Barth, Mittag Tie Record to Lead 118th Nebraska Amateur
Round One Conducted Tuesday at Norfolk Country Club
NORFOLK (July 28, 2026) -ย Omaha's William Barth and Ashland's Coltrane Mittag tied the lowest opening round in championship history, and share the lead at the 118th Nebraska Amateur Championship after Round One at Norfolk Country Club on Tuesday.
Barth and Mittag paced the field on a record day in Norfolk, each firing rounds of 65 (-7) to lead by one stroke. On a day when 24 players broke par, the most ever in the first round of the Nebraska Amateur, Barth and Mittag matched three other players who have shot that score.
Steve Friesen of Lincoln was the first to shoot 7-under in 1998 at Lochland Country Club in Hastings. McCook's Brandon Crick matched him in 2006 at Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, and Husker golfer Jace Guthmiller was the last to do so in 2019 at Country Club of Lincoln.
Temperatures were hot, but winds were minimal and the field took advantage. The scoring average on Tuesday was 76.37, and the field made 362 birdies and five eagles. The 24 players under-par after Round One shatters the record of 16 in 2021.
Barth, a rising sophomore on the Omaha Maverick golf team, was the first to the number, starting his morning round hot with three-straight birdies on Nos. 10-12. He made his lone-bogey on No. 14, but rattled off five birdies in his last 10 holes to take the lead at 7-under.
Mittag, who is headed to the University of North Carolina this fall, played in the afternoon with temperatures still climbing. The Nebraska Match Play Champion made a run on the more-difficult front nine, rolling in four birdies to make the turn in 32 (-4). He also made a bogey, on No. 12, but poured in four more birdies, including a closing one on the par-5 18th hole to tie Barth for the lead.
Omaha's James Rowen joined in on the birdie-fest with seven of his own, firing a 66 (-6) to sit in third, one back. Lincoln's Geran Sander and Scott Tridle both had streaks on their way to rounds of 68 (-4), and are tied for fourth. Sander went eagle-birdie-birdie on Nos. 6-8, while Tridle moved up the leaderboard with three-straight birdies to finish.
Ethan Smith of Doniphan, Brock Kuhlman of Columbus, Owen Tucker of Lincoln and Jackson Benge of Omaha are all tied for sixth at 69 (-3). A large group of six players round out the Top-10 in a tie for 10th at 70 (-2). That group includes a couple Nebraska Match Play Champions, Beau Petersen of Gretna and Johnny Spellerberg of Bennington, as well as Omaha's Christopher Whittle, Sam Vocelka and Kyle Beaudin and Kearney's Dylan Dahlstedt.
Round Two begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Pairings are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and additional information.
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.
