Bream Battles Back to win 52nd Nebraska Women's Amateur
Kolbas Takes Women's Senior Amateur at Lochland Country Club
OMAHA (June 4, 2026) – Husker graduate Brooke Bream put together an impressive Final Round back nine to win the 52nd Nebraska Women’s Amateur Championship Thursday at Lochland Country Club.
A day earlier, Stephanie Kolbas of Lincoln closed out the 48th Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur Championship, claiming her first senior title Wednesday evening.
Bream finished with a 217 (+1) total to win by one stroke. She is the fourth Husker in five years to win the Women's Amateur title, joining teammate Eden Lohrbach, who won last year and was waiting to help Bream celebrate the win on the 18th green. Former Huskers Miu Takahashi (2023) and Megan Whittaker (2022) also hoisted the trophy.
The field dealt with weather issues over the last two rounds, with Round Two suspended Wednesday afternoon due to lightning. Play eventually resumed Thursday morning, with the leaders finishing four holes. The Final Round followed, but rain fell for much of the round, before it cleared about halfway through the leaders' round.
Bream, the 36-hole leader, had a tough start to her round. After carding a bogey and a double-bogey on the front nine, she bounced back with a bogey-free back nine that featured birdies on Nos. 10 and 14, taking the lead for good with the latter. It was a Final Round 73 (+1) for Bream to seal the title.
Katie Ruge of Omaha, the 2024 Champion, trailed Bream heading into the Final Round, but took the lead early with birdies on Nos. 7 and 11. However, three bogeys in the final six holes dropped her behind Bream again. She had a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to force a playoff, but it lipped out. Ruge's 73 (+1) gave her a second-straight runner-up finish, one stroke behind Bream at 218 (+2).
Emily Karmazin of Omaha, Ruge's Maverick teammate, was within a stroke of Bream after a birdie on No. 17, but a bogey on the last dropped her to third at 219 (+3).
Wahoo's Brooke Thiele earned Low Junior honors, finishing fourth at 222 (+6).
Rising Creighton sophomore Madison Murnan took fifth at 224 (+8), while the defending champion, Lohrbach, finished tied for sixth with Lincoln's Elly Honnens with a score of 226 (+10).
Eighth place belongs to Sarah Lasso of Columbus, who finished the tournament with a score of 227 (+11). Rounding out the top-10 are Lincoln's Nicole Kolbas and Eden Larson, who tied for ninth with a total score of 228 (+12).
Turning to the Seniors, Stephanie Kolbas came back from second place after Round One to eventually take the lead from 2024 Senior Amateur champion Jill Pilkington on No. 3, following a bogey from Pilkington. Kolbas finished her round with a 77, matching her Round One total from Tuesday to finish with a total score of 154 (+10).
While this was Kolbas’ first career Senior Amateur victory, she also has two Nebraska Women’s Amateur wins as well, her last coming in 2007.
Pilkington finished runner-up with a 155 (+11) total score after two rounds, last year's champion Anne Robertson of Columbus came in third at 158 (+14), and Miae Hatfield of Elkhorn finished fourth at 159 (+15). Rounding out the top five was five-time Champion Jane Pohlman of Omaha. Pilkington also won the 58-64 Age Division, and Pohlman won the 65+ Age Division, while Kolbas was the 50-57 Age Division winner.
Final results are available on the championship website below, along with additional information from the championships.
Nebraska Women's Amateur Championship
Nebraska Women's Senior Amateur 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.
