Ferry Tour players are “reshuffled” up or down the system of tours according to their performance. “We had 12 guys qualify for the U.S. Open last year that we thought were coming here,” Buell said, adding: “That being said, the Korn Ferry Tour has had some pretty awesome champions this year. I've never been more excited about a group coming to Wichita!”

In addition to the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, other related events include:

• Auggie Navarro Pro-Am Invitational, June 11
• Select Pro-Am, and Wesley Kids Tee-Off Against Cancer, June 12
• Advanced Orthopedic Associates Children’s Adaptive Golf Clinic, Wichita State Golf Tournament, and Spirit Aerosystems Pro-Am Pairings Party, June 13
• Spirit Aerosystems Pro-Am, June 14
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Women’s Leadership Breakfast, June 15

Tickets and more information about the Wichita Open and these events can be found at wichitaopen.com. General admission tickets to the Wichita Open remain $10 per day.

Last year’s Wichita Open attracted some 52,000 spectators and raised $290,000 for local charities. Buell hopes to increase both those.

“We’re going to continue to grow and put Wichita in the best light,” he said. “I think people are really going to be surprised, and it will give them one more reason to exude pride in our community.”