Benge Paces Field, is No. 1 Seed for 59th Nebraska Match Play
Stroke Play Qualifying Conducted Monday at Oak Hills Country Club
OMAHA (June 22, 2026) – Omaha's Jackson Benge felt right at home during Stroke Play Qualifying for the 59th Nebraska Match Play Championship, earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed at Oak Hills Country Club.
Benge, a rising junior at Nebraska, fired the round of the day, a 65 (-6), at his home club. He bested 155 other golfers to take the top spot, and one of 64 in the championship bracket. Benge finished runner-up last year, falling in extra-holes in the 36-hole Final.
It was an ideal day for scoring at Oak Hills, as 30 players finished in red figures. Benge started the birdie barrage in the morning, with streaks of five and three-straight birdies. After starting on the back nine and making three-consecutive pars, Benge rattled off five birdies in-a-row from holes No. 13-17 to take the lead.
After back-to-back bogeys, Benge caught fire again with three-straight birdies on Nos. 6-8. He stayed on top of the leaderboard for the rest of the day, taking the No. 1 seed. Benge will play Bennington's Austin Jochum, the No. 64 seed, in the opening round of matches.
Jochum was one of 16 players to finish at 73 (+2), and no playoff was necessary, with exactly 64 players finishing 2-over or better. The NSAA Class B Boys Golf Champion will take on the top-seeded Benge at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
Lincoln's Zack Erstad was just a stroke behind Benge, with a round of 66 (-5). The Lincoln East graduate and University of North Alabama commit is the No. 2 seed. Erstad didn't match Benge's streaks, but make seven birdies and an eagle himself. He will take on the second-oldest player in the field, Bill Spangler of Lincoln. The 1987 Champion turned back the clock to shoot 73 (+2) and make the bracket as the No. 63 seed.
Six players tied for third at 68 (-3), including the 2023 Champion Calvin Freeman of Table Rock. He'll take on another NebGolf Champion, the 2023 Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion Owen Tucker of Lincoln in the Round of 64.
Others at 3-under include Ryan Rogers of Omaha (2018 Nebraska Junior Match Play Champion), Luke Strako of Omaha, Jaiden Ronke of Omaha, Nash Malone of Kearney and Miles Elgert of Lincoln.
All five past champions in the field made the bracket, with Freeman and Spangler joined by Gretna's Beau Petersen (2024), Elkhorn's Ryan Nietfeldt (2003) and Lincoln's Travis Minzel (2004). Petersen was one of the players in red figures at 70 (-1), while Nietfeldt and Minzel had to sweat out the cutline, both shooting 73 (+2).
Match play begins Tuesday, with the Round of 64, followed by the Rounds of 32 and 16 on Wednesday, the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on Thursday, and the 36-hole Championship Final on Friday.
Play begins at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The bracket and full qualifying results are available on the championship website below, along with additional information.
Nebraska 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.
