Zac Dittmer wins Kansas City Amateur title for second straight year

Calm, cool, and comfortable on his home golf course, Kansas City native Zac Dittmer seemed in total control Sunday.

Playing at Shoal Creek Golf Course definitely had its benefits for him as he won his second straight Kansas City Amateur title with a three-round score of 205 and 9 under par.

“I definitely have an advantage out here,” Dittmer said. “I play out here every day. I live on the course. I’m always out here and know everybody here so it’s just comfortable.”

Making three bogeys over his three rounds, Dittmer showed a solid demeanor and steady hand. He also hit more than a majority of his fairways and greens on his last round.

Dittmer, a college golfer at Faulkner State in Alabama, did not let many of his bad shots get to him either.

“I just don’t let anything bother me too much,” he said. “I just try to move onto the next shot.”

Much of this comes from playing consistent throughout the summer and taking each tournament as it comes his way.

The only player to make a strong charge at Dittmer was Alex Higgs, an Overland Park native.

His round of 66, the second best of the tournament, helped push him close to the lead, but with a 6-under finish, he never got close to Dittmer.

Higgs, a college golfer at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, still hit it well throughout the day and made more putts than he previously did in the weekend.

“I just tried to make as many birdies as I could, and I did all right I thought,” Higgs said.

Higgs also credited better iron play and more intense focus on the tee for him to be in position to shoot for the lead.

Higgs said he’d played this course for the US Amateur qualifier last year so he was very comfortable with the course and its layout.

This weekend also gave Higgs some confidence that he’ll be able to shoot a low round if needed in other tournaments.

“I put the ball where I needed to and put it in good spots and to give myself chances,” he said.

UMKC golfer Cameron Wiltse was the only other player to have a cumulative score under par. He finished two-under with a score of 211, his third round score ended at a round of 70.

Matt Barry finished in fourth place with a 214 overall score at one over par.

Rounding out the top five at two over par were Nick Sobba and Park Ulrich.

There was also some strong play in the Senior Division; Steve Groom continued to show his ability in the local golf scene with a three-day aggregate score of 206, seven under par.

The closest opponent in his division was Andy Smith who shot a 3-under-par aggregate of 210.

But it was still Dittmer who proved to be the best of the 144 players in the tournament and hopes to use this tournament to build on already good summer.

“I just take away from the confidence and experience playing in the last group,” Dittmer said.

This story was originally published July 13, 2014 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Zac Dittmer wins Kansas City Amateur title for second straight year."