A powerful storm with 101 mph wind gusts hammered Wichita, Kansas, overnight Monday, causing significant damage to Crestview Country Club, the host venue for this week’s Korn Ferry Tour event.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open is still scheduled to begin Thursday, but tournament preparations hit a major setback as the course suffered downed trees and flooding. Several grandstands and tournament structures were also damaged in the overnight storm.
Crestview, located just east of downtown Wichita, was forced to close both the course and practice facilities on Tuesday. Maintenance crews are working to clear debris and repair the damage as quickly as possible.
“Due to extensive storm damage throughout Wichita, the golf course and practice facilities at Crestview Country Club have been closed for the remainder of the day,” the Korn Ferry Tour said in a statement. “The agronomy team is working tirelessly to repair damages and prepare the grounds for the tournament competition. The golf course grounds are planning to reopen tomorrow morning.”
The club hopes to reopen Wednesday morning, though that timeline could be complicated by another round of severe weather expected to hit the area Tuesday night. The triple-digit wind gust recorded at nearby Eisenhower International Airport early Tuesday morning shows just how severe the initial storm system was.
