Columbia prepares to host city golf championships
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The 51st edition of the Columbia City Championships are right around the corner.
On August 1 and 2, the best golfers in the area will be competing for the title of Columbia's best. The tournament consists of 36 holes at two different private clubs in the area. In recent years, the tournament has decreased the amount of golf played, while shifting the focus on making it more accessible to those who want to compete.
"The tournament for years was was 54. And in fact, the very first tournament was 72," says championship co-director Steve Humphreys. "But we found that a 36 hole event was going to be much more attractive to players."
The event spans four divisions: A championship division, A mid-amateur division, the senior division, and the super senior division. In previous years, between 60-80 people tend to compete for the title of Columbia's best.
The 2025 winner, Kyle Kovar, was raised in the area, and played golf at Hickman High School, and at William Woods University. He began competing in the championship a few years ago, and says that the competition allows him to keep up with the people he was playing with growing up.
"Growing up everybody kind of knew about the city [championships]," said Kovar. "A lot of people play it all the time growing up. And so, you know, being able to say that you can compete with all the best golfers from all the different clubs around town is is definitely something worthwhile."
Rotating between three country clubs in the area gives those who play on public courses a way to get a discounted round at some of the nicest courses in Columbia. It also allows for several elite high school athletes the chance to experience high level competition before moving to the collegiate level.
"It helps promote amateur golf and also helps junior golf to give the high school players a venue where they can learn from older players," said Humphreys. "We really promote, having the junior players play and enter."
Players with a 12 handicap or better can register for the championships on their website. There is an array of prizes, with even more rewards for the players thanks to sponsorships from Hyundai and more.
The championships take place the first weekend of August on the first and second.
