Mittag Holds Lead at Suspended 118th Nebraska Amateur
Round Three Conducted Thursday at Norfolk Country Club
NORFOLK (July 30, 2026) - Ashland's Coltrane Mittag continues to lead the 118th Nebraska Amateur Championship after a weather-plagued Thursday at Norfolk Country Club.
Almost an hour into the third round, play was suspended at 8:25 a.m. due to lightning in the area. Storms hung around all morning and into the afternoon, and play did not resume until 2 p.m. Play was again suspended at 7:56 p.m., with more storms rolling in and daylight dwindling due to the clouds.
Mittag finished the 12th hole of his round and was 3-under at the time, 14-under for the championship and leading by two strokes. Leading for the third-straight day, Mittag actually lost his lead early, as Lincoln's Gavin Gerch caught fire to start the round.
The final pairing teed off at 5:36 p.m., and Gerch wasted no time. He birdied the first three holes to get to 11-under, while Mittag stayed one-stroke clear with his own birdie on No. 3. However, Mittag bogeyed No. 5 to fall into a tie with Gerch.
Both players birdied the par-5 sixth hole to move to 12-under, but Gerch added another on the par-3 seventh to take the solo-lead from Mittag for the first time. Mittag did not let him have it for long, as he birdied the next hole, No. 8, to tie Gerch at 13-under. The solo-lead was his again after No. 9, when Gerch found tree trouble and made a bogey.
Mittag's tee shot on the short par-4 10th hole finished just short of the green, and he chipped close and made the putt for a birdie to get to 14-under. Both players made pars on the next two holes, and play was suspended with the leaders through 12 holes.
Red numbers were abundant again on Thursday, with 21 players under-par at the end of the day. A few players were making a run at the leaders, including Gretna's Beau Petersen, who is 4-under through 13 holes, and 9-under for the championship. Geran Sander of Lincoln is in fourth at 8-under through 13 holes, and Sam Vocelka is fifth at 7-under through 13 holes.
Cael Peters of Mitchell and Ryan Nietfeldt of Elkhorn have the low rounds of the third round so far, both posting 67 (-5). Peters is in a tie for sixth at 6-under, while Nietfeldt is tied for ninth at 4-under. Bennington's Johnny Spellerberg is in eighth at 8-under. Omaha's Jackson Benge and Lincoln's Owen Tucker are tied with Nietfeldt at 4-under.
Round Three resumes at 8 a.m. on Friday, with the Final Round set to start at 10 a.m. with threesomes going off Nos. 1 and 10. The leaders will go off around 11:40 a.m.
The scoring page is available on the championship website below, along with additional information.
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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.
