Petersen Highest Seed Left at 58th Nebraska Match Play
Rounds of 32 and 16 Conducted Wednesday at Tatanka Golf Club
NIOBRARA (July 16, 2025) – The top two seeds are gone after Wednesday's matches at the 58th Nebraska Match Play Championship at Tatanka Golf Club in Niobrara, and defending champion Beau Petersen of Gretna is the highest seed left.
Petersen made an incredible comeback in his Round of 16 match to advance and keep his title defense alive. He was 4-down at one point on the back nine, and was 3-down with three holes to play, before winning out to defeat Omaha's Luke Strako in 19 holes.
No. 1 seed Johnny Spellerberg of Bennington and No. 2 seed Gavin Gerch of Lincoln both fell in the Round of 16. Spellerberg fell victim to Doniphan's Ethan Smith, who led almost the entire way and birdied No. 17 to close out the match, 3 and 2.
Gerch was locked in a battle with Omaha's Grant Jabenis, who won Nos. 15 and 16 to take a 1-up lead. Gerch answered by winning No. 17, and a pair of birdies sent the match to extra holes. They tied the first two extra holes, but Jabenis ended the match in 21 holes with a par on No. 3.
Smith, who is a Wyoming Cowboy now, will play the 2023 Champion in the Quarterfinals, after Freeman made a back nine run to defeat Lincoln's Scott Tridle. Freeman won four of the last nine holes to take the match, 1 up.
Grand Island's Henry Kosmicki took out Omaha's Sam Vocelka in his Round of 16 match and will face Lincoln's Miles Elgert on Thursday. Elgert survived a 1-up match over Plainview's Matt Meuret in the Round of 32, and then was victorious over Omaha's Kingston Solomon, 3 and 2, in the afternoon.
Jabenis will face-off against Lincoln's Carter Honnens, who defeated Gretna's Nolan Johnson, 3 and 1. Johnson finished runner-up at the Nebraska Amateur last month, and also fought back from 4-down to send the match to the 17th hole. However, Honnens made birdie to punch his ticket to the Quarterfinals.
Petersen will face Omaha's Jackson Benge, who also won in 18 holes in the morning, defeating Creighton golfer Radley Mauney, 1 up. Benge then rolled to a 4-and-3 win over Lincoln's David Easley in the Round of 16.
Play begins at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday for the Quarterfinals. The updated bracket is available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and 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.
