Mittag, Rogers to Play for 59th Nebraska Match Play Title
Quarterfinals and Semifinals Conducted Thursday at Oak Hills Country Club
OMAHA (June 25, 2026) – Ashland's Coltrane Mittag and Omaha's Ryan Rogers will square-off in the Final of the 59th Nebraska Match Play Championship at Oak Hills Country Club on Friday.
Both players advanced through the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds on Thursday to punch their ticket to the 36-hole Final. Mittag would be the second-youngest to win the title, while Rogers would join an exclusive list of five players who have won both the Nebraska Junior Match Play and the Nebraska Match Play.
Mittag, 18 years, nine months and 19 days, will be just a little more than a month older than Gretna's Beau Petersen was in 2024 when he won. The two-time Nebraska Junior Amateur Golfer of the Year is looking for his first NebGolf title, as he transfers from Oklahoma University to the University of North Carolina.
Rogers, 26, captured the 2018 Nebraska Junior Match Play title, and was the second-oldest player to advance to the Quarterfinals. He would join some greats with a win on Friday, including Johnny Spellerberg, Alex Schaake, Andy Sajevic, Ryan Nietfeldt and Steve Friesen.
Mittag took down two of the best junior golfers in the state on Thursday to advance to the Final. He was locked in a battle with Lincoln's Zack Erstad in the Quarterfinals, with Erstad winning Nos. 8 and 9 to tie the match. Mittag won four holes on the back nine, including a birdie on No. 15 to take a 2-up lead. Erstad answered with a birdie on No. 16, but Mittag closed out the match, 2 and 1, with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 17th.
The Semifinals featured a Mittag matchup against Lincoln's Carter Honnens, who took a 1-up lead out of the gate. Mittag fought back with three-straight wins on Nos. 5-7 to take the lead, but Honnens answered with wins on Nos. 9 and 10 to tie the match.
It was an errant tee shot that found the penalty area on No. 14 that cost Honnens. He lost the hole after a bogey. Mittag made an unbelievable up-and-down from a difficult lie on the lip of a bunker on No. 16. The birdie gave him a 2-up lead with two holes to play. Both players found the par-5 17th green in two, but after Honnens' eagle putt missed and Mittag cozied his close for a conceded birdie, the match was over, 2 and 1.
Rogers had to take on the only other mid-amateur in the Quarterfinals, Calvin Freeman of Table Rock. The 2023 Champion jumped out to the lead, but it was back-and-forth from there. Rogers birdied the par-3 ninth to take a 1-up lead to the back nine.
Freeman took the lead back with wins on Nos. 10 and 11, but Rogers took over from there. He won Nos. 12 and 13, and with a 1-up lead with three to play, he put his foot on the gas. Birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 closed out the match, 3 and 1.
It was much of the same for Rogers in his Semifinal matchup against Miles Elgert of Lincoln. He held a 1-up lead heading into the back nine, but caught fire to take control. Rogers hit it close on Nos. 10 and 11 for birdies, but Elgert won No. 12.
Rogers nearly holed his approach shot on No. 13, but his conceded birdie was matched by Elgert rolling his own putt in. However, Rogers made his move on the No. 14-16 loop once again, winning two of the holes to close out the match, 3 and 2.
The 36-Hole Championship Final begins at 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning. The updated bracket is available on the championship website below, along with additional information.
Nebraska 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.
