Teammates Bream, Thiele to Square Up for Nebraska Women's Match Play Final
Quarterfinals and Semifinals Conducted Wednesday at Hillcrest Country Club
LINCOLN (July 30, 2025) - Husker teammates Brooke Bream and Lauren Thiele will square up in the Final of the 102nd Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship, after advancing through the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on Wednesday at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln.
It was an all-Husker final four, as the Big Red made their presence known. Bream, a redshirt senior from Phoenix, Arizona, and Thiele, a redshirt junior from Wahoo, each defeated teammates to punch their ticket to the Final.
It is the second time in the Final for Thiele, who lost to Lincoln's Kate Strickland in the youngest Final in championship history in 2019. It will also be the fifth-straight year with a Thiele sister in the Final, including four different sisters, and seven of the last 10, which includes all five sisters. Thiele would be the third sister to win the title, joining Hannah (2016) and Lindsey (2023).
Bream is searching for her first NebGolf title, and has moved through the bracket in impressive fashion. After needing just 29 holes to complete her two matches on Tuesday, she had to battle on Wednesday. Bream went back-and-forth with Omaha Maverick golfer Macarena Garcia in the Quarterfinals, but came up clutch with a birdie on the 18th hole to win the match, 1 up.
Thiele also had a fight in the Quarterfinals, which ended as the second-longest match of the week. Omaha's Emily Karmazin, another Maverick, rolled in a birdie putt on No. 18 as well, sending the match to extra holes. Both players had chances to win on the first two extra holes after great approach shots, but couldn't get the putts to drop. Thiele finally knocked a chip close on the par-3 third for a conceded par, and Karmazin's putt slid by, giving Thiele the win in 21 holes.
That setup an all-Husker Semifinal round, as Olivia Lovegrove and Arden Louchheim each won their Quarterfinal matches. Lovegrove, a sophomore from Lincoln, cruised into the Semifinals to face Thiele, defeating Fremont's Ansley Giesselmann, 4 and 3. Louchheim shook off Lincoln's Naryn Kim, 2 and 1, to take on Bream.
Both Semifinal matches looked to be blowouts early on, as Lovegrove jumped out to a 3-up lead, thanks to back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7. Bream made a stronger move, as she won four-straight holes, including back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5, to take a 4-up lead through six holes.
However, both players down fought back, with Thiele being joined by her older sister, Haley, at the turn as a caddie. It seemed to be the boost she needed, as she started to chip away at the lead, winning Nos. 11 and 15 with pars. After not getting any putts to drop on the front nine, that stretch included a crucial birdie putt from 15 feet on No. 13, with Lovegrove in closer for a birdie, which she made.
Thiele saw her opening on the last two holes and went for it, rolling in a birdie on the 17th hole to tie the match. Then on the par-5 18th, she was just short in two strokes, while Lovegrove was in the greenside bunker. Thiele pitched it close and rolled in the birdie putt, while Lovegrove's long birdie attempt had already slid by, giving her the win, 1 up.
Louchheim also clawed back, but Bream never lost her lead. After Louchheim won three of four holes on the back nine, including a birdie on the shortened par-4 14th hole, Bream's lead was just 1 up. That was it though, as Bream hit an incredible recovery shot from the trees onto the 17th green, and two-putted for par, which closed out the match after Louchheim's par attempt did not fall. Bream's victory was 2 and 1, and sent her to the Final against another teammate.
The Championship Final between Bream and Thiele is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. on Thursday.
The Tournament Division will have also have Finals in four different flights, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
The updated bracket is available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and additional information.
Nebraska Women's Match Play Championship
About NebGolf
The Nebraska Golf Association (NebGolf), founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by NebGolf. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
