CLASS 5A BOYS GOLFERS TO WATCH IN 2026
 

CARSON BACHRODT, KAPAUN MT. CARMEL
 
While it was rare not to see Kapaun Mt. Carmel competing for a state team championship last season, Bachrodt qualified individually for the Class 5A tournament at Emporia Municipal, tying for 24^th with back-to-back 75s. That capped a season in which Bachrodt posted six top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in the Wichita regional at Rolling Hills. He also finished sixth, shooting even par in the 36-hole, single-day I-35 Shootout. Bachrodt, a senior, tied for 18^th at state in 2024, helping the Crusaders win the 5A team title at Newton’s Sand Creek. Bachrodt, an All-5A second-team selection last season, won the Wichita City Junior title last summer, firing rounds of 64 and 66 for a 12-under 130 total at Sim Park.
 

SETH BENJAMIN, ANDOVER
 
Benjamin, a senior, led Andover to Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II and regional titles last season before the Trojans finished fourth at the Class 5A state tournament. He played a key role in each, winning the league meet with a 3-under 68 at Andover’s Terradyne Country Club, tying for sixth in regionals and finishing 10^th at state with rounds of 74 and 69 at Emporia Municipal. An All-5A first-team selection, Benjamin’s three first-place finishes included a victory in the 5A State Preview at Emporia, where he carded a 1-under 70, and a 5-under 66 at Crestview Country Club that led Andover to a win in the Wichita Collegiate Classic.
 

JOE BINGER, MAIZE SOUTH

Binger, a senior, is a two-time state medal winner and the reigning Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail I individual champion, helping the Mavericks win the team title last spring by 39 shots. He also contributed a sixth-place finish that helped Maize South win the 5A regional at Wichita’s Auburn Hills. After tying for 18^th at state as a sophomore, Binger shared 12^th place in last year’s finale at Emporia Municipal, as the Mavericks took third as a team in 5A with four top-20 finishers. The left-hander posted a 77.7 scoring average in 2025 with a career-low round of 70 at Hesston Golf Course.
 

MAX FARBER, BISHOP CARROLL
 
Farber kicked off his senior season by earning medalist honors with a 3-under 69 at the Andover Invitational.  That follows a 2025 campaign in which Farber earned All-Class 5A first-team honors after posting a 70.9 stroke average with four victories. He led the Golden Eagles to the Greater Wichita Athletic League title, earning medalist with an even-par 72 at MacDonald Golf Course. The Washburn signee is a three-time state medal winner, tying for third as a freshman on Carroll’s title-winning team in 2023. After tying for 13^th as an individual qualifier as a sophomore, Farber led the Eagles to a sixth-place finish last season by tying for sixth individually. He shot 67 four times last spring, the last during the opening round at state.
 

 
COLT FARROW, ANDOVER CENTRAL
 
Farrow, a Colorado signee, enters his final season as the reigning Class 5A individual champion. He led the way in scoring-friendly conditions last May at Emporia Municipal, opening with a 4-under 67. The All-5A first-team selection kept the pedal down on the season’s final day, matching his career low with a 64 for an 11-under 131 total that held off St. James Academy’s Josh Fratzel by three shots. It was the third top-5 state finish for Farrow, who finished fifth as a freshman at McPherson’s Turkey Creek and fourth two years ago at Newton’s Sand Creek. Farrow carded his other 64 in the Hesston portion of the I-35 Shootout, which he won. The Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II champ as a sophomore, Farrow finished third at league and regionals a year ago.
 

BRODY FOX, ANDOVER
 
Fox’s steady play helped Andover win the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II title and emerge as champion from a regional stacked with several of the top 5A teams in the Wichita area last season. The Trojan senior posted seven top-10 finishes in 2025, including a runner-up effort to teammate Seth Benjamin in the Wichita Collegiate Classic, shooting a season-best, 1-under 70 at Crestview Country Club. Fox tied for third in the league meet and tied for sixth at regionals. He tied for 31^st at state with rounds of 73 and 79, and is one of three returnees from a team that finished fourth in 5A.
 

 
JOSH FRATZEL, ST. JAMES ACADEMY

Fratzel delivered a stellar performance at the 5A state tournament a year ago, finishing as the state runner-up with a two-day score of 134. His effort helped power St. James Academy to a dominant team championship, as the Thunder cruised to the title by 29 strokes. It marked a step forward for Fratzel, who showed his consistency on the biggest stage. That success came on the heels of an impressive freshman campaign in which he earned his first state medal with an eighth-place finish, giving him back-to-back trips to the podium early in his high school career. Fratzel also captured a regional championship and was named a first team all-state selection, further solidifying his standout season. 
 

XAYDEN GARCIA, ANDOVER CENTRAL
 
Garcia, a junior, emerged as a strong No. 2 player to teammate and 5A individual champion Colt Farrow last season, posting a 77.3 stroke average with a playoff victory in the Wichita Collegiate Invitational at Tallgrass. He shot a career-low, 2-under 69 in a third-place finish at the Hesston Invitational and helped the Jaguars to an Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail II runner-up finish with a seventh-place individual effort. One of three individual state qualifiers for Central after shooting an 81 in the regional at Wichita’s Rolling Hills, Garcia posted scores of 73 and 74 at Emporia Municipal to tie for 15^th. 
 

TY MCFARLAND, SPRING HILL

A two-time state qualifier, McFarland returns as one of the Broncos’ most reliable leaders after playing a key role in Spring Hill’s fifth-place team finish at last year’s 5A state tournament. He narrowly missed the medal stand as a sophomore, finishing just outside the top 20. He captured the Piper Invitational title in 2025 and put together one of the most efficient seasons in program history, finishing with a 78 scoring average — the lowest single-season mark ever recorded at Spring Hill. Beyond the numbers, McFarland has been instrumental in the program’s recent success. He helped lead the Broncos to back-to-back Frontier League championships — the first two league titles in school history — and was an honorable mention all-state selection. 
 

COHEN MUSEOUSKY, GODDARD
 
Museousky was Goddard’s lone state qualifier last year as a freshman, tying for 12^th in 5A with a two-round total of 146. He earned the state berth as part of a group of six golfers who shot 81 in the Wichita regional at Rolling Hills. Museousky enjoyed some big regular-season moments as well, leading the Lions to the Arkansas City Varsity Boys title with a one-shot victory at Winfield Country Club. He later took first in the USD 265/266 Challenge at Tallgrass in Wichita, carding a 1-over 72 to win by three strokes. Museousky, who posted a 75.8 stroke average prior to state, posted top-10 finishes in all nine tournaments prior to state.
 

CONRAD PARKHURST, MAIZE SOUTH
 
Parkhurst was Maize South’s top finisher at state last season as a freshman, tying for sixth at even-par 142 to boost the Mavericks to a third-place team finish in Class 5A. He came on strong toward the end of the season, posting third-place finishes in the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail I tournament and 5A regional at Auburn Hills. That helped the Mavs win team titles at both. Parkhurst entered the state tournament with an 81 scoring average, but fired scores of 72 and 70 to pace four Maize South golfers in the top 20 at Emporia Municipal. 
 

DARREN POWELL, ST. JAMES ACADEMY

Powell returns for his final high school season looking to build off a breakout junior campaign that helped power the Thunder to the top of Class 5A. Powell played a key role in St. James Academy’s dominant state championship run a year ago, as the Thunder ran away with the team title by 29 strokes. Individually, Powell delivered earning a state medal with a tie for 15th place after carding a two-day total of 147. His consistency throughout the season also earned him second team all-state honors, solidifying his place as one of the Thunder’s top returning golfers. Now a senior, Powell brings both experience and proven postseason success to a St. James squad that will again have its sights set on a deep run. 
 

BEAU SHELDON, BLUE VALLEY SOUTHWEST

After a brief setback on the state’s biggest stage, Sheldon is poised to turn experience into motivation this spring. Sheldon’s sophomore campaign ended as he missed the cut after the opening day of the Class 5A state tournament. But that lone result did little to overshadow what was otherwise another strong season for the Timberwolves standout. Sheldon earned first-team All-Eastern Kansas League honors. As a freshman, he broke through with an 11th-place finish at the state tournament to earn a medal, setting the tone for what has become a steady rise. He has also earned honorable mention all-state honors in each of his first two high school seasons.
 

 
LUKE SPRINGER, EISENHOWER
 
The left-handed Springer earned All-Class 5A second-team honors last season after leading the Tigers to a state runner-up finish with his fourth-place effort at Emporia. Springer posted rounds of 69 and 68 for Eisenhower, which collected its fourth consecutive top-3 finish at state. Springer, a three-time state participant, earned his second 5A individual medal after tying for 16^th as a sophomore at Newton’s Sand Creek. He posted nine top-10 finishes last spring, including a victory in Eisenhower’s own invitational at Wichita’s Auburn Hills. In addition to the two state rounds, Springer’s other tournament in red numbers came at the season-opening Andover Invitational, where he carded a 1-under 71 to finish third.