Grandfield/Turek Triumph in Playoff at Four-Ball
Final Round Conducted Sunday at The Players Club
OMAHA (April 25, 2021) - Scoring was even more difficult during the final round of the 20th Nebraska Four-Ball Championship at The Players Club in Omaha on Sunday, and Omaha's Cole Grandfield and Ryan Turek won the fourth straight playoff at the championship.
Grandfield and Turek started the day two strokes back, but matched the round of the day with a 66 (-4). That left them with a 133 (-7) total, tied with Lincoln's Travis Minzel and Jay Moore, who posted a round of 68 (-2). The two teams finished three strokes clear of the field, and the 7-under total ties the highest winning score in championship history.
Minzel and Moore were tied for the lead after a first round 65 (-5), and Minzel chipped in for birdie on the first hole to give them the solo lead. They held the lead throughout most of the day, but Grandfield and Turek made a charge on the back nine.
After a birdie on No. 9, Grandfield dropped another birdie on No. 10 to get them to 5-under. Turek added one more birdie on No. 15 to get them to 6-under, which gave them the lead at that point.
Minzel and Moore also made birdie going into the turn, their first birdie since Minzel's chip-in on the first hole. They then made seven straight pars to start the back nine and saw their lead slip away.
Moore came up big with an approach shot to three feet on the par-4 17th. He rolled in the birdie to recapture the lead, after Grandfield and Turek bogeyed the 17th ahead of them. That lead didn't last long though, as Grandfield hit a long drive on the par-5 18th. He had just a nine-iron into the green, and hit his approach shot to three feet. Grandfield rolled in the eagle putt to take the outright lead and post the 133 (-7) total.
Minzel played the closing hole in similar fashion, and had about 10 feet for his eagle and the win. However, the putt missed wide-left, and he tapped in for birdie to force a playoff.
The playoff started on No. 17, and Minzel made a great up-and-down from well left of the green. Turek hit the best approach shot of the group, two-putted for par and the playoff went on to No. 18.
Turek's second shot on the 18th finished just short of the green, but close enough to putt. Moore was the only player to hit the green in two. Turek's putt rolled about four feet past the hole, and Moore's was nearly the same distance short. Moore's birdie putt missed on the high side and Turek's dropped for the win.
Bill Amundsen of Bennington and Brian Csipkes of Gretna finished third, following up back-to-back runner-up finishes the previous two years. They tied the low round of the day with a 66 (-4) to finish at 136 (-4).
Three teams finished in a tie for fourth at 137 (-3), including the first round co-leaders Jayson Brueggemann of Lincoln and Joel Brueggemann of Beatrice. The brothers shot a final round 72 (+2). Another family duo tied them at 3-under, with John Sajevic of Fremont and Andy Sajevic of Omaha posting a 68 (-8). John eagled the 18th hole to give the father-son team a second-straight top five finish. EJ Hamilton and Nate Jaeger of Omaha had the round of the day going early, turning in 32 (-3) and getting to 5-under for the round after a birdie on No. 16. However, a bogey-par finish left them with a 66 (-4) as well, and a tie for fourth.
Full results and more are available on the championship website below.
Nebraska Four-Ball Championship
About the NGA
The Nebraska Golf Association, 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 the NGA. 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.
