BEATRICE (July 18, 2022) – Luke Gutschewski of Elkhorn and Charlie Zielinski of Omaha advanced to the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship on Monday through qualifying at Beatrice Country Club.
Gutschewski earned medalist honors and one of two spots in the championship with a 133 (-11) total. He started out on a hot streak, shooting 64 (-8) with no bogeys in his first 18 holes. This included five birdies on the front nine and three on the back to put himself comfortably five strokes ahead of the field going into the second round.
To start his afternoon round, Gutschewski looked as if he was unstoppable. After another flawless nine with two birdies and no bogeys, his first bogey came on the 13th hole, and would be followed with another two holes later. But he came back into his own on the final stretch, and after recording birdies on Nos. 7, 8 and 9 in his first round, he repeated his success and went into the clubhouse still holding a five stroke lead.
Zielinski, who started on the back nine for his first round, played his first six holes three under par, but bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 slowed him down. He would play the front nine even par until No. 9, which he birdied, to finish -4. In his second round, he would record four birdies and only two bogeys to clinch the second qualifying spot.
Behind Zielinski, Caleb Badura of Aurora and Luke Kluver of Norfolk played off for first and second alternate positions. The first hole led to a conventional par for both, which brought the playoff to No. 2. Both golfers would have errant tee shots, but Kluver was able to scramble and get onto the green with his second.
Badura would miss the green with his approach, putting him into tree trouble, where he would miss the green again and lip-out his fourth shot from off the green, while Kluver converted a tap-in par putt to clinch first alternate with a score of 140 (-4)
Gutschewski and Zielinski advance to the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ, August 15-21, 2022.
This will be Zielinski’s first appearance at a USGA Championship, while Gutschewski played in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship last year.
For full results, click the link below.
https://www.nebgolf.org/competitions/u-s-amateur-qualifier/#scoring
