Newlyweds turning Wichita pro tournaments into honeymoon fairy tale
Wichita was supposed to be just another stop in the professional careers of Thomas Rosenmueller and Maria Kononova.
For the couple — Rosenmueller, a professional golfer, and Kononova, a professional tennis player —it’s rare when their schedules align to allow them to support each other in person.
It’s unprecedented for both to be competing in the same city, at the same time.
But a unique love story is unfolding in Wichita this week. Rosenmueller is teeing it up at the Wichita Open golf tournament, while Kononova is making a Cinderella run in the Wichita Tennis Open — all less than a week after the longtime couple exchanged vows near their home in Texas.
“We’re enjoying our pre-honeymoon honeymoon,” Rosenmueller joked. “We didn’t really come with any expectations, we just were excited to enjoy some time together. That almost never happens when we’re both playing.”
An improbable love story happening in Wichita
Their special week almost didn’t happen at all.
In his first year with a PGA Tour card, Rosenmueller had originally planned to take this week off to fine-tune his game ahead of next week’s Rocket Classic in Detroit. And he wasn’t exactly keen on Kononova playing in Wichita again after she had lost in the opening round of qualifying in her two previous appearances.
But Kononova had a plan. Rosenmueller could watch her play early in the week, and once her tournament was over, she offered to caddy for him during the golf tournament.
“It could be fun,” Kononova reasoned.
Newlyweds find success in Wichita
A strong doubles player, Kononova had been in a slump in singles — she hadn’t won a match in a main draw since last March. That trend appeared to continue when she lost a 10-8 tiebreaker in qualifying on Monday.
But when a player withdrew from the main draw at the last minute, Kononova was given a second chance as a “lucky loser.” She made the most of her second chance, winning her first main-draw singles match in more than a year on Wednesday.
“I joked with Thomas afterward,” Kononova said, “‘You’re going to have to find someone else to caddy for you.’”
Thursday began with Rosenmueller teeing off at 7:20 a.m. at Crestview Country Club, where he shot a 3-under-par 67 to finish tied for 37th after the opening round.
Still in his golf attire, he made the 7-mile drive to the Coleman Tennis Complex on Wichita State’s campus in time to watch his wife stave off multiple match points and survive a third-set tiebreaker to reach the quarterfinals.
Now he’ll have to find a new caddy once again with Kononova slated to play again Friday.
“It’s a good problem to have,” he said with a smile.
Origin of the love story
Rosenmueller, a native of Germany, and Kononova, a native of Russia, have been together since their college days at North Texas from 2015-19. Since then, they’ve chased professional careers side-by-side while living in Frisco, Texas.
With their schedules constantly in flux, they opted for a courthouse wedding last Wednesday. They kept the moment private — no social media posts — so when they showed up this week in Wichita, their friends on tour were surprised to learn the couple was now married.
Now, what was supposed to be a routine work trip has turned into something far more meaningful.
“Not too bad for our first time as an official married couple,” Rosenmueller said.
As for the actual honeymoon? That will have to wait until later this year when their respective seasons are over. They’re considering any cash they earn this week in Wichita as extra for their eventual trip.
“We haven’t really thought about where to go for our honeymoon yet,” Kononova said. “We didn’t really have any expectations coming here this week, but now it’s become a lot of fun. It’s really turning into quite a special week for us.”
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 6:02 AM.
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