Air Capital Classic week kicks off Monday with several events

The Air Capital Classic won’t officially begin until Thursday morning when the first golfers tee off at Crestview Country Club, but the tournament is sponsoring plenty of other events this week leading up to the main event.

For starters, golfers hoping to play in the tournament without being invited into the field will hit the links Monday in two separate qualifiers. The top seven finishers from both locations will advance to the main tournament Thursday.

It will be worth keeping an eye on the results. Past winners and contenders in the Air Capital Classic have first played their way into the event on Monday over the years.

Also on Monday, local club pros will take on Web.com tour players at Crestview in a Ryder Cup style match. Six golfers will represent each team. They will be divided into three separate duos for competition. The format will consist of stroke play for six holes. Each team will play the first hole as a scramble and the final five alternating shots. The winning team of each match will receive $300 per player.

It should be the most competitve of the week’s lead-in events. The others should have more of a laid-back feel.

The tournament will host pro-ams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Crestview. The pro-ams on Tuesday and Wednesday will benefit Wichita junior golf.

Golfers will also be at the course throughout the week for practice rounds.

Youth golfers between the ages of 8 and 16 looking to learn from web.com players are invited to take part in a free clinic at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. All youth golfers are asked to bring a putter and a 7-iron for the clinic.

Golf fans will have a full slate of warm-up activities before the tournament begins Thursday.

This story was originally published June 21, 2015 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Air Capital Classic week kicks off Monday with several events."