Kapaun grad Sam Stevens climbs Wichita Open leaderboard in hometown golf return

Life on the PGA Tour is hectic, which makes it easy for Sam Stevens to sometimes lose perspective.

A return to Wichita, his hometown, and his home course at Crestview Country Club to play in this week’s Wichita Open on the Korn Ferry Tour has been a grounding experience for the 27-year-old.

“A couple of years ago, I would have given anything to play in this,” Stevens said. “Back when I was playing the mini tours, I could never Monday (qualify) in or get a sponsor exemption to this event. And now I take a step back and realize I am living my dream (on the PGA Tour), getting to go to some of the courses we get to play and play against some of the best players in the world. It really is a privilege. I’ve been trying to keep a better perspective on it and this week helps.”

After years of desperately wanting to be included in the field, Stevens made a triumphant debut in his first professional start in Wichita on Thursday by firing a 4-under par round of 66. By the end of the first round, Steven was in a tie for 15th place and four shots behind the leader, Brandon Crick, who tied his career low with an 8-under round of 62.

The days of long car rides and Monday qualifiers are in the past for Stevens, who gained entry into this year’s field with his status as a PGA Tour member. Although he missed qualifying for the U.S. Open, which paved the way for his first Wichita Open, Stevens is in the midst of a solid campaign this year with a pair of top-10 finishes. He ranks No. 94 on the FedExCup points list.

Earning his Tour card in 2022 fulfilled a life-long dream, but the Kapaun Mt. Carmel graduate said it hasn’t changed his life. Returning to Wichita, where he was followed by close friends and family on Thursday, was a reminder of that.

“Obviously I’m super grateful to be able to play against the best of the best and to be able to play for some more money and provide for my family a little more,” Stevens said. “But that’s the nice thing about Wichita: Things stay the same around here quite a bit. I’ve got an amazing wife (Kelsey) and three boys, so life is good regardless of whether or not my golf is good.”

It’s an impressive mindset considering Stevens comes from golf royalty — his father, Charlie, and his grandfather, Johnny, are two of the most accomplished golfers in Kansas history.

That ability to navigate so much pressure to live up to expectations and do so as gracefully as Stevens, who is well on his way to furthering the family legacy, is something to be celebrated, his former high school coach Corey Novascone said. It’s why the Kapaun coach still uses Stevens as the golden example to his current crop of golfers.

“Sam is just the epitome of a class act,” Novascone said. “This is a kid who has never taken the easy way out. He’s always earned every single thing he’s gotten. He’s such a great example of how to act, not only on the course but off the course too.”

Stevens delivered an entertaining show on Thursday for his gallery, mixed with family, friends and Crestview members who still remember him as a kid tagging along with Charlie and Johnny on Saturday afternoons.

He showed just how far he’s come since his childhood with his driver, crushing a wind-aided 364-yard drive on his first hole, No. 10, and then driving the 348-yard par-4 No. 11 for a birdie-birdie open. The driver carried him throughout the round, helping him total seven birdies (all on par-4s and par-5s).

“He is just absolutely crushing the ball now,” Novascone said. “I asked him if he’s worked on increasing his swing speed, but he said the main thing is just about hitting the ball square on the sweet spot. It’s a funny thing, my old college coach, (Wichita State’s) Grier Jones, used to say, ‘You’re going to hit it great if you hit it in the center,’ and that seems to be what he’s doing.”

Stevens has played Crestview countless times before, but Thursday certainly felt different. And not just because of the stakes.

“First off, I can’t remember the last time I didn’t ride a cart around this place,” Stevens said with a laugh. “And they did a good job of putting the pins in some spots where they don’t normally put the pins for the members. The greens are in such great shape and it’s just really fun to be out here playing again. It was definitely a different feel than playing out there with my dad and grandpa.”

It may have felt different, but it ended the same as many do for Stevens: under par. He closed out his round with flawless execution on No. 9, drilling a 330-yard drive off the tee, placing his approach shot within 19 feet of the cup and then burying the birdie putt.

His 4-under round on Thursday positions him near the top of the Wichita Open leaderboard and his following is expected to grow as the weekend comes. His group tees off at 12:41 p.m. Friday and Stevens hopes to use his lock backing to his advantage to make a memorable run at a tournament he so desperately wanted to play in years ago.

“At the end of the day, it’s great if you know a course really well, but you still have to make good shots,” Stevens said. “I enjoyed every part of (Thursday). I had to grind it out there at the end, which is good for me. I was proud of how I hung in there to get off to a solid start and hopefully I can build on that (Friday).”