Hillcrest Readies for 102nd Nebraska Women's Match Play
Stroke Play Qualifying Begins Monday at Hillcrest Country Club
OMAHA (July 25, 2025) - A club with nearly a century of history will host the 102nd Nebraska Women’s Match Play Championship next week, July 28-31, as Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln will be the venue for the sixth time.
Hillcrest Country Club, established in 1928, hosted the championship for the first time in 1950, when Omaha's Lucille Mann won her first of four-straight, and five of six, titles. Including Mann, all five previous champions at Hillcrest are now Nebraska Golf Hall of Famers. That list also features Lincoln's Jean Hyland (1957), Lincoln's Dorothy Schwartzkopf (1965), Omaha's Nanette Circo (1976) and Omaha's Susan Marchese (1988).
A field of 85 players, 50 in the Championship Division, is set to compete. The Defending Champion, Katie Ruge of Omaha, is amongst that group. She'll be looking to become just the 10th player to win at least three titles, having won in 2020, as well as 2024. The Omaha Maverick is paired with Husker Arden Louchheim for Stroke Play Qualifying, and they'll tee off No. 1 at 9:30 a.m. on Monday.
Lincoln's Heidi Stark is the only other past champion competing in the Championship Division. Stark won her titles in 1995 and 1996, but has not played in the Women's Match Play in several years. She'll play qualifying alongside two-time Nebraska Women's Mid-Amateur Champion Carrie Bostar of Lincoln and Megan Place McAfee of Omaha.
Kaitlyn Hanna of Omaha, a two-time NebGolf Champion, is in the field as well. The Iowa Hawkeye is paired with another two-time champion, Lauren Thiele of Wahoo, who owns two Nebraska Girls' Match Play titles. Eden Larson of Lincoln, who finished runner-up at the Nebraska Girls' Amateur last month and was a semifinalist at the Nebraska Girls' Match Play earlier in July, will join them during qualifying.
Omaha's Julia Karmazin, a two-time Nebraska Girls' Amateur Champion and the 2024 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion, has her eyes set on a first women's title. Lincoln's Naryn Kim, the 2023 Nebraska Girls' Match Play Champion, will tee off with her at 9:10 a.m. on Monday with the same goal. They'll be joined by Husker golfer Brooke Bream.
Seven-time Champion Susan Marchese of Omaha will compete in the Tournament Gross Division, with 11 players vying for eight spots in that bracket. There will also be net brackets competing in the Tournament Net Division, with both of those divisions starting play on Tuesday.
The championship begins Monday morning with an 18-hole Stroke Play Qualifying round. In 2024, the bracket was expanded, so the top 32 will advance to the championship bracket. The Rounds of 32 and 16 will be conducted on Tuesday, with the Quarterfinals and Semifinals slated for Wednesday. Thursday morning brings the 18-hole Championship Final.
Hillcrest Country Club is a par-72 course measuring 6,254 yards for this year’s championship.
Play begins at 8 a.m. off No. 1 for Tuesday's Stroke Play Qualifying Round. Pairings for qualifying are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and additional information.
Nebraska Women's Match Play 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.
