Stroke Play Qualifying Completed at Nebraska Girls' and Junior Match Plays
AXTELL (June 17, 2019) - Stroke Play Qualifying was conducted in ideal conditions for the 57th Nebraska Girls’ Match Play Championship and the 30th Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship at Awarii Dunes Golf Club in Axtell on Monday.
The fields were cut to 16 girls and 32 boys for match play, which begins on Tuesday. Aurora’s Danica Badura fired an incredible round of 68 (-4) which earned her medalist honors by seven strokes and the No. 1 seed in the girls’ bracket. On the boys’ side, three players tied for medalist honors, including York’s Reed Malleck, Elkhorn’s Chris Rasmussen and Lincoln’s Connor Vandewege. All three shot rounds of 68 (-4), with Malleck taking the No. 1 seed in a random draw. Rasmussen is the No. 2 seed and Vandewege the No. 3 seed.
Badura, who is the younger sister of 2019 Nebraska Match Play Champion Caleb Badura, made six birdies and two bogeys, including four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine. She was seven strokes better than Omaha’s Kaitlyn Hanna, the 2018 NSAA Class A Co-Champion. Hanna’s 75 (+3) earned her the No. 2 seed, while Lincoln’s Nicole Kolbas is the No. 3 seed after a round of 76 (+4).
Badura will take on the No. 16 seed Julia Karmazin of Omaha in the Round of 16, while Hanna will play Aspen Luebbe of Columbus. Kolbas is set to play Avery Mitchell of Bayard. The 2018 Nebraska Girls’ Amateur Champion Kate Strickland of Lincoln is the No. 8 seed after a round of 79 (+7) and will play Gering’s Made Schlaepfer.
Exactly 16 players finished at 85 (+13) or better, and no playoff was needed. The same was true on the boys’ side, as 32 players finished at 79 (+7) or better.
Malleck will play the No. 32 seed Geran Sander of Lincoln in the Round of 32, while Rasmussen is matched up against Oakland’s Ian Lundquist the No. 31 seed. Vandewege will play the 2019 NSAA Class C Champion Preston Carbaugh of Cambridge. Other notable players to make it to match play include Kansas-Nebraska Junior Cup teammates from last year Josh Bartels of Lincoln and Josh Peters of Omaha. Bartels is the No. 13 seed after a round of 74 (+2) and he will play Nolan Johnson of Gretna. Peters shot 75 (+3) and earned the No. 14 seed to face-up against Colton Stock of Omaha.
Another great matchup pits a couple of players who battled for the NSAA Class B title this year, Elkhorn’s Luke Gutschewski and Columbus’ Bryce VunCannon. Gutschewski won the Class B title, while VunCannon finished third.
The match play brackets are available on the championship website below, along with full qualifying results and more.
Nebraska Girls' Match Play Championship
Nebraska Junior Match Play 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.
